You are correct that one can "never say never" where these things are concerned. I have a CHE with 26" barrels that letters perfectly, yet the rib matting runs clear off the end of the tubes. That is why I phrased my conclusions in terms of an evidentiary "preponderance" and "suggests". However, I will stand with my conclusions, looking at the current state of the evidence as a whole, that it is more likely than not (i.e. a 51% or greater probability) that the barrels on this gun were cut and the stock is not original. Of course, that still leaves a 49% chance that the opposite is in fact true.
I would also add the following; that it can be argued that a sophisticated seller like the one with this C grade would have invested the small amount of money to "letter" the gun knowing that proving its originality would greatly enhance its fair market value at auction. The fact that he has not offered up a letter suggests in my mind that he's pretty certain that its been altered and doesn't want to see what the letter will show. Admittedly, that reasoning is a bit speculative, but I would submit that it is sound common sense and can't be completely ignored as a relevant factor in the process of evaluating this Parker. In summary, it would be a gamble against the odds to buy this gun on the assumption that it is in its original configuration, IMHO. All that being said, I really, really liked this gun, and would have bought it for the opening price in a heartbeat, notwithstanding its previously mentioned issues.
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