I kinda like the Model 24 12 guage if you never have to haul it more than 100 yards from the truck. Weight soaks up the recoil of the 2 3/4" shells and the chokes/barrels are excellent "Old Winchester" quality. And it "swings through" Like a steel fence post!
The 28" 16 is heavy-for-guage but quite well-balanced once you get it to your shoulder. I only had a 26" 20 and didn't like the balance much.
Never had any mechanical problems with any of my 24s (still have the 16) but I only got them because they were cheap and I figured (correctly as it happens) that I could always get my money back from a "pre-64" Winchester in decent shape if I bought it low enough. My general reaction to everything but the barrels and stock is that it looks/feels cheap and cheesy but is surprisingly reliable in use.
Anywhere but in Richifornia, $795 for anything but a truly near-mint 12 guage is a few hundred out of line, IMO. It always amused me to see them advertised as the "economy version of the Model 21." Makes ya blow yer coffee out yer nose. Much better choices out there, especially in 12s.
