Serial numbers inset
 

Here's one I haven't seen before . . . the typical serial number location appears to have been milled out and then stamped. I wonder why, got any ideas? Have you ever seen this before? This 2-bbl. set is currently listed for sale on GI.

The M/F barrel set was added and serial number changed to match the original gun.
I've seen this befor, but, done much better.
Bob Jurewicz

It didn't take you long to sniff this one out Bob, you're likely right. The shop that did the alteration attempted to make it look legit, but fell a little short with the milling on both sets of barrels, the mismatched "I" stamp and the lack of a trade label for the case.
https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101685125

It could be that the Serial numbers were changed.

The reason why you see odd looking things like this on Repros where the serial numbers have been altered is because the numbers are stamped pretty tight to the lug and right on the braze joint for the barrel lug. This makes getting a good weld near impossible since the brazing will contaminate the weld. So people resort to other solutions like grinding and milling off the numbers in order to re-stamp.

Interestingly enough, I talked to the guy selling this gun. The serial numbers on the forearm iron and trigger guard match the 20-5038 that he put on the listing (I saw pictures confirming this), but both sets of barrels are 20-01334 (and have the same milling marks). There was some thought that he may have been mixed up the barrels with another 20ga repro at some point but I never heard a conclusion either confirming or rejecting that idea. And at that point, what little interest I had in the gun was gone.

It seems odd that someone would modify the serial numbers on the barrels that doesn't match the rest of the gun, which lends some credit to the theory that the barrels were swapped between guns at some point (after the serial number change on the barrels). I would love to know the whole story, but the seller didn't have any additional history he could provide, so I doubt we'll ever find out.

It could also be some factory anomaly where different barrels were used on a gun. Or even in a case where guns were put together after the fact. Remember that when the factory in Japan stopped production, all of the parts and guns in process were sent back to NJ and a number of guns were assembled after that point by whatever means necessary.

The fact that both barrel sets are milled out and marked the same way may siggest that sort of scenario.

Just asking the question, if the serial numbers were changed in NJ, wouldn't they change them to match the rest of the gun?

I had heard that after production stopped in Japan that mismatched parts were put together with whatever was left. But in the case of this gun, if the serial numbers were changed in NJ, why would they change them to something that didn't match?

About 40 years or more ago, I made up a two barrel set and had the serial numbers on the new barrels restamped to match the gun. I can see remnants of the old numbers and was disappointed in the result. All extra barrels I have fit to guns since then still retain the original numbers. I am much happier with these guns.

Miss matches Serial Numbers
 

Hi Guys. I can assure you all that NJ did NOT do this work. There were cases that someone had asked to add barrels to make a 2 barrel set or had a 2 barrel set and added a 16 gauge barrel. We would have never done a job like that! Your guess is as good as mine. Thanks Richard Skeuse

I have same stamp marks, what is the “I” signify?