Winchester Model 97 Help

[BullGear]

As you may or may not know, I recently bought a Model 97 from another user here. Great seller with lots of communications.

However, there's a stamping on the receiver that is not a Winchester marking and I'd like to know if anyone would know what it means.

Under the serial number (1931 manufacturer's date) there is the following.

13
BHCO

So, after a little investigating, there is a Black Hawk County Sheriff Department in Iowa, but this fine firearm is from Texas.

Would anyone have an idea of what this stmaping could possibly mean?

 

[XLR308]

I needed info on a model 55 30wcf i inherited years ago and the Cody Firearms museum gave me everything i needed and more.
Might be worth sending them an email.

 

[BullGear]

I needed info on a model 55 30wcf i inherited years ago and the Cody Firearms museum gave me everything i needed and more.
Might be worth sending them an email.

Thanks!

 

[Son of Dorn]

Do the letters look professionally engraved/stamped, or electropenciled, or what? Could be a company abbreviation, someone's initials. Could be Black Hawk, Colorado, if the gun wasn't always in Texas?

My '97 is about 20 years older than yours and just has the serial there, that's for sure, and I haven't seen any indication (including another 1930s one) in my google-fu so far that it's a factory marking. Would suggest trying to find out where/by whom the shotgun was purchased and go from there.

 

[BullGear]

Do the letters look professionally engraved/stamped, or electropenciled, or what? Could be a company abbreviation, someone's initials. Could be Black Hawk, Colorado, if the gun wasn't always in Texas?

My '97 is about 20 years older than yours and just has the serial there, that's for sure, and I haven't seen any indication (including another 1930s one) in my google-fu so far that it's a factory marking. Would suggest trying to find out where/by whom the shotgun was purchased and go from there.

No, this is stamped but not from Winchester. It looks like it from a not so talented gunsmith or armor.

 

[pmclaine]

Yes, get paper from Cody Museum.

Very interested in what you find out.

 

[BullGear]

I needed info on a model 55 30wcf i inherited years ago and the Cody Firearms museum gave me everything i needed and more.
Might be worth sending them an email.

Yes, get paper from Cody Museum.

Very interested in what you find out.

Will they be able to help me since I'm sure this was done after it left the factory? I'm sure this was done by a gunsmith or armorer and not by Winchester.

 

[Charger442]

WW1 75mm Field Gun shell cutaway

Picked this up today and thought it was kinda cool. 8/18 date casing, shell and casing both marked BHCo. Not sure if this is a GI cutaway or more recently done by an individual. Enjoy

www.usmilitariaforum.com

There's a few searches that show the BHCo stamp on the bottom of old 75mm shells.

Could it have been some ordnance depot that used it for security? They were also used in prisons and sheriff's departments. If you can find out where it spent most of its life , maybe it was used in a health department? Insane asylum?

 

[XLR308]

Will they be able to help me since I'm sure this was done after it left the factory? I'm sure this was done by a gunsmith or armorer and not by Winchester.

Cant say for sure but they should be able to give you manufature date and some history on it.
Only way to know is to contact them.

 

[Charger442]

Will they be able to help me since I'm sure this was done after it left the factory? I'm sure this was done by a gunsmith or armorer and not by Winchester.

Only thing you may find is who it sold to from the factory, if it went directly to a police department, there you go. Maybe it went to a hardware store in a county that fits the initials. Hard to know without the records

 

[BullGear]

WW1 75mm Field Gun shell cutaway

Picked this up today and thought it was kinda cool. 8/18 date casing, shell and casing both marked BHCo. Not sure if this is a GI cutaway or more recently done by an individual. Enjoy

www.usmilitariaforum.com

There's a few searches that show the BHCo stamp on the bottom of old 75mm shells.

Could it have been some ordnance depot that used it for security? They were also used in prisons and sheriff's departments. If you can find out where it spent most of its life , maybe it was used in a health department? Insane asylum?

Thanks, I saw that page, but wasn't sure. I like your take on the subject. Waiting on the seller to talk to his dad to see if they can come up with an answer.

 

[BullGear]

Cant say for sure but they should be able to give you manufature date and some history on it.
Only way to know is to contact them.

Only thing you may find is who it sold to from the factory, if it went directly to a police department, there you go. Maybe it went to a hardware store in a county that fits the initials. Hard to know without the records

Looks like I'll be contacting Cody on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[pmclaine]

The letter will give you "shipped to" info.

That may or may not solve your mystery but it's probably all you got.

Have you taken a picture and done a Google image search? Maybe there is a similar marking on the net.

 

[Texasflyer]

If its a police shotgun, i have found department tags under the butt plate on old ithica shotguns before.

 

[I-R-me]

As you may or may not know, I recently bought a Model 97 from another user here. Great seller with lots of communications.

However, there's a stamping on the receiver that is not a Winchester marking and I'd like to know if anyone would know what it means.

Under the serial number (1931 manufacturer's date) there is the following.

13
BHCO

So, after a little investigating, there is a Black Hawk County Sheriff Department in Iowa, but this fine firearm is from Texas.

Would anyone have an idea of what this stmaping could possibly mean?

I could be wrong but Bosque Hill Country ( BCHO) is a term used for that area of Texas and maybe that is what it means?

 

[BullGear]

I could be wrong but Bosque Hill Country ( BCHO) is a term used for that area of Texas and maybe that is what it means?

Hey, that's a good find. I'm hoping the seller's dad can shed some light on it but that seems to be the best information I've gotten so far. It may be from their sheriff's department or possibly a prison or jail.

Thank you!

 

[Bigfatcock]

Damn, I wish it said “BFC”.

 

[BullGear]

Damn, I wish it said “BFC”.

Just buy an 1897 and stamp it yourself. Imagine people 50 years from now trying to figure out what that stamping means.....

 

[BullGear]

Haven't done the Cody paper trail but I did buy another one. This time an 1897 with an early serial number. This one needs some work so I bought it to convert to a Trench gun. I've gotta find a smith who knows these shotguns and has done a few conversions.

What finish should I have this redone in? Were the original WWI Trench guns browned or blued? I do believe they all had the metal butt plate, so I'll be looking for one of them as well as a period correct buttstock (strangest crack).

 

[roostercogburn98]

Haven't done the Cody paper trail but I did buy another one. This time an 1897 with an early serial number. This one needs some work so I bought it to convert to a Trench gun. I've gotta find a smith who knows these shotguns and has done a few conversions.

What finish should I have this redone in? Were the original WWI Trench guns browned or blued? I do believe they all had the metal butt plate, so I'll be looking for one of them as well as a period correct buttstock (strangest crack).

Pretty sure they originals were parkarized