I just picked up this VHE 20 with a straight grip, 30" barrels, ivory bead, and a Pachmeyr white line recoil pad. The stock doesn't have an inlet for a peaked butt plate or pad, but the serial number is the wood below the trigger guard and the inletting look correct. There is a filled hole under the trigger guard that I've never seen before. It is just back of the rear TG screw and goes back at an angle towards the butt. A bit of greyish white powder came out of it. I think it is lead, and the rest of the hole is full of it. Looks like molten lead was poured into it. Put there to balance the long barrels? Is this a known factory modification? It does balance well with it. The barrels have an unstruck weight of 3(2) and it is a 0 frame.
I know the recoil pad isn't original, but how does the rest look? The DAH is 3 3/8" and feels like more to me probably because of the straight grip. There is no cast off, maybe even a touch of cast on. The DAH and cast will take some getting used to.
#167787 isn't in the serialization book. There are a lot of 30" and 32" 20 gauge around 1914 when this one was made. I recall reading that there was a trend to the long barrelled 20 due to a California duck hunting club early the last century. Would that have been around this time?
The shotgun came with a very rough LOM case. It has a patent date of Dec. 17, 1907. It wouldn't surprise me if it was original. It is a very tight but perfect fit for this VHE. I doubt you'd get a 0 frame 16 into it. Does anyone recognize the A logo on the end cap? The other markings are an S600 and 30 on the cap locking strap. There is a name and address scratched into the end cap but it is hard to make out. I do know that the address has the neighborhood Norwood at the bottom. This is the area of Winnipeg, Manitoba that I bought it from. It will be interesting to see if it matches up with the letter.
VHE 20 SG 30"
Threaded Mode