#177061

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Would someone like to help me out and check #177061, a VH 20--Particularly interested in the barrel length.
thanks
Harold

[Jim DiSpagno]

Sorry Harold, serial # not in the book.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Thanks for checking Jim. I believe I can still get a letter even if it isn't in the book. The gun itself is a VH 20 w/ 26" barrels. The chokes are IC/M on my guage. LOP is 14" and seems to weigh just about 6 lbs(dont have a scale). The gun had been recase colored and reblued and refinished- a very pretty looking gun.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Get the letter, with those chokes, I wouldn't be surprised if they were cut as small bores from that era were tightly choked. maybe 28" originally. Jim

[Mike Wilkerson]

Harold did you check to see if the barrels are touching at the end or if the lines on the rib top extend all the way to the end? There should be a small area at the tip of the rib that is plain.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

The barrels appear to be uncut, however the chokes may have been opened up. I think open chokes were not all that uncommon--I had 2 dealers in old doubles tell me my DHE 16 O frame had cut barrels and/or non-original chokes because they check out at cyl/mod. Factory letter said 26" and cyl/mod.
I think that mi9ght be an interesting thread--who has open choked guns that can be documented with factory letters.

[Russ Jackson]

Harold ,,have you checked the unstruck weight stamped on the barrel flats and weigh them on an old egg scale , some of the guys pointed out on a previous thread ,that with the forend in place the weight would coincidentally be the same as the stamped weight , also the weight without the forend should only be a couple of ounces less ,if there is a marked difference in weight ,they may be cut ! Just a thought ! Russ