OK, that is NOT at all what I expected.
Returned to the box store today. Have them removed the trigger lock and as I expected, the gun opened right up. What I immediately realized is that the gun has been sleeved and reproofed at Birmingham. Which is utterly fascinating to me, because the gun is very light for a 12 and I think of sleeved guns as being heavy in my very short experience with them.
Anyone want to decode the rest of this for me?
So, the gun comes to the shoulder nicely. It has a huge butt plate extension which when removed will put it nicely at about 14.25"lop. Other than the broken top lever spring the mechanics seem sound and the barrels ring true. The serial number is low, 29xx and again the wood looks like it will be very nice when cleaned up.
We rubbed some gunk out of the top rib inscription and I think it says D. Cxxxhart $ Sons, Stirling or Stirlieg. A pencil rubbing yielded no better results.
Thanks again,
Shane
