anyone have any first hand experiance with this gun? im thinking on ordering one...but never seen one first hand.  

If you are thinking about one you might ought to go ahead and snatch one up.  I heard awhile back that they weren't being imported anymore.  Don't know if that has changed or not.

.....nice.

To top it off, if you get an original bayonet from Sarco, it'll fit.

Nice collectors pic....despite its Chinese origin, but what the hell!

I don't think I can afford an original...

I got one and I love it.

I got mine for $250 out the door and I had a replica M1917 bayonet that fit on the lug nicely!  

Despite it is chinese, I couldn't afford the real deal, Winchester M1897, so I snatched on up and I am very happy.  Parts might not be intertchangable, but they are built like tank, and ar all steel.



That is my Norinco with a complete restock and reblue.

wow nice gun there Phil!!

yeah it did come out nice.  It blued very well, I really didnt think the chinses would use good quality steel, but i was porven wrong, only the slide release button turned purple on me.  and it came with a junk bamboo stock, so I sucked up a few bucks anf got a peice of wood f0r the stock and forend and baynet grips and carved it out.

These are still being imported by Interstate Arms and TTN. The wood is supposedly Walnut nowadays but I haven't examined any of these up close in a while. One is on my "to get" list, however.

meh, the chinese stocks are junk, if you look at it in teh light you can see every flat spot so if you can find, or make a replacement stock, then do it, becuase it was the only part i didnt like about the '97.

Shot them, wood sucks, and I won't buy one, I don't buy chinese crap, ever if at all possible

I bought one........it is very nice, the action is a bit stiff, but after a few hundred rounds it loosen up where it's much smoother. wood on mine is a nice walnut, I have no complaints about it. and just like the original it has no disconector, you can hold back the trigger work the pump and it will shoot out a entire mag in a few seconds.

having never fired a 97, I will tell you this, keep your firing hand low on the neck of the stock, that bolt has some sharp edges on it when it comes back, that will put a nice slice on top of your thumb......I gurantee you will only do it once, and not repeat it. sort of like getting your first "M1 thumb"
it does have a fake ordnance bomb and US stamped on the receiver......it's a very made shotgun, I  have  no complaints about it.