Ackley chambered the 1897 in 30/40 Krag, Mike Petrov told me all about it. 😀 The 97' is a very strong gun.
I own a 16 gauge 1897 circa 1914, factory modified bbl. I kill a few ducks a year with it. A few years ago when I lived in Nebraska, I used my 97' a lot. From early Teal to January mallards. I'd say it's a pretty serious duck gun.