Mike,
it was more feasible in the past when guns were valuable and labor was not. Usually they saved everything they could, lock, barrel and buttstock. A new action was sourced and the barrel had its breech plug removed and a set of lugs silver soldered to it(usually shoe lump method). The action needed to be fit to the stock and a new fore arm metal made. A very big job and usually only done to better quality guns. Here is another a friend owns that was built by Lancaster and converted by him. I own another as well, an SR Jeffery. I have a soft spot for these conversions.




http://www.bertramandco.com/
Booking African hunts, firearms import services

Here for the meltdowns