Price is what you pay, value is what you get. The value of family friend that happens to be a neat sporting lady could be immeasurable value and how much that weighs in is a tough choice that sounds like your struggling with. Don't know your marital status and it really does not matter. People assume significance of another as a term that is non committal to some sort of romantic involvement according to pop culture. I think it is a miss used term to some extent. Now if you would have said a lady friend with benefits, yea well.:) Personally have had close professional relationships with some women that had significance in my life but since married would never cross that line. Your reasons are your own and I think it great that you might consider buying a gun that you see some benefit for yourself and could maybe let a friend use, that happens to be as described a neat lady. But again if gun was just for you then you probably would not have posed the question or even mentioned her.

Buyer beware and you sound like someone that knows their limitations and that is cool. I agree with sentiment trust but verify and seller is not being lenient on a verification issue for you. Is that a red flag, I don't know but he is being cautious as well and to him that sounds like a legitimate reason based on his painful experience. Definitely does not sound like he is giving you any type of consideration for taking gun to someone in your process that you know and trust. I don't think he is being a jerk necessarily but it doesn't sound like he knows you enough outside of meeting about this gun transaction to give blanket trust. If you can't find a gunsmith close by that can give you both comfort and satisfaction then it might not be worth the hassle as others have also stated.

Others have also suggested it might be at the top of the range of value for a Trojan and maybe even a premium. Without seeing gun that is speculation but it could be spot on point. However gun could have set in someones glass cased gun cabinet that got years of sun exposure, that might have faded the case coloring on bottom of receiver as well as someone that carried that gun over his arm more than they shot it. You did not mention any story behind it.

Your first post partly framed they guy as being a jerk or at least uncompromising and maybe he is. If you think he is then my subliminal unspoken term is AMFYOYO = Adios Mother Franker Your On Your Own.

I spoke with Oscar Gaddy years ago and he told me that sunlight will not dull case colors.

Really. So Dr. Gaddy says UV rays from sunlight will not degrade case coloring. The man new his stuff. So the only way case colors are lost I take it is by wear or some caustic chemical. I assume this is only for the traditional bone, leather, and charcoal method and not the cyanide process?

I had Parker exposed to direct sunlight over a period of time. I thought it had diminished the color so I asked Oscar. He gave me the scientific reason why it wasn't so. I've long since forgot the detail. I didn't ask him about the cyanide process but I would imagine it holds true for that also