doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Win Mdl 21: Is this bracing really needed ?

My 1937 20 Ga SKEET Model does not have the brace (forearm recoil abutment) installed ahead of the forearm latch on my beavertail forearm.I've been told I should consider having this bracing installed.

Does anyone have any personal experience as to whether this bracing is really needed or not to prevent cracking under normal shooting conditions?

Thanks

Early M21s had a different "brace" It used a screw that came in from the rear of the forend iron "forend shoe" Winchester call it. Look at the rear of the forend from the knuckle radius, there should be a screw head visable near the bottom. If there is, that locks down the "brace" under the iron. Amd if has been working for 70 years I think it will hold up for a lot more, particularly on a twenty.

My 1942 16ga Skeet does not have the brace that you speak of, and I have never had a problem with it. I use it mostly for hunting and some skeet.

The screw to the rear of the forend iron on early 21's is pulling in the wrong direction. It was an attempt to keep the back end of the forend iron tight against the wood to the rear, and the design was conducive to cracking the very thin part of the wood in the inlet there. The later design with the brace in front of the forend iron is much superior because it keeps things together when the entire forearm wants to move forward as the gun recoils backwards.

I replaced the early design on my 21 that's used extensively for sporting clays and haven't had a problem with cracking anywhere. If you shoot your gun now and then you won't have a problem with either, but for extensive use at clays you'd be better off with the brace design. Silvers

It will happen sooner if you use those 'generic' promo loads. I used Scattergun Technologies pump gun ("commando" version of Remi 870) to clear a path through brush with those black-cased Remi promo loads. It was very effective and fun way to do it.