Runs, here are a few FUBARS of your own, "I had thought all the Nitro proofed steel barrels on pre-1913 Smiths" Your statement should have been Nitro Steel, as Nitro Proofed barrels (NP) didn't start until the early 1920's. The early guns were proofed at Hunter Arms but not stamped on barrels.
Also your statement "And when I refer to insider, or perhaps- insidious, trading might be better, I am referring to one of their BOD Honchos- Herr Vogel- who scammed the rest of the herd out of a 'shot" at 13 premium "NIB" high grade Smith guns made under the Marlin era in the late 1940's- stashed away and didn't come to light until a few years ago, after the Remington take-over and ownership of Marlin= Old Herr Vogel got the first and ONLY crack at this superb collection- the rest of the membership, even their fat-boy "Alms-man from Alabama" never knew until they were safely stashed away in his home in,"
Your resource for this is wrong, it was 15 guns, one couldn't be sold because of not being proofed, so 14 guns and they were not all "high grade".