When you hear the gun industry talk about their new sub-gauge ammo loads, you’d think that before the invention of bismuth shot, the wonders of .410 gauge had not been discovered, and nobody made nice shotguns for this round. This just ain’t the case; hunters have been hip to the .410 since the 1800s, and once upon a time, Winchester made the lovely Model 42 pump-action specifically for this small-bore cartridge. Fun with .410 @ TFB: Beretta Completes Silver Pigeon I Refresh with 28 Ga and 410 Options TFB Review: Henry Lever Action Axe .410 – Cutting Down Non-NFA Competition TFB Review: Pedersoli Howdah Alaskan 45/410 Break Action Pistol The All-New Single-Shot .410 Bore Rossi Survival Rifle – The Poly Tuffy A princely pump-action“In the beginning, there was the Winchester Model 12, and it was very good.” Not quite—Winchester’s Model 12 was not the first pump-action shotgun ever made; they had their own series of pump guns before the Model 12, including the popular Model 1897, and the competition had ‘em too. But when T.C. Johnson devised the Model 12 (based on John Browning’s previous work with the Model 1893 and Model 1897), this quickly became the most-respected pump-action shotgun in the world. The Model 12 held this position for fifty years.Originally called the Model 1912 because of the year it debuted, the Model 12 was made the old-fashioned way, with a combination of hand-fitted forged and machined steel parts and furniture from high-quality walnut. The finish was deeply blued. It was called the Perfect Repeater, because that’s what it was—it looked good and it worked well. Everyone from working men to presidents and millionaires bought these shotguns, and it is incredible that prices on the used market have dropped so low. The Model 12 was mostly sold in 12 gauge, with 16 gauge and 20 gauge versions also relatively easy to find. At one point, Winchester also offered the gun in 28 gauge, but never in .410. It was designed as a full-sized shotgun, and a .410 would have been silly.But Winchester saw the potential for a .410 repeater and the company put designer William Roemer on the job. Supposedly, Winchester actually wanted the shotgun on the market for skeet shooters, who wanted to compete with the same gun in different gauges. Roemer didn’t exactly build a Model 12 in .410; the internals aren’t just miniaturized Model 12 parts, and for most shooters that was OK. What they were concerned about was the gun’s feel, especially the placement of the controls. Roemer built a .410 pump-action that worked the same as a Model 12, including the takedown feature, and if a few internal widgets had to be redesigned for efficiency or practicality, most shooters didn’t know or didn’t care. The changes were mostly made due to the .410’s smaller shells, which in turn meant a smaller receiver. The Model 42 has a removable plate on the left-hand side of the receiver, making it easier to work on the gun’s internals, while the Model 12’s guts can be accessed more easily from the bottom of the receiver. The feeding path, bolt, extractor and even the pump mechanism itself had to be carefully designed to match the .410, in both 2.5-inch and 3-inch shells. It is worth noting that Winchester debuted the 3-inch .410 load at the same time as the Model 42’s introduction in 1933. Not only was this the first pump-action .410, but it was also one of the first guns that could handle the new magnum .410 loads as well, with their ¾-ounce payload.The Model 42 was an instant success, although the Great Depression obviously kept sales down as consumers had less money for frivolities like sub-gauge shotguns. Skeet shooters bought the gun, but it was also a big hit with hunters. Winchester stopped making it in 1963, around the same time they dropped many other classic designs. In the years since, Browning made a reproduction, and there are plenty of both on the used market today.In practical terms, the Model 42 might be one of the best classic Winchesters to buy if you actually want to go hunting. Unlike the Model 12 and other shotguns used for duck hunting, the Model 42 doesn’t really suffer from the requirement to use non-toxic shot; this wasn’t a duck gun to start with. And some Model 42s did get a workout on the skeet range, but many were not that hard-used, as most .410 owners don’t go through a high volume outside of clay shooting. Buy a Model 42, and it’s probably good to go for many more years of bunny busting or partridge sniping. This gun hereThe shotgun seen in these photos is for sale at Morphy’s auction in September. Here’s their description:Manufactured in 1952. Classically configured with blued finish, Winchester proof steel barrel, single steel bead, takedown frame, flat bottom 14 groove walnut forend, and smooth walnut stock with WRACO butt plate. CONDITION: Fine. Gun retains the vast majority of its factory blue with some high edge wear and evidence of cycling. Wood is very good with some scuffs and light impressions. Very fine bright bore. Fine mechanics.Minimum bid is $600; see more here if you’re interested.