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Winning Bid US $18891 First bid $12500 Quantity 1 # of bids 6 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2023-10-31 00:00:00 Ended 2024-12-06 22:31:55

FABULOUS ENGRAVED Winchester Model 21 SKEET, CAL: 12GA, MFG: 1930's, SN: 12284, Break Action SxS Shotgun, Choke: WS1 & WS2, 2 3/4'' Chamb. 28'' barrels. The name Winchester embodies American gunmaking at its finest, & the Winchester Model 21 is widely hailed as one of the most elite American boxlock double guns ever produced. Although technically a production gun until 1960, each Winchester Model 21 was custom-crafted in terms of workmanship, configuration, & attention to detail, & every one of these classic shotguns has a story as unique as the sportsmen & shooters who shouldered them. These deluxe sporting arms are defined not only by their elegant simplicity & master workmanship, but as symbols of the golden age of American manufacturing. Indeed, the highest condition Model 21 examples represent gunmaking as a fine art. Most Winchester enthusiasts of this classic side by side would call the Model 21 perfection. Thomas Crossley Johnson, Winchester's lead gun designer when the Model 21 was conceived in 1924, stated that the gun was ''equal in quality to any double model anywhere, & of superior design & craftsmanship. This will be a lifetime gun for the most particular shooter.'' Indeed, the Winchester Model 21 was developed to compete not only with luxury American shotguns offered by companies like A.H. Fox & Parker Brothers, but to rival the finest English side by sides. In a 1934 letter from John Olin to Winchester CEO Edwin Pugsley, Olin confidently proclaimed, ''I think we can build a better gun than anyone has built so far.'' Olins desire to place reputation over short-term profit likely kept the Winchester Model 21 available for order despite its lofty production costs. It was reported that Winchester made little revenue from the expensive line of custom side by sides & in some cases lost money on the endeavor. The 1948 Winchester Model 21 catalog stated, ''There is no limit to our willingness or ability to make your Winchester Model 21 the finest double gun in the world. Our master craftsmen are at your complete service.'' Though the Winchester Model 21 was not officially announced to the public until January 2nd, 1931, Winchester salesmen were promoting the new shotgun as early as October of 1930. Upon its debut, the Model 21 was priced from $59.50 to $175.60, which works out to a range of $1,150 to $4,300 in today's money. One year later, the most modestly priced Model 21 had risen to $65.50, & the cost continued to trend upward. After WW2, the base price for a Winchester 21 had reached over $300.00, serious money in an era when the average cost of a new car was $1,125. Each new Winchester catalog introduced new custom options that could further increase the price tag, & by the early 1960s the lowest price point for the Model 21 had jumped to $1,000. In Winchester's 1932 catalog, the Model 21 was offered in Standard, Tournament, & Trap grades, each available in 12, 16, & 20 gauge variations. An additional premium was charged for single trigger & selective ejection, & a ventilated rib & beavertail forend could be added for higher still. The following years saw the introduction of the Winchester Model 21 Skeet & Duck grade, as well as the Model 21 Custom Built, which allowed for numerous barrel lengths & chokes to meet any shooting aspiration. This impressive level of customization defined the Model 21 going forward & allowed customers to special order 28 gauge & .410 bore guns as well, the latter being a favorite of John Olin. Of the 30,000 Winchester Model 21 shotguns produced from 1931 to 1959, the Custom Built option accounted for nearly half that number. Given the popularity of the custom model & the high manufacturing costs involved with maintaining the Model 21 as a production gun, Winchester decided to remove the side by side from its regular lineup & reclassify the Model 21 as a special order shotgun exclusively available through the Winchester Custom Shop. The deluxe & custom engraved Model 21 in this auction honors the essence & history of the John Olin & the men who made the model 21 an American Icon. Winchester's Model 21 Grand American variation represented the definition of top of the line. It was a special order within a special order model, an elite side by side at the highest & most prestigious level of craftsmanship & engraving. This special shotgun exceeds the engraving of the most elaborate Grand American examples. The gun exhibits an extensive & rich amount of 14-kt gold inlay work in graceful fleur-de-lis designs. There is also some platinum or white gold accenting inlays contrasting & providing depth. This inlay works takes the form of scrolls, fan, leaf, floral & line work built on top of deep relief & accent engraving. All of this engraving & gold inlay artwork surrounds no less than 15 large individual gold inlaid animals & game scenes. The left side of the receiver display two fox stocking two pheasants, while the left side features two hunting dogs on point at two quail. Both sides of the barrel feature two flying ducks over a marsh scene, while the bottom of the receiver also features two additional flying ducks & ''SKEET'' in a gold outlined box. The trigger guard features a flying grouse amongst the vine & leaf inlay work. While we were not able to find any initials or a signature to indicate who engraved this fine example, the engraving & inlays are equal to or exceeds the engraving often performed by renowned masters like the Kusmit brothers or George Ulrich. This firearm comes with a Cody Winchester Records Look-up sheet which provides dates & features of this fantastic shotgun. The original deluxe checkered, capped pistol grip & beavertail forend wood stocks are excellent. There are very few minor defects to the wood & original finish. The deep, rich & high polish metal blue finish rates 99% overall. Bores are excellent. The solid, matted rib carries a smaller mid-rib bead & larger red front bead. Non-Automatic safety. Single trigger. Originally built with ''SKEET'' finish. The buttstock carries a Pachmayr ventilated recoil pad. Current LOP: 14 5/8'' over pad, DAH: 2 3/8'', DAC: 1 1/2''. This is an absolutely gorgeous Model 21, with the finest gold engraving we've ever encountered on any of these fabulous Winchester double.* FFL or C&R Req. (credit to RIA for some of the description info) - Value: 25000 to 35000

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Price

FABULOUS ENGRAVED Winchester Model 21 SKEET, CAL: 12GA, MFG: 193... Item # 4288 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $18891

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