[Derek Lathrop]

Thanks for all of the responses everyone, honestly I didn't anticipate many people would pay much attention to this.

As far as the length goes, I am at the mercy of the information that I have. The photo seems to me to clearly show a 40" measurement, but I will let anyone make their own assessment and not argue on something that I can't personally measure.

Let's assume for a moment that the barrels are 40" as detailed in my "case file". The story is much more convoluted than what the original post even begins to explain. Back in 1980 Gene (the gentleman that took the gun and lent my grandfather $2000) began to have some suspicions that the gun was not worth the money that he ponied up and my grandfather went on a mission trying to get verification on value as well as tried to find a buyer for the gun as he didn't have the money to repay the debt. He contacted a handful of serious collectors from the late 70's and early 80's as well as several publishers of outdoor literature. I have several letters from Herschel Chadick stating that he believes the gun to be a fake and several other letters claiming it's the real deal. I even have some notes referencing one Larry Del Greco (?) who claimed to have worked on the gun in New York, citing that he remembered having to extend bluing tubes to accommodate the barrels. You should see the manila folder full of names, slides, addresses and phone numbers as well as letters and magazine clippings... it would make a cold case detective sweat.

I have reason to believe from the original investigation conducted by my grandfather that the gun is in fact legitimate, however it may have had a new stock in the late 1920s. This is based on a note written on a loose piece of paper, with no further explanation. It's listed as having a dog head butt plate with two birds engraved on the receiver.

That being said, if it is the real deal and it is worth a small fortune my salary as is will not support a 10k reuniting.

I have attached another photo that was in the pile of information to show the serial number as it is stamped on (forgive me I'm at a loss) the receiver? I've also attached another photo of the lad (my father) shouldering the gun at a different angle. I understand the end of the barrel seems to go off of the photo but I believe it ends right at the edge of the frame.

Thanks again everyone!!

D