The engravers guild has its annual show in Reno in late January and this item has been donated for the Saturday night auction. Thought maybe some of you might find it interesting.





And here is information on the show if anyone is interested. It is a great weekend and SCI is in Reno that same week, from Wednesday to Saturday.

That is an interesting action and forend iron, or shoe, as Winchester call them. The action appears to have been made into a flat side, the reinforcing arrow panels appear to have been file off, Winchester did offer a flat side ation even before the M21 came out as a Custom Grade only. The action appears to have the ejector trip rods protruding from the front of the knuckle, but the iron has not been fitted for the ejector mechanism, although the iron appears to be an ejector iron; the iron is wider at the rear where the ejector hammers etc, would be fitted. No holes have been drilled for those parts, but a pair of rough extractors are included. Some of the extractor gun forends probably came this way.

Barrels are available for M21, some on the secondary market, and of course, Galazan can fit a set. In that the action frame is already a flat side, it has even more appeal.

I wish I could make the Engravers Guild show this year but it is not in the cards for me. I'd love a chance at that action!

Is there anything uniquely challenging about engraving a M21?

I had an experienced engraver here in Montana double-clutch at the idea of doing some of his fine work on one I own. He said he'd have to ask around to see if the steel it too difficult to work with. And I haven't heard more from him yet.

Sure doesn't look like much without engraving.My cousin uses a vh Parker frame as a paperweight and it looks pretty nice with the "waist."

Sam, double triggers, round flat side frame, what's not to like?

Is there anything uniquely challenging about engraving a M21?

I had an experienced engraver here in Montana double-clutch at the idea of doing some of his fine work on one I own. He said he'd have to ask around to see if the steel it too difficult to work with. And I haven't heard more from him yet.

I have engraved several M21s, mostly for the custom shop years ago. They never let one out of their hands that was not already heat treated, so yes, they are tough to engrave but by no means impossible. Bruno Pardee, who at one time ran the USRAC custom shop, told me their specs called for a Rockwell hardness of 42 to 46 and that they tried to keep them at the 42 number so they could be engraved. Anything over about 37 is starting to be hard to cut. The M21 cuts smoothly but takes a lot more time and tool resharpening.

I might add, using a pneumatic hammer and carbide tool bits helps a lot.

I can see this one now, 20ga/44-40 Cape Gun! What fun!

Try page 23 of new Galazan catalog,know the engraver,held it as it was being engraved; do not care for birds on the barrels.I have held others including a M 21 double rifle in .22 LR which is great for stopping charging mice.

William, there are great photos of that engraved action in Roger Bleile's The American Engraver-21st Century as well as other works of the same engraver...along with another 43 engravers.