Thanks guys. Yes, the proof marking and serial # (?) should indicate if the barrels were replacement compared against the action. I was thinking vintage guns pre-WWII, and not best guns. I have only one English Birmingham trade shotgun which is pre-1921 and it has no marking whatsoever on the action to indicate the maker, only the barrel rib indicates the gunmaker. I think I read somewhere that within the early English gun trade, it was common that smaller gunmaking firms would purchase components, barrels and actions from the bigger firms then just fit them together as their own guns; just wasnt sure about the labelling/branding part.
