Any bird hunter who handles the Winchester Model 42 and doesn't fall in love with it has a heart of stone.

The Model 12 was available in 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauges. The Model 42 was made only in .410, the cartridge for which it was specifically designed. Anyone who picks up a Model 42 for the first time and does not fall head over heels in love has a heart of stone. And anyone who says the Model 12 really isn't as perfect as a repeater can possibly be either has not shot one or does not care for pump guns.

The real prize among Model 12s is the 16-gauge; built on the 20-gauge receiver, it is actually lighter than the same gun in 20-gauge because its barrel is thinner at the breech. It truly does carry like a 20 and shoot like a 12. Here's a tip: If you just want a good hunting gun and don't care where it was made, the limited-production Model 12s in 20 and 28 gauge and the Model 42s sold by Browning a few years back are as good as the real thing and they are extremely affordable to boot.

We finally come to the semiautomatics. Three million Browning A-5s were manufactured in Belgium, Japan and America (yep, Remington built close to 65,000 of them for Browning). On top of that, Remington also built and sold 850,000 near copies of the same gun, but called it the Model 11. Considering those production numbers, few would argue against the fact that John Browning's "Automatic-Five" shotgun ruled the autoloader roost among America's hunters and it did so for a good 50 years. So if the A-5 was king during the first half of the 20th century, what gun booted it from its throne and went on to reign over the second half of the century? If you know your shotguns, you know the answer to that question is the Remington Model 1100.

The Model 1100 was introduced in 1963 and within 20 years three million had been built. The plan at Remington was to discontinue production soon after introducing the Model 11-87 in 1987 but popular demand simply would not allow them to do so. Production numbers for the Model 1100 are approaching four million units as you read this, making it the most successful semiautomatic ever built by anybody anywhere in the world.

As far as I know, it and its predecessor, the Model 11-48, are the only two autoloading shotguns to ever be available in all five popular chamberings--12, 16, 20, 28 and .410. Last time I looked, the Model 1100 was still available in those five bore sizes although production of those in .410 and 28 is quite limited.

HOW MUCH DO THEY COST

When all is said and done, any gun is worth what someone is willing to pay for it so it is with some reservation that I get into prices. A few minutes of surfing the Internet will give you an even better idea of what you will have to pay, but here are a few ballpark figures for used 12-gauge field-grade guns in sound condition. You probably won't find a jewel in mint condition at those prices, but look hard enough and you should find a collectible shooter capable of rewarding you with many years of service. Browning A5 $ 800 Browning Superposed $1,400 Fox Sterlingworth $1,200 Iver Johnson Skeet-er $1,800 L.C. Smith $1,000 Parker Trojan $1,500 Remington Model 1100 $600 Remington Model 3200 $800 Winchester Model 12 $700 Winchester Model 21 $3,000 Winchester Model 42 $1,000 Winchester Model 59 $600 Winchester Model 97 $700

There was a time when I had very little use for a shotgun that held more than two shells but my mind changed when I shot my first Model 1100. It was the first shotgun of its type I had ever fired that felt as good as my doubles.

Because it is still in production some will say the Model 1100 should not at this time be classified as a collectible shooter and if it were available only in 12-gauge and 20-gauge I would agree. But I believe its days are numbered and once production ceases, those in .410 and 28-gauge (and possibly the 16s as well) will eventually become some of the most desirable mass-produced guns ever built.

One other old-timer deserves mention in the same category, and it is the Winchester Model 59. It was introduced in 1960 and its barrel was made by wrapping 500 miles of glass fiber around a thin steel tube. That, along with its aluminum receiver, kept the weight of the gun at about 61?2 pounds, which was extremely light for a 12-gauge gun in those days.

The Versalite choke system with its interchangeable, screw-in tubes was a revolutionary idea back then but it is old hat today because just about every shotgun has them. If I had to do all the rest of my ruffed grouse hunting with a 12-gauge autoloader, I would not complain a bit if it were a Model 59.

Layne Simpson's new 256-page hardback book, Shotguns and Shotgunning, contains 35 chapters and over 200 color photos. An autographed copy is available for $39.99 plus $6 s&h from Highcountry Press, Dept. GD, 306 Holly Park Lane, Simpsonville, SC 29681.