I would rather have a discussion about idiot UK gunsmiths who grind down barrels and make them need sleeving. Don't bother Aaron. He's behind on his work not doing sleeving.
A while back, I got into a rather spirited debate with the Preacher when he confidently stated that virtually any vintage double with smooth shiny bores was proof that it had been honed or polished .
I maintained, and still do, that an old gun with shiny bores was more often simply evidence that it had been promptly and properly cleaned by its' owner. It didn't take a lot of neglect for some quick and significant barrel pitting to occur back in the days of corrosive primers. Plenty of gun owners knew that, and religiously cleaned their guns after use. Many others put off cleaning and oiling, and ended up with corrosion in their bores. It appears there were also plenty of gunsmiths who were happy to take the customers money to make them shiny again.
Unfortunately , this cycle of neglect and honing or polishing may have happened multiple times, because I've found most pits aren't as deep as they look. So it could take multiple honings, severe neglect, or an overzealous gunsmith to take a gun out of proof, or left with dangerously thin walls.
