Barrels

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

To tell what year the barrels were made, just look up the serial number that is on the side of the locking lug. If by chance you have a serial number that predates the advent of Vulcan steel, then you are looking at some different scenario, like a barrel that has had components replaced. Such as the lug or rib. IE: replacing the top rib on a set of twist barrels with a Vulcan rib. Or if the barrels have been mono blocked, who knows what might have been done.

Brian, what you're saying assumes the barrels are original, but if a gun, made in in 1890, is sent back in 1920 for a new set of barrels, the barrels will be serial numbered to the gun, so what you're saying would lead someone to believe those 1920 barrels were made in 1890.

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

Brian, what you're saying assumes the barrels are original, but if a gun, made in in 1890, is sent back in 1920 for a new set of barrels, the barrels will be serial numbered to the gun, so what you're saying would lead someone to believe those 1920 barrels were made in 1890.

Very true. I was just exploring other possibilities. I would like to see good phots of the gun.

[edgarspencer]

If the original, now missing, gun was rebarreled by Parker, I sincerely doubt they would have used the original lug section. It was far easier to fit a new set of barrels to the gun, than completely disassemble the old set. They had unfinished barrel sets on hand and it was a simple matter to install them.
Since there were almost 80,000 VH grade guns made, predominantly in 2 frame 12 bore, there were plenty of barrel sets out there. I can see reusing the locking lugs if you were going from Top lever to Hammerless, Lifter to Top Lever, or whatever, but not hammerless to hammerless.