I used to own a Model 21-20 gauge skeet(made in 1948) that had and lettered with a checkered butt. My 20 gauge Grand American(started in 1964 and finished in 1965) with one set of the barrels being skeet and skeet has the leather covered pad. I wouldn't write off your stock just yet as the Winchester 21's were custom ordered and could be had with a variety of butts.(hard plastic-checkered -rubber-leather covered rubber and leather faced rubber are the options the factory advertised. It would have been nice if the factory would have kept all the work orders and a person could have seen how the customer ordered the gun. My Grand American came with the work orders and factory letter and the gun letters to a tee. With this being said almost all the factory winchester catalogs list the skeet with a checkered butt. Since your letter doesn't list the checkered butt- I would think that would be a plus as far as possibly being originally stocked with a plastic butt.
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