I've seen many that had the the patented hickory reinforcing rod and the vast majority had no stamp and some had their original finish. The reinforcing rod is about 11/16" or 3/4" diameter. Other larger plugs in the butt were where weight was added or removed for correct balance of the gun. I have a DH twelve-gauge that has both and when I was a kid of about 10 I had the back half of a ten-gauge hammer gun with a 1" hole with a lead weight pressed into it.
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"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."
George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
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