I came across this J.B. Warrilow 16 ga boxlock for sale here in Ontario. It's a couple of hours away and I haven't gone to look at it yet, but I wondered if anyone could give me their opinion on it from the photos I was sent. I've never owned a British gun but thought this one looked interesting. From the research I did it seems to have Birmingham black powder proofs only. Is that correct? Would low pressure smokeless shells be safe to shoot if the gun is otherwise sound?

The barrels measure 29 1/2" and the chokes measure IC and full with a drop-in gauge. Are they likely to have been cut back from 30" or could they have started out at 29 1/2"? I called back and asked how the muzzle looked - was told the edges of the bbls don't quite touch at the muzzle but no obvious signs of having been cut. If a half inch has been trimmed, should I stay away?

It weighs just 6 lbs and the stock is long enough for me, so I'm interested and would like to hear any opinions. The asking price is $2200 (Canadian). Thanks