Shotguns are my favorite firearms. I like the recoil and I like the power. I like launching nearly a third of a AR-15 magazine per shot fired. As a shotgun fan and a lover of old guns I, of course, love old shotguns. One of my favorites is the Winchester 1897. While not the first pump-action scattergun, it was the first really successful one.
I love the Winchester 1897, but I settled on a Norinco Model 97 clone. Why?
Well, actual Winchester 1897s in riot or trench configurations are relatively expensive. On top of that, I likely wouldn’t want to shoot one due to its age, value, and history.
With a Norinco 97, I have a gun similar enough to the Winchester 1897, and I don’t feel bad (or worried) about shooting it. Plus, it only cost $400 and came to me in a nearly new, seemingly unfired condition. I read a lot online and did some research, and the guns seem pretty robust.
The Norinco 97 and Me
I first ran across this Norinco 97 at an auction where several of these were for sale. Alongside this standard ‘riot’ model, they also auctioned a trench model, from which I quickly bowed out.
The auction ended at around $1,200, and I can’t spend that on a Chinese clone of a Winchester shotgun. The trench gun seemed to take some steam out of the bidders, and when the riot model shotgun popped up, I was the only bidder.
I was admittedly happy because I came to the auction wanting the Savage M1907 and one of the Norincos, preferably the trench gun, but I’m happy with the riot model. Riot model here essentially means it’s a relatively plain clone of the Winchester 1897. It features a 20-inch barrel with a bead sight, a five-round magazine tube, and some genuine Chinese wood furniture.
The shotgun itself looks surprisingly nice with a rich blued finish that’s nice and glossy. Perfect for absorbing your fingerprints. The wood might not be walnut, but it looks nice with a solid, even brown finish. I’m not saying it looks like it rolled off the Winchester factory floor, but it doesn’t look bad.
The Norinco 97 is surprisingly nice up close.
A variety of importers have brought Norinco 97s to market. This includes IAC, who imported mine. These guns seem to come and go in batches. That makes getting one a feast-or-famine situation, and shotguns are one of the few firearms allowed to be imported from China.
How It Handles
Most of my research stated these guns were solid and popular with SASS shooters. Many forum posters and lots of Canadian gun subreddits have given them solid reviews, but as always, you will also run across people’s complaints. Cracked stocks, failures to eject, parts falling out, and more. It just depends how hard they were cracking the whip at the factory that day.
While most owners reported that the Model 97s are solid, that small percentage of failures stuck in my mind.
I went to the range with various loads, ranging from high quality, high brass buckshot to the cheapest birdshot Academy has to offer. I started with the lower-powered, lower-priced birdshot. I figured if the Norinco 97 were to fail, I’d rather it fail quickly.
I loaded it up and had fun shooting clay pigeons I put on my berm. The gun cycles smoothly and reliably. It chewed through the Monarch birdshot without issue.
It chucked shells predictably at the same angle every time, which means the ejector is doing its job consistently. The guts of the shotgun spill out every time you work the action, just like a classic 1897. As the slide snaps rearward, it pushes the hammer down perfectly without issue. Yes, you can slam fire like the original, even if slam fire is silly and kind of useless. Admittedly it’s fun to dump five rounds of twelve gauge while slam firing it.
The Punch and the Kick
The Norinco 97 pulls no punches when it comes to recoil. The standard plastic butt plate doesn’t do a great job of anything really. It slams rearward with every shot, and buckshot is borderline painful through this gun. I typically use a push/pull means to mitigate recoil. That’s kind of difficult with the design of the Model 97.
The front pump is a textured, corncob forend giving you a great texture, but the finish makes it a bit slick. It’s summer in Florida, so I’m sweating even thinking about going outside. With a good push, my hands slip. On the stock end, the grip is more of a straight stock than the pistol grip we are familiar with. Your hand can slip rearwards when you pull rearward.
Also, since that slide comes out of the rear of the shotgun gun, it can catch your hand if you choke up a bit. That makes it tough to pull off modern shooting styles with the gun. Admittedly this is an Obscure Object of Desire and not really a defensive shotgun. With that in mind, I don’t object to it too much.
The bead sits directly on the barrel. That typically causes point of aim and point of impact issues. However, this little bead is dead-on and buckshot goes right where I want it. The choke is a cylinder bore design, and the gun patterns are like any other cylinder bore. No crazy exceptions here.
I only had one failure in about 250 rounds in the reliability department. It occurred while I was slam firing the gun. A round failed to make it fully from the magazine tube into the shell lifter.
Getting My Riot On
The Norinco Model 97 is a perfectly shootable clone of the famed Winchester 1897. It’s a shooter first and foremost, and it’s a ton of fun in that department. It’s a great range gun, maybe a competition gun for the SASS fellas, but not much more than that. One day I’ll get my hands on a real 1897 trench gun, and I’ll adore it, but until then, Imma shoot the hell out of this Norinco 97.