The 'Duck'

[budrichard]

No Model 21 captures the imagination more than the 'Duck'. This model came with a standard LOP of 13&5/8" to allow for heavy clothing while waterfowl hunting, a distinct attribute. 30" and 32" barrels choked FULL/FULL were standard and Duck is marked on the floor plate. Later in the 1950's the 'Duck' was changed to Magnum at least in the catalogs when the 3" 20 gauge was introduced as a standard cataloged gun.
This gun #29961 has 32" barrels and if you want to hunt waterfowl harking back to the early part of the 20 century this is the way to do it.
Today with Kent Tungsten Matrix #1 shot, 50 yd 'dead in the air' shots are no problem. It is the finest waterfowl gun ever manufactured in my opinion.
It is often confused in nomenclature with the 'Heavy duck' which was the Model 12 3" 12 gauge with lead in the butt to bring the weight up to about 9#'s.
This 32" gun weighs 7# 15.8oz.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/budrichard/15W32D.jpg

[MarkOue]

I recently purchased a Model 21 Duck with Briley chokes. Using either Briley steel shot flush mount or extended chokes are the barrels on the Model 21 safe for use with steel shot?

[budrichard]

The Model 21 was designed and manufactured in the lead shot era. It's designers never invisioned the use of steel or any of the other current Non-Toxic shot such as Hevi-Shot. As such the barrel steel is not harder than these types of shot and indeed may be somewhat softer. Two problems arise. The first is the wear at the choke as the hard shot is forced through the choke and the second is that this swaging of the shot introduces stresses at the muzzle that were never designed for. These stresses can cause seperation of the barrels and ribs.
So to answer your question succintly, the answer is no if you wish to preserve your Model 21. It may be possible to use small shot such as #6 with open chokes such as IC and never see any problem.
Just because someone will tell you that the steel used in your Briley chokes is harder than the current non-toxics and should be safe, may be true for a single barrel type shotgun but certainly not for a double barreled shotgun.
There are many that purport to use steel and other non-toxics with no problems but nothing is documented. I myself have degrees in Nuclear Engineering with a strong background in Metalurgy. I will not use steel in any of my doubles not designed for steel shot nor in any of my single barrel guns not designed for steel shot.-Dick

[MarkOue]

Dick,

Thanks for the informative answer! I'll limit my shooting steel shot to small shot through extended skeet and IC chokes.

Mark