Actually as I recall,the case of the 21 was not that heavy. I have one and the weight is from the steel finned sleeve. It may have been slightly heavier than most stell finned sleeved models, but not much. Actually steel finned models are rare for sizes above .20 or so, so its hard to compare. The case is aluminum and not as much heavier than you might think. I thought it was the dykes ring, that made novices think it was worn out right out of the box, that did it in.