How hard to find barrels?

[Pittypatdugan]

I don't mean to be contrary, but I bought a 1 1/2 frame 12 ga Vh with a straight stock that was in excellent condition along with a number 2 frame forend for $200. Bobby Bray some years later was selling a lot of Parker parts that he got from a retired gunsmith. He had a 1 1/2 frame 30 in barrel for sale for 4 or 5 hundred dollars and the serial number was 1000 off from the receiver so I gambled foolishly and bought it . Much to my surprise it fit just like it was fitted by my Gunsmith in Ellijay. The Gunsmith told me I was very very lucky. The gun works perfectly with no matching serial numbers.
The next set of Barrels I bought, was from a Super Honest member here that said the Trojan 20 gauge barrels he had were not being used and that he had just had them re-blued. Well I bought those and sent them to be fitted and low and behold some one had cut too too much metal off trying to fit them without a gunsmith. That cost me more than the $400 too good to be true Trojan barrels to get them fixed. That was my last barrel purchase thinking it could have been worse.