LET'S SEE YOUR WINCHESTER MODEL 21's

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Cow Town Bill

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I've been a Model 21 fan for many years. They are not overly common here in Canada and it took me many years to gather a modest collection.
One of my favourites is a 12 gauge Tournament Skeet gun made in 1934. Side-by-sides were very popular on the Skeet fields back in the 30's and 40's and the Model 21 was one of the most popular. The Tournament grade was made for only a few years and have become collectible. It has 26" barrels which were the rage back in the 30's with 28" barrels becoming popular in the 50's and 60's.
 

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Bill, as you know you are a member of a very small club here in Canada. Looks to be in great shape, as I would expect of one of your guns. I hope you will not stop at showing us just one.
 
Model 21

Bill as you are aware I have a slightly modified field grade Model 21, built sometime between 1938 & 1942. I suspect it was originally sold through a small gun shop in Ontario. It has been modified from it's original configuration. It had been modified before I obtained it, the chokes Full and Mod had been reamed out. It now sports Briley thin walls suitable for steel. It originally had a splinter forend, but now has a very comfortable beavertail forend with a good match in the wood. I now use it as my regular hunting gun primarily for upland but also waterfowling.
 
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Here's mine from around 1937. All original F/M.

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Cow Town Bill will post my text and pix since I cannot seem to post my own photos. He originally owned the gun anyway but it is my hands - down, all - time fav shotgun !

In my dreams I would own a 20 ga with 30" barrels, 3" chambers, vent rib and either Briley thin-walls or fixed-choked .015" and .025".
 
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Here's a 1950's trap gun, 30" vent rib barrels, mod and full chokes. Purchased from the original owner who held on to it into his 90's when his wife convinced him to part with it. He shot it very little as he thought it was too nice to use. Instead he shot his trusty M12.DSCN2336.jpgDSCN2341.jpg
 

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Cow Town Bill said:
There are a number for sale in the US but they command a significant premium over the same gun in 20 gauge. I recall there were only a few hundred made and most of them were for skeet shooters.
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Have seen some for sale , from time to time on some of the U.S. gun buying sites.Even if one thought about one, the exchange rate puts it for sure out of reach.Nice to dream though.

Any one here seen a Model 21 28 gauge in person?From what I have read they were quite heavy ,being built on 20 gauge frames.I believe CSMC makes the Model 21 now a days and they have a lightweight version of it available.The Model 21 guns that CSMC makes are Model 21 guns made on the old machinery bought when the old Winchester/US Repeating Arms Company went out of business.They cannot put the Winchester name on the guns,as Browning has the rights to the Winchester name , used on firearms, leased from the Olin company,which still manufactures Winchester ammunition and owns the rights to the Winchester name.
 
There has been an M21 Trap on a Canadian retailers website for the last few months, I won't mention them by name since they aren't a site sponsor ( I don't think) but the gun looks to be in good condition and is listed at $6999, is that what it's really worth or is that wishful thinking? Like I said, it's been for sale for several months but that could be more due to the small market than being over priced.
 
Has anyone ever owned or know more of the repatriated Model 21's from post WW2 Britain that came to Canada?

Here is my story:

Around 1974-75 the distributer "All Sports" in Edmonton acquired some repatriated British Model 21's from somewhere. They were immediately purchased by the salesmen and former salesmen of All Sports.

Initially, the Model 21's were sent to Britain by the United States during the early days of the second world war. When they came back to Canada they were plastered in Cosmoline. Absolutely disgusting. The Cosmoline had permeated the wood and these guns looked disgusting right out of the box and wax paper.

I was fortunate to witness gunsmith Art Boyce restore some of these Model 21's back to the beautiful guns that they are.
To remove the cosmoline from the wood Art set up a warm Varsol (paint thinner) soaking bath to draw the goop out of the pores in the wood. The wood would be placed into the bath on a daily basis and the cosmoline would be wiped off as it sweated out of the wood. The results were some really nice wood that required refinishing. The dry non shiny dull finish was my favorite.

As for the box lock actions. The actions had robust coil springs. Not too many parts were in the actions, and Winchester gladly sent replacement parts at very little cost.

