Don't think I can completely agree with you. I bought a high original condition 1947 Smith field grade (with the S), and it appears to be fitted and finished about as well as my 1920's Smiths. No pre-'13's to compare to, though.
I have rust blued lots of barrels for customers over the years and the post '45 guns have very poor wavy barrels, if you look close.
Most of the old employees, who had been with Hunter since the early 1900's, left after the bankruptcy. You had newbee's doing the work as Marlin tried to crank out 'volumes' to compete as the double gun lost it's market place to the pumps and auto's of the period.
Marlin built 60,741 LC Smith shotguns from December 21, 1945 thru June 19, 1950, when production stopped....as you can see, Marlin was interested in
quantity.....not quality... The interior parts of the post '45 LC's also are as crude as the barrels in comparison to the pre-1945 guns.
The same with Savage built Foxes after the Philly parts supply ran out........short cuts galore in their mfg process and it shows.....it's not just a missing pistol grip cap, re-shaped thumb lever and the fatty forend addition, there is more inside.............
If you are happy with it, go for it. To each his own.....
Cheers,
