The barrel......Lots of things from not having been properly cleaned to re-chambering will be found. Bad things like a re-chambering or re-boring and even a new barrel seem to show up on rifles at auction more than others because it's not always possible to ask the right questions. You just have to do what you can live with it or not. You might reconsider before you take on any rifle with a questionable bore or chamber.
I believe that most folks are just not knowledgeable and they are not dishonest. I bought a rifle a while back that the owner swore was a .22-Hornet and he even fired .22-hornets in it. It was a .22-3000 Lovell which was better. If in doubt leave it alone.
Many years ago I bought a heavy barreled Niedner 1903 with a stock worked over by J.V. Howe. The owner said he never shot it and the bore was full of dried grease, it took weeks to get the bore clean and I then found a horrible throat so bad patches would hang up on it. I set it aside and one day I loaded some ammo to see how it would shoot. I've had the rifle now for over twenty-five years and the last group was about 1.5" at 330 yards.
You can't say your rifle has a bad bore until you shoot it.
Am I getting to far afield with this stuff?
