I have an old Winchester model 1897 that I bought in a pawn shop back in the 70's. I am toying with the idea of cutting off the barrel to 18-20 inches and using it as a home defense gun. What think ye?
It really depends on the shape of the gun. If the action and stock are pristine, you might consider it a collector gun as is. If the stock is rough & the action has some rust or scratches.....go for it. The gun as a HD platform is very good. Rock solid and nothing will stop it from firing (for the most part).
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe they have no disconnector. I think you can hold the trigger down and pump the action and it will fire each time the pump is fully forward.
phatcyclist is correct in that the 1897 does not have a disconnecter and can be slam fired. Hold the trigger back and work the action and it turns into a pellet hose.
I have cut many of these old shotguns down for cowboy action shooting and not felt bad about a single one of them. If someone wants to give you grief over cutting down a "valuable collectors piece that's worth $XXXX", give them the option to buy it from you at that price. When they refuse, tell them to mind their own business and cut away. 19 to 20 inches is a good length for this gun as they handle real well at that length.
I would suggest that before relying on a gun that is (at least) 52 years old for HD have it checked out by a smith that knows these old guns. There are a few things that can break or jam up on this design that will either render the gun unreliable or turn it into a single shot.
There is even an old school modification that can be done that will allow you to have it broken down (if a take down model) with a fully loaded magazine tube. All it requires is a drill bit and a grenade pin