My SC has a 17 thousand serial number. It also has the close fitting screw on the right side of the breech which I guess hides the firing pin. It bought it, 30 years ago from the son in law of Ray Folger the San Francisco coffee magnet who was a member of the Bohemian Club in that city in the early 20th Century. I had to have the opening lever worked on and the crumbling recoil pad replaced with a new Silver's pad right after I acquired the gun. I paid $1,500 for it. I've shot it quite a lot, but I do better with an old 1928 vintage Model 12...go figure.
BTW: Hemingway's favorite pump shotgun was a Winchester Model 12 made in 1928. After reading all of his books years ago (I am 80.) I decided to acquire guns like his if I could. My antique Model 12 falls into that group. I also have a nice Model 70, but in 270.(Actually, as I recall his rifle was an '06 Springfield, but it might have been a Model 70.) Hem's was an '06. A Mannlicher Shaunauer (can't be spelled correctly) also in '06, his was in something else but close enough, an ancient Win pump .22 and an old Browning Auto 5 in 16 gauge. I think Hem had one of those. Mine has MK IV engraving and comes with an extra barrel and the original case and it is a thing of beauty! I've got a O/U with nice engraving, but it is nothing like Hem's famous gun. And I have been on safari in Africa, but I could not afford to shoot with a gun, but I killed a lot of game with my Pentax 35mm high velocity camera.
Last edited by Steve McCarty; 05-26-2025 at 03:27 PM..
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