The engraving has probably worn off. My cousin has a VH pistol grip that he rabbit hunted with for his entire life and all of the border and the serial number are gone where he held it the entire day long. Easily fixed by an engraver.

You may try switching positions on the screws and time them correctly (straight with the tang) and find they were put in the wrong place. A very nice gun to be enjoyed.

The trigger plate screws are definitely not in their original configuration. Either replacements, or modified. More interesting to me are the barrel flats stampings. 3/11 unstruck weight is unusually heavy for 0 frame 28 inch barrels in my experience, possibly explained by the rather thick appearing walls at the muzzle. Also, I am unfamiliar with the 3 stamped on the other side of the flats. Anybody seen one like it before? 28's are my favorite barrel length in sub gauge guns. Should handle well in the field.

What are your plans for the blued receiver? I have an early VH 28 with a blued frame and need a plan for that gun. Brian can comment also.

For a shooting gun, I can live with the blued receiver. I guess my options are re-casing or having the blueing removed and see if there is any case left underneath (at least I read a thread here once where someone recommended doing that). If it was found to be all worn, I think that the receiver can be treated with a lacquer. I guess after quail season I will need to send her off for some evaluation.

Anybody have a VERY ballpark for recasing a receiver?

Any idea about the rough copper colored fastener located below the safety?

DO the bas eplate screws look correct?

It is actually the end of the screw shank coming up through the tang on the floor plate and threading into the frame tang.




.

trigger guard tang
 

Found this picture of a straight grip trigger guard tang from a 1921 VH. Evidently the engraving did not extend the length on this one either.

Nice piece! I thought I had an old VH. Serial # 140xxx.
Built in 1906. Wow 1900- that's great
CRH

You can certainly spend more money on higher graded guns, but to me there is something very special about 20 ga V-grades with a straight stock and 28" barrels. They are well proportioned, nicely scaled, balanced and simply elegant. Congratulations on the acquisition.

JDG

From your recent photo I see what you mean by "not complete the entire length." Ignore my reply about being worn off. So you have the original engraving on the trigger guard.