In our last article I talked about a unique model 21, Winchester 20 gauge with Number 2 factory engraving. The factory letter arrived and pretty much validated my hunch. The gun was ordered in 1951 for a man in western Pennsylvania.


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The length of pull is 13 ½" as stated in the letter. The gun was ordered with 28" mod. and full chokes. The gold oval in the butt stock has the man's initials added and engraved. The letter does not state that the second set of barrels was ordered at this time. It also doesn't state that this particular 21 had number 2 engraving.

One of the ways I can tell it was a factory job is by the grade of the wood. In my opinion, Winchester always used better wood on a gun that was special ordered, one that you spent more money on to have made. The fact that all the numbers match back up my assumption that the gun was probably sent back after 1954 and the second set of 3" skeet barrels were added and the first set of barrels that are marked mod. and full had the 2 ¾" chambers run out to 3". This explains the hand stamp of & 3" added to the barrels.

This work was done on a different order form and won't show up on the original order. In case you are wondering how much this 21 cost in 1951, I'll go over the cost from a 1951 wholesale catalog. The base model 21 field gun cost $355. The extra set of matted, ribbed barrels cost $177.65 without a forearm. The chambering for 3" shells cost $13.85. The engraving for the 21-2 is $57.55 extra. The 10k gold monogrammed oval cost $23.55 plus $1.75 for each letter. These are all suggested retail prices. As you can see, the total price for this gun is $632.85. This was a lot of money in the mid 50's. You could buy a model 70 for about $120.00 or a model 12 for about $95.

So, because of the exorbitant cost, I'm sure you can imagine why there weren't many of these model 21's made. The cost is more than six times the price of a pump shotgun. This is why these guns are so sought after today. I almost forgot, just the leather case for a two barrel set was designated as a W-45 and cost $45.

As always, when dealing with high quality firearms, it's important to consult with an experienced firearms professional and work with a reputable firearms auctioneer. For comments regarding this article or suggestions for upcoming article topics, please contact me at crush@rush2arms.com.

Good luck buying,
Charley