Hey all, I was lucky to be taken out skeet shooting earlier in the week. One of my neighbors asked if I would like to go. He loaned me one of his 12 gauge over/unders. (btw, my shoulder is STILL black and blue). The following day, I started looking for a shotgun. I looked at all the "B" guns... Beretta, Benelli and Browning... but at prices starting at 1500 and going up quickly... I said... "no way."
Well... I walked into a local Pawn shop yesterday. Sitting behind the counter is this Smith and Wesson Model 1000. Semi Auto, 20 Gauge, 28" barrel. Asking price was $350. At least 25 years old. Checkered stocks... varnished walnut furniture... mmmm.... last produced in 1988, I wondered if parts would be available. Sure enough.... Numrich has plenty of parts if necessary, and there is a machine shop that produces parts for the gun if there are none to be found. The machine shop is in Texas. Y'all hear that Lonestar?
This gun is from an era where etchings and checkering were "the norm"... because is was economical.... and expected. so the pics I took show the checkering on the forearm and the etchings on the receiver.
I did a field strip of the gun this afternoon. The gun has no tennifer, no parkerizing, no nothing but Blueing. And the blueing is perfect. Deep... so deep that you can see down into it. I do know my guns, and I don't believe there are more than 50 rounds through this action.. As I field stripped it, I noticed that there isn't even wear on the loading gate! The internals and breech face look like the gun has never been fired. This is surely someone's safe queen for the past 25 years. And now... I get to play with her! Walked out for $300.
