Trojan serial # 193704
 

Can someone please check to see what length barrels were original to this gun. I have agreed to buy this gun and have ordered a letter, but I just found out that it has a fore end off of a different gun serial # 218375. The barrels on the gun are 30inch F/F. I want to make sure that the barrels are original to the gun. I still have time to back out of this deal with the seller. He's had the gun for about 30 years and apparently had never removed the fore end to see the different serial number.

Book says 30"

I appreciate you looking that up. Did 218375 have 30 inch barrels as well?

Nope, 16 Ga with 28" tubes.

Thank you, sir. So apparently the barrels are original but not the fore end.

I will say it. In 30 years the forend has been off. It’s not plausible to me. There have been multiple questions from yourself on the gun in question. As someone who has been burned before because I became emotionally invested in a gun I already agreed to purchase I would take a step back and ask yourself from an unbiased view of this is the gun you want.

The seller said he bought the gun in 1997 and has never fired it. True or not I don't know. I have a couple dozen guns purchased over the last 5 years or so and most I have not fired. I can still back out of the deal, but honestly, I was buying the gun to use as it was intended and it's in a high state of condition so Yeah, I wish it had the original fore end but I'm not yet sure if it's a deal breaker or not.

Are you sure of the serial number of the forend? A 12 Trojan is a number 2 frame and a 16 Trojan is a number 1 frame. I really don't know how close the two frames are to make the 16 fit. Maybe someone can answer if it is possible or impossible.

The listing is on Guns International #103448202

In this picture you can see that the forend is a little narrower that the receiver. Good call J.A.

Attachment 139643

Dave,

Respectfully, a 30” Trojan 12 ga that you are looking to use and not collect will not be that hard to find with original componentry and untouched condition. This is a frankenparker, and the asking price is not exactly low.


It has some case coloring, that’s the most endearing Quality.

I have just told the seller that I no longer want to buy the gun. I put a want to buy thread last year asking to buy an all-original Trojan or VH with a $1500 budget and never did get offered one that met my expectations. This gun would have been a good buy at $1099 delivered IF not for the wrong forend.

That butt pad is also suspect to me for what it’s worth. If you are after original, I’m not sure they left the factory ever with butt pads. If that’s not in the letter it would be a big question mark.

The gun should have been worth only half as much only as a shooter, if that much, and maybe find a 12 gauge forend in the future. Plus it needed a new pad.

I’ll keep an eye out for you Dave. I browse all the major sites every night while my wife watches her drama shows.:rotf:

If your willing to come up a bit Brian Dudley has a very nice VH 12 that’s been for sale on GI. I would trust his assessment of condition and value.