I found this beautiful shotgun at an estate sale several months ago. I wanted the other forum members to see it. This Model 42 was standing in a corner of the room, next to a card table, and some old golf clubs.The sale was being run by the daughter of the owner of the house. She hated firearms, and was glad to sell it. (literally give it away).
The five digit serial # dates it to 1937. It has been used, but not abused. The bluing on the side-plate is freckling; small rub marks on the rear of the stock, but unmolested. Bore is mint, with modified choke.

Attached Images

	IMG_0005-002.JPG (121.4 KB, 251 views)
	IMG_0003-002.JPG (112.4 KB, 194 views)
	IMG_0004-002.JPG (99.4 KB, 168 views)
	IMG_0008-002.JPG (83.7 KB, 200 views)
	IMG_0010-001.JPG (95.5 KB, 180 views)

This is an example of why early Winchesters were the top of the heap. Beautifully built by master craftsmen, of milled steel and walnut. No plastic, mystery metal, castings or stampings. I love the little 42's. Pure class.

Exactly Remchester. The craftsmanship is superb! Take-down and re-assembly....still tight as a drum, after 79 years.

I have always loved little 410's to me the perfect rabbit/ squirrel gun. That is a beauty and I'm glad she found a good home!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nice. I hope to acquire a 42 soon.. recently got two model 12s in 12 and 16 gauge.

Good score especially with a modified choke. There is just something about the Winchester Model 42 that is just right.

__________________
Bill Bates

I see quite a few of them in Gun Auctions and the run of the mill ones bring $1200 to $1700. Nice ones bring a bit more.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Hello Hunter Keith and congratulations are in order, even without knowing just what this jewel cost you I'm sure you got your money's worth. Whatever the cost this shotgun will serve you well because its been used but not abused meaning you will be able to put it back to work and not be concerned with devaluing it. I say you did good and enjoy it for what it is but take care of it for there is more room for appreciation whatever you paid!

__________________
Sam
S&WHF 333 S&WCA 2198

Great shotgun, I love the Model 12 and 42's. I have a 20 and 16 gauge, but no 12 or .410. I've had the 20 ga over 50 years.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

I always wanted a 410 pump and found one in a collection a widow was selling in about 1969.She had her husbands "friend" put a price on everything and I got it for about $80,a little less than marked as I bought several firearms. One was a pre 27 with 6 1/2 barrel which showed only slight bluing loss at muzzle from holster carry by a Deputy Sheriff go $80. The one she wouldn't sell which was pristine was Colt lever action 44-40.i never saw one before or after.

Did you get the golf clubs too?


Great find! Especially being a pre-war 42,,just something about them.
It is quite uncommon to see a field grade in anything other than Full choke,

Nope did not get the clubs! got several sets, barely used! I also thought the Mod choke was pretty rare on a field grade, especially not knowing much about 42's. I started a search on GB and found most Full choke, as you noted.
I hesitated to relate what I paid ( April, 2016), but there have been so many nice responses, I am.
The lady said $100.00, and I told her that was far below the value of her gun. ( in retrospect, It might have been her grandfathers), but she just wanted this "gun" out of the house. I pushed $150.00 in her hands, and left. I felt bad until I spotted the "OBAMA 08" bumper sticker on her car. I might have saved a masterpiece!

Yep with her having that sticker it prolly would have been put in a furnace if you hadn't saved it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank heaven that there wasn't a 'gun buyback' program going on in your area when this happened, great score.

__________________
Jim
Many K and N Frames

i'd go ask for the fifty back

That would be a once-in-a-lifetime deal for sure. Consider yourself very fortunate to have been the lucky guy that got the chance to buy it at that price.

The last gun show I attended in Cave City, Kentucky must have had 35-40 of these lying on various tables. There were about as many at that one show, for whatever reason, than I'd ever seen in my life prior to that. Sadly, none were priced like yours. Congratulations.

I inherited one of these in the 80's from my grandfather and I have used it ever since for a dove gun during the season. It's a great shotgun. I am fortunate that it has a 26" modified barrel on it.

I always wanted one, but couldn't find one at a decent price. Had a high grade Browning Japanese for a while, but wasn't the same. They got up in price and away it went.

Found this one at an auction last yr. Very pleased.


Charlie

Score! Best looking shotgun ever.

__________________
Wayne
Torn & Frayed

The model 42 has been on my wish list for years. I turned 42 this year and figured this would be the year to buy it. The only problem is Smith & Wesson's keep interfering with my master plan!

__________________
S&WCA #3012

Imagine what it would cost today, to build that M-42 with the same fit and finish they did way back? I'm jealous...what a find!

Enjoy it.

The 42s are like little jewels, aren't they? Like a miniature Model 12. Just on a whim, I stopped in the Cabela's in Fort Mill, South Carolina on Sunday. They have two Model 42s for sale in their "Gun Library". One was priced at $1800, and I want to say the other one was $1700. Just beautiful little guns...you want to take them home and take care of them.

Congratulations on your find.

They are special. I started out with one as a kid. My father bought a 42 field grade from a co-worker of his that had purchased it for his wife. She shot 1/2 box of a case of Peters 2 1/2" shells and said 'I don't like it'. In disgust the guy sold the gun and the rest of the case of shells to my father for $25. (Twenty five) That was in the early 50's.

My father used it some as did my mother, but it became my first shotgun as they thought it was a good fit for me as I was a small little guy and they felt a mans gun (12ga) was too much for me.

The 410 was a bad choice for a new shooter,,kid or not, but I struggled thru the case of Peters shells with little to show for it in the field.
I eventually went on to 'better' shotguns like a cut down IJ Champion 12 ($10) and a 16 ga Stevens SxS ($15) that I was continuously told wouldn't kill anything (because it wasn't a 12 of course even though I took a double on ringnecks w/it once).
Anyway the 42 was dormant and sold during the Big D years later/

Then I bought a Browning 42 a few years ago. Not a bad gun actually. The only thing it doesn't have is the old Winchester so called slam fire/ hold the trigger back and pump fire feature. Not something you'd use on a VR Skeet gun too much anyway.
Nicely machined and polished & fitted. I shot that for 4 or 5 years.
Then I sold that and had another field grade Win 42.
Sold that and now have a pre-war (1938) 42 Skeet gun w/ Solid rib.
I put a fancy grain straight grip stock on it but need to finish and checker it. Probably will upgrade it with some engraving too.
Not the best condition fin ish wise but an excellent shooter.
Also another of the same that needs a stock and forend (another project of course).

I guess it sometimes takes the better part of a life time to finally wake up to the fact of what we once had was pretty good to begin with.

The single biggest crime in shotgun history was putting a full choke in the barrel of a .410. You literally have to aim them like a rifle and that won't work with a shotgun.

If one is proficient with a larger bore shotgun and picks up a full choked .410, I will bet good money his proficiency is going to suffer. That little .410 with its 1/2 to 9/16 oz. of shot kills quite nicely if one is good with a scattergun, and it does it fairly well at 30 yards or so. But in my estimation, the full choke is a detriment.

And FWIW, I have a full choked 16 that creates the same problem for me... that pattern is just too tight at 30 yards.