The owners were selling these guns off at about $1,500. People like Mister Lockham senior thought the price was too high. But, we all knew Mr. Lockham.

Like I said, If anyone knows more about these guns, please post a message.
 
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I don't have a pic, but mine is a 16 ga. 26" barrels with I.C & M. Splinter for end & P.G. Jan.- 4th it goes to a pheasant farm in southern Ont.
I would say it is 95% + condition.
 
bluelynx said:
Has anyone ever owned or know more of the repatriated Model 21's from post WW2 Britain that came to Canada?

Here is my story:

Around 1974-75 the distributer "All Sports" in Edmonton acquired some repatriated British Model 21's from somewhere. They were immediately purchased by the salesmen and former salesmen of All Sports.

Initially, the Model 21's were sent to Britain by the United States during the early days of the second world war. When they came back to Canada they were plastered in Cosmoline. Absolutely disgusting. The Cosmoline had permeated the wood and these guns looked disgusting right out of the box and wax paper.

I was fortunate to witness gunsmith Art Boyce restore some of these Model 21's back to the beautiful guns that they are.
To remove the cosmoline from the wood Art set up a warm Varsol (paint thinner) soaking bath to draw the goop out of the pores in the wood. The wood would be placed into the bath on a daily basis and the cosmoline would be wiped off as it sweated out of the wood. The results were some really nice wood that required refinishing. The dry non shiny dull finish was my favorite.

As for the box lock actions. The actions had robust coil springs. Not too many parts were in the actions, and Winchester gladly sent replacement parts at very little cost.

The owners were selling these guns off at about $1,500. People like Mister Lockham senior thought the price was too high. But, we all knew Mr. Lockham.

Like I said, If anyone knows more about these guns, please post a message.
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Yes. I remember them very well. That was the source of my first M21. And, Ol'Flinter got one as well. Mine was a Duck gun and the other a field gun.
I had heard they gave from the UK but never did know the full story.
 
Cow Town Bill said:
Very nice M21, Rod. Wonderful condition for its age. The case makes a really nice touch.
Bill
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The case, I believe, is a later version than the M21 and I purchased the case about 20 plus years ago before I found the M21 to fill it. The M21 came to me in a leg-o-mutton case which I still have.
 
bluelynx said:
Has anyone ever owned or know more of the repatriated Model 21's from post WW2 Britain that came to Canada?

Here is my story:

Around 1974-75 the distributer "All Sports" in Edmonton acquired some repatriated British Model 21's from somewhere. They were immediately purchased by the salesmen and former salesmen of All Sports.

Initially, the Model 21's were sent to Britain by the United States during the early days of the second world war. When they came back to Canada they were plastered in Cosmoline. Absolutely disgusting. The Cosmoline had permeated the wood and these guns looked disgusting right out of the box and wax paper.

I was fortunate to witness gunsmith Art Boyce restore some of these Model 21's back to the beautiful guns that they are.
To remove the cosmoline from the wood Art set up a warm Varsol (paint thinner) soaking bath to draw the goop out of the pores in the wood. The wood would be placed into the bath on a daily basis and the cosmoline would be wiped off as it sweated out of the wood. The results were some really nice wood that required refinishing. The dry non shiny dull finish was my favorite.

As for the box lock actions. The actions had robust coil springs. Not too many parts were in the actions, and Winchester gladly sent replacement parts at very little cost.

The owners were selling these guns off at about $1,500. People like Mister Lockham senior thought the price was too high. But, we all knew Mr. Lockham.

Like I said, If anyone knows more about these guns, please post a message.
Click to expand...

In fact I bought one of those guns in Calgary (from Mike LeFleur at Simpson and Lea, I think) when they first became available and I think they were a lot less costly than $1500 because I could not have afforded one in those days at that price. $125 rings a bell. Mine was dbl triggers, 28" F & M barrels, solid rib and may have been extractors rather than ejectors. Also there was some rust pitting at the muzzle of one barrel and maybe over the chambers as well so cosmetically not too appealing. After a couple of years I sold it at an Edmonton gun show to who else but Steve Lockham SR. for I believe $200. That's my story as best I can recall...
 
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