doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com I believe someone is HAPPY!---- Win 21 in 16 ga

True story, a number of years ago I had a friend who ran a booth at a local gunshow. AN older gentleman walks up with a 16 gauge Model 21 wanting to sell. At the time of this event doubles were selling for big money including anything Model 21's.
I can't recall the asking price but it was like half of what they were selling for at the time. My friend immediately took him up on the deal. As my friend was turning away to put the gun up the older gentleman said, "I'll just go out to the car and get the other set of barrels for you". My friend had hit the jack pot!
A number of years later my friend was coming home from a show and his trunk flew open throwing the Model 21 in the middle of the interstate breaking the stock in half.
I ended up selling it for him to a guy out west who as far as I know pieced it all back together

Karma eventually extracted fair value from him, but unfortunately not passed on to the original seller. Gil

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A sweet deal sure doesn’t require perfection!!!

I visited with Norman Strebe at his store in District Heights, Maryland, spotted a 28" 20 gauge Model 21 standing in his back room. It was a little rough, but complete and all original. He said I could have it for $650 if I promised not to tell anyone where it came from. It was my best deal of many on a Model 21.

I'll concede this statement concerning this 16 ga. Model 21 is true, if you are in it purely for a profit motive. Nothing wrong with Capitalism if you aren't deceptive, and nobody forces some gun buyers to pay big money for garbage.

While this gun has been poorly buffed and refinished, I've seen many that are far worse sell for crazy money to suckers who are attracted to shiny objects, and don't know any better. A few years ago, I was amazed to see an 1895 Winchester .30-06 sell at a local farm auction for over $1800.00. It was buffed and polished almost beyond recognition, and hot blued. Lettering was almost gone, every sharp edge rounded over, pits polished out leaving dished out areas, and every screw slot ruined. The stock was heavily and poorly sanded, and the varnish finish looked like a kindergarten project. I felt its' only value was perhaps as salvage for some untouched internal parts. Yet several enthusiastic fools bid the price up many times its' value as a parts gun or ugly shooter.

I can recall a new guy proudly posting photos of his DS grade Lefever on the old Lefever forum. The title of the Thread was something like "Sweet Gun, or Over the Top?" He was soliciting comments about the gun he paid to refinish. It was also severely buffed with lettering about gone and every edge rounded over. The side plates and top lever were chrome plated, and the rest was hot blued. It was so bad it made me want to vomit. Only someone with the brain of a crow would find it attractive. But it was obvious he was proud of the gun he had totally ruined. Not one person responded to his post with the compliments he was seeking. I suppose nobody wanted to hurt his feelings or shatter his delusions. Yet in all my years of watching Lefevers in internet auctions, I've seen many that were just as poorly and garishly refinished sell for as much or more than sound original guns in average decent condition. The true value of a gun isn't what some discerning collectors say it is.... It is whatever some buyer, no matter how dumb, is willing to pay. A fool and his money are soon parted, and there is a reason many people live paycheck to paycheck. Proof of that can be seen in Jimmy's posts in the current "Checkering Needs to be Recut" Thread:

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=648268#Post648268

That said, I would not be surprised if this Model 21 Winchester could be flipped for $3000.00 or more if it was resold closer to Fall, when more naive fools are actively shopping for guns.

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The Louisville show was one of my favorites, for many years. I was at a table, looking for a nice double, when a fellow walked up with an “old” fox 20 bore. Asked the dealer for a value. Told $1300-1400. It was an AE grade. Owner almost made the sale but decided to come back later. I bumped into him on the next row. Asked him how much he wanted? Hoping to get $2,000 he said. Looked at the gun and it was a 90% gun. Not perfect, but a real nice shooter. Told him I’d take it at that price. He told me he had a LOM case for it if I wanted it. I love LOM cases.

Went with him to his car and when he open the trunk he had two LOM cases. Opened one and it had a gun in it still. Closed it and handed me the other which was empty. Of course I had to ask him what was in the other and he said a 16. But he had already walked it around and got only one offer for it. Said he was told 16 gauge were a tough sell. Not to me. It took me a skinny minute to tell him I’d take it as well. We spent all of 10 seconds on price. And I am glad I did. I gave him 4,500 for two guns and cases. This was a little before 2000 and was a fair if not a great price.

My middle son has the 20 and likes it for Dove. My youngest son has the 16. I loaned it to my late father,’who killed 15 dove with 23 shells, when he was 90, with both boys watching him. That gun is priceless to me. I intend to borrow it this year for Dove. I won’t match 15/23 but should be good enough Uncle Juniors .410 Crescent goes opening day and “dad’s” the second day. Got to keep it in the family. My oldest son gets the .410 when I pass.

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That's an incredible story! Your friend definitely got lucky with that 16 gauge Model 21 at the gun show. Those shotguns are highly sought after and can be very expensive, so getting one for half price with an extra set of barrels sounds like an amazing deal.

What a bummer about the broken stock on the highway though! Hopefully the buyer out west was able to find a replacement and get that historic firearm back in working order.