[MarketHunter]

I'll tell my favorite Model 23 story even though it had nothing to do with this really.

Like you, in a weak moment, I bought a field grade 12 gauge with 30 inch barrels at Cabela's for the princely sum of $160 dollars. It was well worn but seemed very solid. I had an idea that I'd open the chokes and use it for a traveling gun. Something I could shoot steel shot out of and not really care if I damaged it.

Took it to the trap club a few days later and realized that the right barrel didn't always cock. Shot a couple rounds with the left barrel and liked the gun ok, shot it as well as I shoot anything at trap.

It laid in the closet for a couple years, I never had it repaired or had the chokes opened. One day I was going to a small gun show and happened to see it leaning there. I thought to myself, I'm never going to get this fixed up and use it like I intended. I should take it along and try to get my money back.

The show is in a building where you have to enter through a set of doors then travel a fair distance to get to the actual entrance of the show itself. I came through the first doors and there stood a "door duck" as we always called them. A guy who waits around the doors of a gun show to try and get first shot at what guys walk in with. So here he comes with the standard line "What ya got there?".

I said a Winchester double barrel 12 gauge, he immediately wants to look at it. Next standard question "What ya gotta have?". He was one of those guys that you just immediately don't like for one reason or another. I didn't want to talk to him really, wanted to get on into the show so I quoted him a ridiculous price of $350 just so he'd leave me alone. To my shock and surprise the duck says "Well...... I'd go $300." I said give me the money, my gun case, and you own it.

Few minutes later I see he and another "duck" looking over the gun inside. I eased over to try and hear their conversation. The other one was telling him he was an idiot, that it wasn't a Model 21 it was a Model 23!

I saw that guy hauling that shotgun around for a year afterwards, every little gun show he'd have it on his shoulder. A guy I know finally bought it from him to get the barrels for a project and paid him $150. Hilarious......


DLH