Jeff, it is my belief that the example you show has been re-barreled in Ilion judging by the position of the serial number stamped on the left barrel flat. Had those barrels been fitted to the gun in Meriden the serial number would have been stamped on the left side of the lug.... and who knows what else may have been done to it on its visit to Ilion...?
Then again, the entire gun you picture as an example may have been assembled from Meriden parts after the move to Ilion in 1938... which would nullify my argument.
But I'm still not seeing a fair comparison.
.
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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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