The Winchester Model 21,While Winchester is best known for their lever action rifles, during the 193
The Winchester Model 21,While Winchester is best known for their lever action rifles, during the 1930’s to 1960’s Winchester produced a double barrel sporting shotgun that would earn the reputation as one of the best American made shotguns ever produced. First made in 1931, the Winchester Model 21 was not your grandpa’s average shotgun. Rather they were custom built high end firearms produced for the wealthy and well to do. They were not manufactured, rather they were handmade and customized to the customers specifications. Cost was anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000 depending on how customized the individual shotgun was: checkering, engraving, inlays, raised sights, wood, etc. There were seven grades offered by Winchester, each with added features; -Standard- This grade included barrels with a matte or vented rib, select grade walnut stocks featured in a straight or pistol grip configuration.-Tournament- Produced from 1933–1944. Identical to the standard grade except with the trigger plate being stamped “TOURNAMENT.”-Trap- A higher grade tournament gun with higher quality wood and a stock made to a customers dimensions. The trigger plate is marked “TRAP.”-Skeet- Identical to Trap grade, but available in 28 gauge (8 known to exist). The trigger plate marked as “SKEET.”-Duck/Magnum- These grades were offered with features found in the Standard grade. The Duck variant built from 1940-1952, was chambered only for 12 gauge 3 inch shells and featured the trigger plate marked “DUCK.” The Magnum version was offered from 1953–1959 in both 12 and 20 gauge, with 3 inch chambers. This Magnum grade featured no trigger plate markings.-Custom/Deluxe- This particular grade included a stock which was custom fit to the customer. The top rib was marked “CUSTOM BUILT” and the bottom trigger plate was marked “DELUXE.”Production ended in 1961, although production of individual fit custom shotguns continued. Only 30,000 were produced, making them extremely rare today. The example above sold at auction for $13,000. -- source link
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