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Winchester Model 20 or Winchester Model 37?
I'm stupidly "Jonesing" for a Single Shot .410.
Anyone have one?
Anyone shooting one?
Anyone love theirs?

I'd recommend a Savage model 220. No hammer. Single shots are cool...Geo

There is a Model 37 .410 behind the lower back door here at the ranch, ever ready for Rattlesnake dispatch. (and frequently employed for such).

I started my shooting career with one, shot my first flying dove (1957) first flying Bobwhite (1959) and first Duck in 1960.
Kept it forever. Took it to a ranch in the Texas Hill Country when I married the first time in 1976, sort of "gave" it to my father in law for vermin work.
He was so tight he would not fix or replace his no name hardware store .410 that flew open every shot.
Left the marriage and the ranch on good terms , and told him to keep it.

Bought another from a local Pawn shop 30 years ago and it still resides here at my ranch.

Since then, I Paid more than it was worth 3 years ago for a "MINT" 20 bore
Model 37, shot it for pattern placement on the plate and put it up,I've got one of Cindy's grand sons in mind for it in a couple of years....

While I admit the Savage 220 is nice, I find they have nearly impossibly heavy trigger pulls compared to the external hammer Model 37

Everyone to their own, it makes the gun world go around.

I was interested in a single shot .410 as well, and I looked for a Winchester Model 20, which are beautiful little guns, but I found that they are pretty few and far between, and one in nice condition is not inexpensive.

I ended up with an interesting little .410 Belgian side-lever hammer folding single shot with a skeletonized, straight-grip buttstock. At 3 1/2 pounds it is considerably smaller and lighter weight than the M 20, and it is a very nice little gun. I am happy with it, but be aware that some of them are in pretty tough shape.

Bob,
To see how bad you really want a single, buy a Yildiz for $129 which is about half the cost of an oil change tune-up of one of your Win 21's and give it a try. Nice wood, too. 3 lbs. 3 oz. warranty work by Briley. The Savage 220B is a tad heavier at 5 lbs. 13 oz. For comparison, photo of Yildiz and Savage chambers. The other gun is a 220A in 20 gauge--13 oz. lighter.

The first shotgun I ever hunted with was a borrowed M 37 Winchester .410. I have never liked them because of the stamped construction. In addition, the earlier ones hammer spur is too low and liable to slip from under the thumb when cocking. I would prefer one of the Savage/Stevens single shots with or without an external hammer, or a H&R or IJ single shot. My own standby snake gun when I lived in AL and needed one was a Savage M24 in .22LR/.410. With .22 LR,.22 shot, .410 shot or .410 slugs I could take care of any varmint in the yard, and it could be pressed into service as a small game hunting gun.

The Savage 220 is truly hammerless and not by having an internal hammer driving a transfer pin. It has a spring loaded firing pin and nothing like an A&D design in a doublegun. Gil

Red Letter (pre-WWII) 20ga Model 37 was my first shotgun. It was built like a "tank". "Together They're a Double "is very true two times Model 37 is equal Winchester Model 24.

Elegant, yes?



Not quite, right?

Yep.