Going back to the original question "Why do people butcher barrels". And diving into a contentious subject that will never (and probably shouldn't) have resolution. There are some modifications that the makers expected the buyer to make. Chokes and stock dimensions being the most common. As I understand the boring of barrels all are choked full during construction and then opened to desired constriction during the regulating process. If a choke wasn't specified American makers would ship the gun bored full and full, allowing the owner to have them adjusted, if desired. And, of course, a great number of the guns were never opened. Americans have an obcession with "bigger and better", such as, magnum, maximum, fast, and full. Not that any of these mean superior. Just the way we are.
So, I see nothing sancrosanct about the choking of a double. I may be 100 years late adjusting it but I'm only doing what the Parker Brothers or Dan Lefever expected me to do in the beginning.
Stock bending or lengthening or shortening fall into the same catagory--it was expected. The manufacturer could only offer what he considered to be standard unless otherwise specified. I'm perfectly comfortable with this as long as it is intended to be an improvement for the user.
Let's all try to remember most of these guns are tools intended to be used. That many have attained a ripe old age of over 100 should encourage us to be considerate of their historical value. But not to the point of relegating them to the back of the safe just to keep them "original".
Having said all this drivel I've gotta add what really ticks me off is destroying the historical patina of these old guns by making them look like new with the barrels and stocks refinished and the actions case colored. Now THAT is a sacrilege--in my opinion. See? Told you--we'll never settle this debate....
