doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help recover lost/stolen Winchester model 21

Several years ago while hunting grouse in northern MN I left my Winchester Model 21, 20 gauge on the back of my truck topper, drove off and lost it. The situation was such that the gun would have slipped off my topper immediately when I backed up and exited the parking lot.

I returned to the spot within 45 minutes of the time I realized it was lost and after extensive searching of the parking area, driveway, and road ditches for a mile on either side of the main road using a metal detector the gun was not found.

I speculate that someone came along and found the gun laying in plain sight in the parking lot, just as I expected to find it on my return, and made away with it.

I'd appreciate it if in your travels to shows or when viewing model 21's that you keep my loss in mind with the hopes that I might yet be re-united with my once favorite grouse gun.

Here are the details of the gun:

-Model 21 20 gauge
-Serial #4507
-28" barrels
-Double triggers
-Ejectors
-Straight stock to a checkered butt
-splinter forend

Here is the rest of the story. The gun started as a plain jane field gun. Don Allen prior to his Dakota Arms days re-shaped the metal of the action, top tang and trigger guard to give it the look of a sleek English boxlock game gun. Some of the defining features of his work:

-Scalloped the back of the action
-Shortened and sculpted the top tang
-Removed the reinforcing bosses on the sides of the action creating more of a flat side look
-Created a bead that mirrored the contour of the balls of the action
-Restocked the gun with a piece of exhibition grade Turkish walnut
-English style stock with checkered butt.
-28 LPI borderless checkering
-The action, barrels, and hardware were cold rust blued

I didn't care for the field style beavertail that came with the gun so I had temporarily replaced it with an original Model 21 splinter so the butt stock and forend wood didn't match at the time I Iost the gun.

If by chance you would come across my gun please let me know via e-mail: jcj13@comcast.net

I reported the loss to the Itasca County MN Sheriff's Office at the time of the loss and it is still a live case with their department.

Thanks!

JCJ
Minnesota

Sounds like another Bo-Whoop story!....that's too bad, sounds like it was a nice one...I hope it turns up

All Best

CJ

It's actually a common story. Similar thing happened to a fellow in northern MI last year. The gun was found, by a very lucky coincidence, and reunited with it's owner.

The moral of the story is obvious.

Wow, that baby's gone. Didn't you post this story on here before? Sorry you haven't found it yet. I did look through my list all of the 21s I have seen (and recorded) over the years and have never seen this gun. I did come close though. Several years ago I saw one- serial number 4505 at the Louisville show. 20 gauge, straight grip, 28" barrels, MOD/FULL, $5495. Must have been a run of 20 gauges during that serial number period. I don't remember whether or not it had any of the other changes you mentioned. But I'll keep looking. Good luck.