The Cody website includes information about which blocks of Model 1897 and Model 97 serial numbers are available for research. I thought I saw a faint line on a checkering pattern on the grip but I was willing to blame it on camera trickery. My uncheckered gun has no hint of checkering, has fancy figure and black diamonds. The gun is so worn that it is not likely anyone's attempt to fake a Trap Gun. And it has a Trap Gun breech bolt. I should see whether it is among the numbers that can be documented at Cody. I did get a Brush Gun documented by Cody letter, but the letter gave no information except that it is an original Brush Gun and not a rebarrelled standard field gun. I guess it was worth it. A Trap Grade should be worth a bit more than a field gun in the same condition, quite a bit more in the higher levels of condition.
