I actually pondered this with my lowly Remington model 17. I purchased an un-cut barrel with original choke off Ebay (when you could do that) knowing that you just don't slap a different barrel on a model 17-you have it looked at by a 'smith to see the headspace is okey dokey, and it fits about like it was made to. The added barrel was from a four digit gun, likely produced with a 2 1/2 chamber. If I payed a 'smith to check the headspace, fit the barrel to the receiver, lengthen the chamber for use with modern ammunition on my 1933 vintage gun, how would I communicate this fact to someone down the road who might not be able to confirm this with me?
Matching the serial numbers on the barrels would be the easiest way. But, this is, at best, $250-350 worth of using gun. No collector would be looking at a piece like this. There are differences in the font of the type used on the rest of both barrel markings that should tip all but the most blithly unaware off that the barrels didn't come together on this gun, and the year of production was the height of the depression, during which, few working mans pump's were going to be sold with the luxury of a second tube. I have no intention of defrading anyone, and, should I sell the gun (unlikely, that task would fall to an executor) I'd point out that the barrel was fitted and numbered later.
As of yet, I've done the easiest thing-nothing. I haven't even had the gun to the 'smith to have it examined, let alone any work done. But, I'll watch this post to get a feel for how I should, one day, proceed.
Best,
Ted
