I own an 1897 made in 1897, actually owned 2 made in 1897 but sold one. Both have the larger size smooth steel plate with the widow's peak. Later the smooth plate was changed to a slightly thicker and sharper-cornered checkered plate, again of the larger size with a widow's peak. Basically it looked like a person could have taken a later checkered plate and cut it thinner with more-rounded edges to duplicate the earlier smooth plate except that it would be working backwards so to speak. I believe the larger-size checkered plate was used on some 1897s especially trench guns up until WW2 even though the hard rubber flat plate seems to have been used as early as the 1920s.
I know that some 1886s had steel plates but all of mine with shotgun butts have had the smaller-size hard rubber plate with widow's peak. Believe me, some of the heavy kickers NEEDED that larger plate! (G)
Regards, Joe
