 The Winchester Model 1897 was designed by the famous American firearms inventor John Moses Browning . The Model 1897 was first listed for sale in the November 1897 Winchester catalog as a 12 gauge solid frame . However , the 12 gauge takedown was added in October 1898 , and the 16 gauge takedown in February 1900 . Originally produced as a tougher , stronger and more improved version of the Winchester 1893 , itself a takeoff on the early Spencer pump gun , the 1897 was identical to its forerunner , except that the receiver was thicker and allowed for use of smokeless powder shells , which were not common at the time . The 1897 introduced a " take down " design , where the barrel could be taken off ; a standard in pump shotguns made today , like the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 series . Over time , “ the model 97 became the most popular shotgun on the American market and established a standard of performance by which other kinds and makes of shotguns were judged , including the most expensive imported articles ” . The Winchester Model 1897 was in production from 1897 until 1957 . It was in this time frame that the " modern " hammerless designs became common , like the Winchester Model 1912 and the Remington 870 and the Model 1897 was superseded by the Winchester Model 1912 . However , the gun can still be found today in regular use . 
