6 shot springs for the Win 97??

[Bugscuffle]

I understand that somewhere out there in the Wild Bunch world there is someone that is selling replacement magazine springs for the Win mod 97. Do they work? Are any other modifications required? Where can I get one?
Thanks

[Grizzly Adams]

Wild Bodie Tom makes a drop in 6 round spring and follower kit for the 97. wildbodietom@q.com

Make sure you tell him what gun you plan on putting it in.

[kingsnake]

I have Wild Bodie Tom kits in two Win 97's and two import 97's. Load and feed six shotshells all the time.

[Coffinmaker]

Yup.  Wild Bodie Tom's kit works a charm.  The kit is different from Solid Frame to Takedown though and you will need to order the correct one.  Either direct or thru Pioneer Gunworks in Oregon.  I also think Longhunter also carries the kit but I haven't looked for sure.

Coffinmaker

[Deputy Cuny]

YEAH....But he don't guarantee no misses!!!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I found that if I cut cases down to 2 3/8 inch and roll-crimp, six of them fit a '97 mag just fine.

I noticed that 2 1/2 inch star crimped cases are the same oal length, so why not?

[Bugscuffle]

After tryimg for one whole day to fabricate a magazine extension from an old mag tube and a few other extra parts I changed plans and cut down the magazine follower to just about as far as possible (just above the part where it narrows down). I then peened over the edge, forming a lip on the cut off follower so that it wouldn't just falll out of the bottom of the magazine tube. The follower doesn't stick all the way out of the bottom of the magazine tube when empty like it did before the surgry, but it holds six rounds, loads the all rounds reliably and didn't cost a dime. You may have to putz with the follower a while to get the "lip" just the right diameter to go through the magazine tube without binding up and still not fall aout the bottom. A dremel tool to make it a little smaller and a small hammer to make it a little bigger will do the job though in about 20 minutes. If that isn't enough, you can cut four or five coils off og the magazine spring and then sretch it back out to it's original length to get q liitle more room in the magazine.

P.S. They are all 2 3/4" shell too.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

As I have a Lyman roll-crimp head I can make shells any length I want.  I tried cutting hulls off to 2 inches and tried them out at the trap range.  I could get SEVEN in the mag. They got their share of clays but choked a bit on feeding so I'll stick with 2 3/8" before roll crimping.

[PJ Hardtack]

Ahem ....

Gentlemen, are we not entering the realm of 'gamesmanship' when we resort to such measures? Exceeding the normal magazine capacity of a '97 doesn't quite seem right, but then, we tolerate highly internally modified pistols and rifles in our game, so I suppose it's acceptable. Odd though, when the rules restrict a 1911 to 5 rds in the mag, hammer down on an empty chamber.

Back in the days of one pistol in CAS, I recall my indignation at a US match in Idaho when an RO required me to remove the black felt tip pen colour from the rear of the front sight blade on my Ruger Vaquero. The range layout put the sun at our backs all day and it was difficult to acquire a sight picture with a bright, shiny blade. I had to scrape it off with a knife.
At the same time, shooters with highly tuned pistols were shooting 'pop gun' loads while we Canucks were shooting 240-250 gr bullets from our Colt SAAs and Vaqueros over stiff loads of Unique. One of our possee members had a Ruger .32 magnum shooting tiny pills over what must have been 1 1/2 grs of baby powder. It couldn't knock over 12" steel gophers beyond 10 yards. Others had custom .45 brass with 1/2 capacity and a lengthy flash hole.

I'm all for shooting CAS guns 'as issue', with regard for function and safety being paramount. A Cowboy earning a dollar and day and grub wasn't keeping gunsmiths employed with trick mods and tuning.

[Blackfoot]

Some '97 will hold 6 as delivered from the factory.  I have one made in 1922 that will hold 6  modern 2 3/4 inch shells without modifications.  True, there is no extra room but it will hold 6.  I will not reduce the capacity to 5 in order to be period correct!

Drifter

[Bugscuffle]

After tryimg for one whole day to fabricate a magazine extension from an old mag tube and a few other extra parts I changed plans and cut down the magazine follower to just about as far as possible (just above the part where it narrows down). I then peened over the edge, forming a lip on the cut off follower so that it wouldn't just falll out of the bottom of the magazine tube. The follower doesn't stick all the way out of the bottom of the magazine tube when empty like it did before the surgry, but it holds six rounds, loads the all rounds reliably and didn't cost a dime. You may have to putz with the follower a while to get the "lip" just the right diameter to go through the magazine tube without binding up and still not fall aout the bottom. A dremel tool to make it a little smaller and a small hammer to make it a little bigger will do the job though in about 20 minutes. If that isn't enough, you can cut four or five coils off og the magazine spring and then sretch it back out to it's original length to get q liitle more room in the magazine.

P.S. They are all 2 3/4" shell too.

I have an old fashioned roll crimper that attaches to my bench, and I too can make up any length shell I want to, but in Wild Bunch there is a growing need for 6 round strings, and I wanted to be prepared for that contingency using any ammo.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Good point;  (I guess your nickname for Zoot Shooting would be "Bugsy"?)

I rationalize my slightly shorter rounds as being quite similar to the rounds that the '97 was designed for.

[cpt dan blodgett]

I was in Dillon the other day and there on the top shelf were several boxes of BP brand 2.5 in 12 guage shells.  Almost bought some, silly me I almost forgot that the next day I was expecting delivery of my Wild Bodie Tom 6 round follower.  It came the old 97 holds 6 just fine now.