I have only seen a couple of 'black diamond' 97's, one I own. It has a straight grip w/a small black diamond inlet into its sides and the phrase 'TRAP GUN' hand engraved on it's bolt. It is full choked and has a stippled rib [not raised or pround of the bbl., just stippled]. The forearm & buttstock are nicely checquered and the wood is well above average & nicely matched. This gun had an extra bbl with it in a fitted leg-o-mutton case that the seller was supposed to supply later, but neither was ever forthcoming, so I cannot comment on whether the bbl was numbered the same or ??. That was in 1965. The bbl on the gun is numbered to the receiver, but bears no #1 or 2. I suspect it is the original bbl and the other bbl .. I just don't know.
The other black diamond I have seen matched the one just described. Oh, & 2&3/4" chamber, so marked. I suspect, but do not know for certain that the fit & finish [absense of file marks & polish] got special attention. Mine is really slick and it throws some dandy extra full patterns with several varieties of ammunition w/ # 6, 7.5 & 8 sized shot. I never patterned it with anything larger. I won a few hams at 'turkey' shoots w/it many years ago using #8's in the old Fed flyer loads w/paper cases. The magic 'X' kind of turkey shoots where you paid a dollar and took your shot at a piece of paper with an 'X' drawn on it .. closest to the 'X' won the ham. I've shot a couple of 98's with it from the 16 too. Big fun!
Perhaps Don Moody can add better detail on these interesting old guns for us when he gets a few minutes time.
