Is the Winchester Model 1897 12 gauge safe to fire magnum shells?

Answer 1

No, it is not. While the Winchester Model 1897 shotgun is a very robust design, it was not designed for magnum shells. The chamber length is 2-3/4" only. Additionally, it was never designed for shot shells loaded with steel shot. Only lead shot (or a suitable substitute) can be used in an original Winchester Model 1897. The Model 1897 is one of John M. Browning's very best designs and patents. Winchester conducted a long-term durability test of a standard Field grade gun that they pulled off the assembly line at random in 1914. Over the next 29-years, the ballistics department fired a total of 1,247,000 shells through the gun (shooting it almost continually during normal working hours), and the only thing that needed replacing was the firing pin, which they replaced twice. That is quite a testament to the quality of the design and gun!