There is no evidence the barrels were "cut" down, and I'm pretty sure they weren't, they may have been opened to skeet/skeet, which is not unusual.. but thats not going to hurt the value much.. as many of the shooters on here open up there chokes to accommodate their shooting style and/or discipline, and being its a "beaver tail" gun "adds" value, not take away from it (according to the gun value guides).
I think your wrong when you say its only worth 1/4th of a regular V grade. the condition should set the price value.. (its not in "untouched" condition) i admit that, but it hasnt been butchered either.. It may be in the lower end of the value guide scale due to very little case color, but everything else is pretty nice.
I'll try and get some pics up so you can see it later.

An interesting post.

Chopped and not chopped muzzle ends:

Factory skeet guns from the 30's have some unique features. Most of them are 26" barrels, BTFE, straight grip, checked butt (V &G grade), single selective trigger, double bead, with ejectors. I am aware a few factory P/G stocked skeet guns exist.

The barrel flats will be stamped "Skeet In" and "Skeet Out", a skeet gun will also be the reverse of normal choking for a double with the tighter barrel (Skeet Out) on the right and the more open barrel "Skeet In" on the left. I believe that is because the first shot in skeet is a high house going away from post 1. The safety is usually non automatic on a skeet gun.

Your gun is too early to be a factory skeet gun. How many of the above features does it share with the items above? If it is a DelGrego conversion it would be worth more than if it is not.

PS. If your gun is equipped with a BTFE but does not have a reinforced lug you may have problems with the lug separating from the barrels some day.

The concept of shooting clay targets thrown to duplicate the opportunities normally encountered by the upland hunter originated with William Harnden Foster, H.W. Davies, and C.D. Davies of Andover, Mass. about 1915. The first field was on the grounds of the Glen Rock Kennels; a full circle with a 25 yard radius, with one trap at 12:00, throwing targets toward 6:00. The shooters shot from 12 stations.
"Shooting around the clock" was conceived in 1923 by Foster, who was then editor of both 'National Sportsman' and 'Hunting and Fishing' magazines. Two traps (one elevated) were positioned at 12:00 and 6:00, and the shooters walked around a semi-circle with a 20 yard radius with 8 stations, shooting the last position from the center of the 'clock.' In the Feb. 1926 issue of 'National Sportsman', a $100 prize was offered for the best name for this new shooting game. The May 1926 issue announced the winner, Mrs. Gertrude Hurbutt of Dayton, Montana, and the new name "skeet" from an old Scandinavian word for shoot.
The National Skeet Shooting Association was formed March 20, 1928 with William Harnden Foster the first President, and the next year the Great Eastern Championship was conducted at the Remington Gun Club in Lordship, Conn. By 1933, there were more than 800 skeet clubs and twenty-six State Associations in the U. S. The First National Skeet Championship was held in Cleveland, Ohio in August, 1935. Foster became Outdoor Life's Skeet Editor with the February 1937 issue.

By William Harnden Foster, and possibly depicting his son. Foster Sr. shot a 27" barrel 20 gauge DHE Parker SN 225905

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../298465485.jpg

Also by Foster

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../390642316.jpg

The adoption of two traps instead of the original single trap was because of the complaints of Davies next-door neighbor who owned a chicken farm. The complaints were because of shot raining into his chicken yards and buildings.



.

Last two pictures are of the remains of Mr. Davies' Glen Rock Kennels and the stained glass window from the building.

looks like the old place is going downpretty soon all that will remain is the history but it will live long in the memory of the shooters..nice glass...charlie

Good to see from the pics my barrels were not cut.. but as has already been determined, there is no Skeet in or out on the barrel flats..
This is a very nice V grade with 26" barrels. I guess thats all that matters.
Lots of good info coming through, thanks guys.

Thanks Bill, I forgot to mention that. The front kennel building you see in the foreground is the main kennel building and first room you enter is about 12' X 16' and appears to have been the office for the kennel as well as where skeet shooters gathered when not shooting. Locals say they remember shooting still going on there in the 1950's.

I have made the new owners aware of the history of their property and they are planning to repair weather and age damage.

The stained window was in the center dormer behind the vines in the picture of the kennel house. It was quite a climb to get into that dusty attic to take that picture. The daughter of the former owner had that window removed and it is a decoration in her home.

And the welping box's from the kennel's are pretty cool too. :)