doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Winchester 21 weight

Hard for an amateur - yes, but if you want to see a step-by-step tutorial on the process, check out Hughes' book on double guns.
Brent

I must have owned the heaviest 20-gauge Model 21! My gun was a pre-War gun in the 117xx range with capless full pistol grip stock, with a 14-inch LOP over butt plate, beavertail forearm, ejectors, 26-inch IC & mod, and weighed right at 7 pounds. I got it from N.F, Strebe on Marlboro Pike just outside Washington, DC. Once I got a Fox 20-gauge that weighed in at 5 pounds 14 ounces the Model 21 moved to Towson, Maryland. It had gorgeous figured Juglans nigra in both the stock and forearm. I bought the Fox for about a third of what I sold the Model 21 for. I'd probably be hard pressed to buy a 20-gauge Model 21 for three times what I could get for the Fox today!

Thanks for the input. About the accuracy of my scales: As a mathematical statistian I know that all measurements including weights are estimates. So my scales are accurate only to a certain point. What that is I am not sure, but I intend to weigh it on some other scales as a double check. I will let you know the results.

I have weighed at least a hundred doubles with the scales I have and they seem consistent and reasonable from gun to gun. For instance by these scales a 16 gauge DHE Parker with beaver tail and 30 inch barrels weighs 7 pounds and 4 ounces, a 16 gauge D grade Syracuse Arms weighs 6 pounds and 11 ounces, a Parker repro 28 gauge with beaver tail and 28 inch barrels weighs 5 pounds and 12 ounces, a Parker 20 gauge repo with beavertail and 26 inch barrels weighs 6 pounds and 7 ounces; and a 20 guage 3E featherweight L C Smith with 28 inch barrels weighs 6 pounds and 1 ounce.

I agree that its possible that the gun does not weigh exactly 5 pounds and 14 ounces, but it certainly doesn't weigh 6 pounds and 4 ounces. In handling the gun it feels like the Parker 28 gauge that weighs 5 pounds and 10 ounces and the 20 gauge Parker repo that weighs 6 pounds and 7 ounces feels like a ton in comparison.

Take Care,
Riprap

Just look at the price tag of an average one and you will not be interested in it's weight. They're a for one's money.

I recently bought a 26 inch 20 gauge field 21 with beavertail and single selective trigger with LOP 14 3/4 from trigger extension to a factory buttplate. The serial number is 110xx. The gun weighs 6 lbs. 11 oz. and is a pleasure to shoot. This gun is in 95-98% original condition. Is this unusual for a field 21? This is my first 21 and I know little about them. I have ordered a Cody letter. Any insight would be appreciated.

I must be missing something here. What advantage does a 6 pound 26" double gun have over one that weighs let's say 7 or 7.5 pounds and has 28 or 30" barrels? Yeah I know it's lighter to carry and maybe a bit handier in extremely heavy cover, but those tubes have to be pretty whippy. Do you guys try to Churchill everything? What shooting technique do you use? Silvers

I agree Silvers there is too much emphasis on gun weight. When the lead starts flyin' I don't think a 200lbs man, or 125lbs woman, should notice a pound of gun weight here or there. But for the sake of this thread, I think the original post was simply about a gun being collectible, not necesarily better than others.

I had a local gunsmith weigh the gun at 5 pounds and 13.9 ounces. A national freight carrier weighed the gun at 5.9 pounds. So an approximate weight of about 5 pounds and 14 ounces seems to be a good estimate of the actual weight.

Silvers, from my viewpoint whether the weight of the gun is an advantage depends of the type of shooting and personal preference. I just like relatively light small gauge guns. Some of the hunting I do I could swing better with a less whimpey gun, but again I enjoy the light guns. I am not a target shooter and do not consider myself a great shot, but I am a hunter that can kill birds with a light gun. Now a gun can be too light for me. I have had several 28 gauge Ithaca Flues with short barrels that weighed around 5 pounds and I was never able to shoot them well. I have a 2E 28 gauge Flues that weighs 6 pounds and 4 ounces, which is unusual in its self(heavier than typical for a 28 gauge Flues).

The point about a 20 gauge Winchester 21 being less than 6 pounds is, from my experience, unusual and I just wondered if others on this board had seen guns like this. In fact, in general, I have stayed away from 21's because of the weight. The regulars on this board are truly experts and it is a priviledge to have access to the expertize.

On a personal note I have not posted in a long time and in reviewing the posts it was good to see the names of people I remember.

Jimmy, where are you? Based on your knowledge and fondness for 21's, I expected to see a comment from you.

Take Care,
Riprap

Silvers got the right idea. Spend few thousand more and get genuine Churchill XXV" gun. For that extra cash you get bigger bore of same weight, engraving, and balance seldom seen in factory made offerings.

Jagermeister, I don't know anything about Churchill guns except they're made in the U.K. When I asked if guys with really short whippy barrels try to churchill everything, I was talking about a shooting technique, not a Churchill gun. I guess that went over the heads of most. Sorry. Silvers