Like Bob Cash, I like Model 21s for the way they both look and handle.
A long-time shooting friend, who is now 85 years of age, belonged to a gun club in southern California back in the sixties. He shot regularly with the founder/owner of the nationally-known Orowheat bread company who was a SxS enthusiast to the point that he ordered a Purdey and asked the firm to balance the gun identically to the Model 21 that he was then shooting so well. He even offered to have his 21 shipped to Purdeys to assist them in that..which they politely declined, stating that they well knew how to balance a gun.
Ive been fortunate over the decades to own and shoot four different M21s, still having a 12 ga. and two 16s that see a good bit of use on both birds and clays. Ive never thought of them as having snob appeal, as our resident Commie troll relates, but then again a few weeks ago he stated he could never own a Purdey for how that would label him. In my opinion, they are nice, solid guns with high-end metal finishes and often fancy walnut that are pleasing to most eyes.
Know that I am not wealthy......never owned a snowmobile, or 4-wheel ATV, or a motorized fishing boat, or even an airplane, King!.....any of which generally cost more than your average Model 21 while not retaining their value given long-term use.....as do most vintage guns of quality. So, I guess it's what we as individuals decide to plunk it down on, which doesn't seem to set will with some posters here whenever Model 21s' come up.
The complaint I seem to hear next, after that of cost, is their slightly heavier carry weight in the field. This coming from upland shooters who are often wrestling around an extra twenty to thirty pounds of their own, which has me pondering. Although I have a few quality lighter SxS's both American and English made, I keep returning to the 21's pretty often for a day in the field. So, I guess you can add me to the list with Bob Cash and Bill M. in not finding much to dislike about this gun.
Rob Harris
