16ga Trap letter

[kgb]

I bought a letter for my 16ga Trap grade 21, and hope it's about the bottom of the pile regarding information available. I know you can't count on a full report as the records aren't complete for every 21, but this is barely informative:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/21trapletter002.jpg

Basic information missing on the report is barrel length (26"), chokes (they're "backwards", Mod right, Cyl left), two triggers, ejectors, 16ga. That information is likewise absent on another letter I got for another 21, although it added actual weight and item number, G2100B.

I don't know how rare Trap grade 16's are, but I almost bought the first one I encountered, through Alan Phillips in about 1995, which was a 28", single trigger gun choked Mod/IM. It had a crack through the wrist and I sent it back....to be told I was too picky.

Someone must have disliked the reversed chokes, and when I got this gun the triggers were reversed so the front fired the open, left barrel and the rear trigger fired the choked barrel. The natural bend to set those triggers in line in the guard was thrown way off by reversing their position in the frame, and it was easy to make the gun "double" when recoil bounced the trigger finger into the other trigger. Easy to swap back, and I found the Mod barrel had been opened to .003" anyhow. I figure the choke had been opened by one owner, another later took the choke markings as true and reversed the triggers. I had the choke restored in the right barrel (.014"), just have to remember the front trigger fires Mod, rear fires Cylinder.

Kirk

Here's the Trap grade on the bottom, before I put the triggers back in their original order:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/triggers3.jpg

[budrichard]

The Trap Grade was in use from 1932 to 1959 according to Schwing but a 'Trap Grade' is not a 'Trap' Model 21 at least not to me.
Confused, I always have to think this through myself! Schwing does have a nice synopsis on page 85 of his book.

How are the chokes marked on the barrels? If truly reversed, then does the gun have cast OFF for a left handed shooter?
How did you have the choke 'restored'?
More pics would be nice for this interesting Trap Grade.
Thanks for the Post.-Dick

These are copies of a 1930's Winchester Model 21 catalog showing the 'Trap Grade' and a copy of a 1948 Winchester Model 21 catalog showing the 'Trap' shotgun. Clearly the 'Trap Grade' changes to the 'Trap' and a such 'Trap Grade' Model 21's are somewhat rarer than 'Trap' Model 21's as are 16 gauge examples.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/budrichard/TrapGrade.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/budrichard/Trap1948.jpg

[kgb]

Gotta get more pictures for sure, but they won't be of much help from an historical perspective. The gun had been restocked, and whoever did it just straightened out the trigger guard instead of using a proper long-tang version or modifying the original. The checkering was cut nicely around it, so it looks alright, but it's not correct by any means. The forearm is also a replacement, in fact it was made smaller/thinner with the release latch protruding. Pretty odd, but it functions fine...still, I had a BT forearm from another gun fitted to see how that affected handling.

The chokes look to have been stamped in the usual way, they correspond to what I've seen on other 21's and in the Schwing book.

Here's a shot to show the gun in profile with a Lefever 16, a closeup of the right side, and a field photo from a good day. You can see the stock's side panels are elongated from how the factory cut them, looks like whoever made the stock set it up to suit them just fine. The butt's checkered as well, something I thought I'd dislike, but I've found no reason to change it as it works perfectly.

Reminds me, the letter also doesn't indicate whether the gun originally came with a BT or splinter forearm. For that matter, since I didn't find a serial number on the trigger guard, it's possible the stock was originally straight and a spare guard was used when the gun was restocked.

Forgot to add....the rib has two beads, from the paperwork you listed they look like the 81D and 94B, as the metal units measure .124" and .067". I sent the barrels to Mike Orlen and he gave the Mod a jug choke to augment the .003" that the barrel had left as of the day I bought the gun. Plenty of metal there, and the limited patterning I did averaged a 17 percent increase over the Cylinder barrel. Right in the ballpark. From a practicality aspect, in hunting pheasants in Iowa over my Gordon I used the .000"/.003" combination with no complaints two years ago. Just seemed the gun should give the performance originally intended.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/DS003.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/21cylmod.jpg


http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Hunting/OpeningDay05.jpg

[btdtst]

On one of my Tournament grade M21s (letters as 1935 production) Cody sent a rather complete description on the gun. SN 3xxx. On my other Tournament grade SN 7xxx they have/had NO information all. It is an earlier gun, however, as it has the earlier style forend release. I am guessing 1932 or 1933 for this gun. They also had complete info on a Trap grade (1935 production again) with a SN of 2xxx. So there are definitely some gaps in their records.

[kgb]

No good light for taking pictures recently, but here are a few almost good ones with a decent shot of the choke markings of both guns. The second gun is also a 16ga, 26" bbl, two trigger, ejector gun, also built in 1940 with the letter giving an item number of G2100B and stating it was made for Abercrombie and Fitch. I put it up for sale recently but got no interest at $5400, so just put the original stock and metal back on. I still see occasional 21's for sale with wood like this, but it seems most of them with plain wood have been restocked/upgraded.

I like the kidney-shape checkering pattern for the forearm, so the BT was done in that style. You might be able to make out the checkering pattern done on the stock and splinter forearm that came with the Trap Grade gun, but it might not be apparent that it's finer than usual. I'd guess 22lpi. Not a bad pattern, a little busy, I'm guessing it was someone's idea of a really slick setup!

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/21/21pair3.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/21/21pair2.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/21/21ss006.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd256/Gordonpicsrus/Arms/21/21ss003.jpg