John you are quite right. Too easy to fix on the small easy to see points and miss the more hidden ones. And as you point out it is not uncommon for a gun to be worked on and the smith to leave a minor problem unfixed just to make the gun look more authentic.
I almost made this mistake this weekend on a gun. Two minor external problems caught my attention and all the rest seemed fine. I did not have my entire collection of micrometers and gauges with me as I just stopped in the show for a quick look. Bought the gun but the seller told me I could bring it back if I found any major problems.
Went home and for once I did not almost forgot to check the barrel thickness. It was extremely thin and I had to take the gun back. I might shoot a set of .025 or maybe even .020 if in the right area but these were less than .020 in most areas and as thin as .011 in one area. I bet you could almost feel the wad as it went by. Seller took the gun back with no problems which is more than many are willing to do.
