[TxHuntermn]

I will take the gun to Kirk. I am certain the gun is in original condition. I bought it from a "black gun"store in Fla., that had the gun on consignment. It is my belief that somebody dropped the shipping box, or dropped something on the box, and sprung the rib loose, and compressed the top lever at the same time. There is an almost imperceptable ding transversing the barrels, dead center of the spot where the rib is sprung, along with a very slight sheen/or polishing across at that point. The gun was very poorly packed, and the photos from the seller prior to sale were not very good. I bought it 20 minutes after he placed it on gunbroker, by phone, for his reserve of $1,600.... SO, the photos were good enough to know that the gun either was in astounding original condition, OR, had a high quality restoration some time in the past, as there is some honest but sparing use and aging of the finishes. The seller did not purchase the insurance i asked him to buy. Still and all, it was a very good buy, and i think the damage is related to shipping.

If i can figure out how to reference the thread where i posted photos of the gun a couple months ago, i will.

Oh, and again, the top lever does not stick for any reason other than the bottom surface of the lever is contacting the top tang. It does so BARELY, so the remedy above with the cardboard sounds like something i might try.

If the barrels must be refinished to re-lay or repair the rib, i will probably be unwilling to repair it anytime soon.

Thanks