Winchester Model 21 Skeet 26″ 12 GA SXS Double Barrel Shotgun, 1941 C&R
SOLD FOR: $5576
LSB#: 230120TS008
Make: Winchester
Model: 21 Skeet
Serial Number: 2709
Year of Manufacture: The included Cody Firearms Records Search indicates that the gun was inspected in June, 1941. It returned to the factory in July, 1944 to fit an extra set of barrels, Bradley red bead front and metal sights and “Adjust mechanism”.
Gauge: 12 GA, 2 3/4?
Action Type: Double Barrel Side by Side Shotgun with Single Selective Trigger and Ejectors
Note: The two barrel sets will be referred to by their choke markings, skeet and full. Please see the Choke section of the description for the actual constriction measurements of the barrel sets.
Markings: The left skeet barrel is marked “WINCHESTER – 12 GAUGE / 2 3/4 CHAM.” on the side, the bottom of the left barrel is marked “WINCHESTER PROOF STEEL / WS-2”, with a triangular inspection stamp and “(VP)”, the bottom of the right barrel is marked “WS-1 / WINCHESTER PROOF STEEL” with the same triangular stamp and “(VP)”, the barrel flats each have an ovalled “WP” proof and inspection marks, the left barrel flat is marked with the serial number “2709” and “PATENT PENDING”.
The left Full marked barrel is marked “WINCHESTER-12 GAUGE / 2 3/4 cham.”, the bottom of the left barrel is marked “WINCHESTER PROOF STEEL / FULL”, the bottom of the right “FULL / WINCHESTER PROOF STEEL”, each barrel flat has an ovalled “WP” proof and inspection marks, the left flat is marked with the serial number “2709”.
The water table is marked with an ovalled “WP”, “2” in circle, “MADE IN U.S.A. MODEL 21 / WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / NEW HAVEN CONN.” and with patent numbers. The top tang is marked with the serial number. The trigger plate is marked “SKEET” in front of the trigger guard The forend iron is marked with the serial number.
Barrel Length: Both barrel sets are 26″. Based on the difference in wall thickness at the muzzles, we suspect that the Full marked barrel has been cut.
Choke:
Skeet: Marked Winchester Skeet-2 and Winchester Skeet-1, our gauge did not detect any constriction with both Cylinder Bore.
Full: Marked Full, our gauge measures constrictions of 0.015″ (left) and 0.020″ (right), corresponding to approximately Light Modified and Modified, respectively.
Sights / Optics: Each barrel set has a red bead in a base at the front of their rib and a smaller metal mid-bead.
Weight:
Skeet Barrels installed: 7 lb., 7.4 oz.
Full Barrels installed: 7 lb., 9.2 oz.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with beavertail forend (the same forend is used for both barrel sets), pistol grip, straight comb and orange-brown rubber Winchester buttpad. The stocks have some scattered tiny nicks and a few light scratches. There is a tiny loss at the rear of the top tang. There are no cracks. Some of the checkering appears to have been touched-up, most notable at the bottom-rear of the forend. The LOP measures 13 1/2? from the front of the trigger to the back of the pad, 12 5/8″ to the back of the wood. The pad has some discoloration and minor wear, having hardened with age, but not showing any cracking. Drop at comb is approximately 1 1/2?, drop at heel 2 1/4?, consistent across both barrel sets. Overall, the stocks are in about Fine condition as refinished.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: The finish appears to be factory Winchester finish. This gun has been back to the Winchester factory and may have had a new finish applied by Winchester at that time.
Bore Condition: All of the bores are bright. There is no erosion in the bores. In this writer’s opinion, the bores rate a 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 95% of its metal finish. The balance is mostly in edge-thinning and handling wear on the receiver, primarily on the bottom and at the controls. The barrels have some edge thinning and a few scattered minor marks. The receiver’s finish has a plum hue. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun is in Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The safety does not engage automatically when the action is opened but functions properly when engaged manually. The barrels lock up with no play to the receiver. We have not fired this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is the additional barrel set described above and a Cody Firearms Records Office search for this shotgun’s factory records. The records search is unclear regarding original features vice those which were added or altered when the gun was returned to the factory to fit the extra barrel set. We suspect that the Skeet-marked barrel set is the original and the Full marked set was fit in 1944. Our interpretation of the records search will be discussed further below.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 21 was their deluxe side by side shotgun, made to compete with the likes of Parker and A.H. Fox in the American shotgun market. The shotgun’s initial production run from 1930 through 1957 yielded approximately 16,000 guns. The standard grade came with select grade walnut stocks and Skeet, Trap, Tournament and Duck grades were also available.
This is a Skeet grade shotgun made in 1941 and it comes with an additional barrel set which Winchester records indicate was fit for the gun by Winchester. The records provided are ambiguous regarding which features are original and which may have been altered by Winchester, but it is fairly clear that the Full-marked barrel set was the more recent, indicating that the Skeet marked set was the original. Similarly ambiguous is whether the gun originally shipped to Von Lengerke and Antoine, but this is most likely as the owner could simply have sent the gun directly to Winchester for the additional barrels to be fit.
If Von Lengerke and Antoine sounds familiar, it is because it was essentially the Abercrombie & Fitch of Chicago at the time. It had the distinction of being a famous sporting goods store not only for their inventory and service, but also for supplying a number of weapons to the Capone gang as they cashed in on illicit sales of alcohol.
In any case, the gun now has two serial-matching barrel sets. The Full-marked barrel has been cut to 26″, matching that of the Skeet marked set. Both appear to have had their chokes modified, the Full-marked barrels now measure Light Modified and Modified while the Skeet marked barrels are now both Cylinder Bore. The shotgun is in Fine condition with 95% of its finish remaining, great bores, and strong mechanics. The Winchester Model 21 shotguns are very collectable, sought after for both their variety of configurations and their quality as a shooter. This shotgun has more years left for the field, but would be a neat addition to a Winchester collection missing the Model 21. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
