Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · II · 688

Winchester Model 1897 riot gun, RIC marked

Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 22 ↗

Winchester, Model 1897 or 97 riot guns, cal. 12 gauge, 20" barrels with original RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) markings.

What this entry requires

  • ATF REQUIRESMarkings as the ATF wording states: “20" barrels with original RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) markings”
  • INFOATF states no date; production was about 1919–1921.

Editorial facts · Our research

Country
United States
Manufacturer
Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
Type
Shotgun²
Action
Other
Caliber
12 gauge
Made
c. 1919–1921production; ATF states no date¹
Service
Commercial
Search listings ↗Check a specific gunReport an error ↗

Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 22 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: Medium · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. winchestercollector.org ↗, years: two identified RIC Model 1897 riot guns, S/Ns 719789 and 720424, both made early in 1920; RIC bought through London Armoury Co., Enfield-inspected, butt stamped R.I.C.
  2. Wikipedia, “Winchester Model 1897” ↗, type: variant table lists the Riot grade: 12 gauge, 20in. barrel, 1898–1935, a pump-action shotgun
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
2 changes · see below

Correction history

  1. Data-trust reviewEditorial confidence: Low → Medium. Re-rated after supporting references were added or re-checked.
  2. Data-trust reviewYears: 1897–1922 → 1919–1921. WACA historian: the known RIC riot guns (S/Ns 719789, 720424) were made early in 1920; the order dates to 1919/20

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

Winchester Model 1897 (base model shown for Winchester Model 1897 riot gun, RIC marked)
Shown: a long-barrelled Winchester Model 1897 shotgun, not this 20-inch RIC-marked riot gun.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “Repeterhagelgevär - Livrustkammaren - 98434 (cropped).jpg” by Jens Mohr, Public domain. Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “Winchester Model 1897”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

The Winchester Model 1897, also known as the Model 97, M97, Riot Gun, or Trench Gun, is a pump-action shotgun with an external hammer and tube magazine manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The Model 1897 was an evolution of the Winchester Model 1893 designed by John Browning. From 1897 until 1957, over one million of these shotguns were produced. The Model 1897 was offered in numerous barrel lengths and grades, chambered in 12 and 16 gauge, and as a solid frame or takedown. The 16-gauge guns had a standard barrel length of 28 in (71 cm), while 12-gauge guns were furnished with 30 in (76 cm) barrels. Special length barrels could be ordered in lengths as short as 20 in (51 cm) or as long as 36 in (91 cm). Since the time the Model 1897 was first manufactured, it has been used to great effect by American military personnel, law enforcement officers, and hunters.