Winchester '97 attic find

[JB White]

Not a military version as it's a C series brush gun, but thought perhaps I can get some advice here? Serial number takes it to circa 1899/1900 depending on my sources.

Came to me as an attic find caked with petrified crud and a light rust. Known to have been stored over 30 years there after it had been found elsewhere. So, probably 50 years of sitting or more.
Rifles are more my forte' and have only dabbled in older SXS and single shots when it comes to shotguns older than me. However I was able to soak this '97 to free it up for a cleaning.

Books I have so that's what I followed step by step. Cleaned up well and went back together fairly easy once I was familiar with it. Now I have a problem. Working the action with the gun empty, it often hangs up as though it has been short stroked. Forcing the slide forward doesn't always free it for cycling, but giving a slight twist to the forend does.
This doesn't happen while holding the trigger and cycling "trench gun style". Can't get it to hang up holding just the receiver in hand sans barrel and buttstock. No burrs, extended pins, loose screws etc as I double checked all those things.

What else can I look for or what parts might be worn to cause this?
Is this just a fluke thing on an empty gun, where things don't quite move fully into place unless fired? I noticed a couple of times I couldn't release the trigger (under control, not dry fired) unless I pressed the rear of the bolt slightly.

I don't know much about these things, but I know enough to know it's going to drive me crazy until I find out.


**added** I've been playing with it for a little more. It's gotten to where it hangs up but a jiggle forward and back on the forend frees it up. Sort of a light double tap kind of thing. When it does work it works very well. Figured a couple of dry fires couldn't hurt too much. Seems to work OK after a full strike. But it's as though something isn't quite right. Not like a newer pump would act, that's for sure.

[scosgt]

Not sure what you are asking. It has a bolt lock that is cleared by firing or pushing forward on the action bar with the hammer down. It is not supposed to cycle except when fired.

[JB White]

Not sure what you are asking. It has a bolt lock that is cleared by firing or pushing forward on the action bar with the hammer down. It is not supposed to cycle except when fired.

You might have been unsure but you answered my question(s). Continuously working it brought it to the point where it's now acting as you just described. Prior to that it wouldn't budge until after several tries pushing forward and back and I even shook it out of frustration once. It wouldn't unlock as you described. Just stayed locked up until it decided to let go.

I was concerned because when it came my way it looked as though someone had been messing with it. The barrel was indexed a full thread out and the mag tube was loose...if you could call it loose. It was so mucked with filth nothing would move freely. As though somebody tossed it into a corner and gave up on it decades ago.
Maybe after sitting so long and finally being cleaned, de-crudded, and oiled, it needed an afternoon to "get broken in" again?

Now I know that it locks that way and I'm not simply guessing at it. I feel much better about that. Thank you very much.