OK, I can see the monobloc joint, and now that I finally found out how to enlarge, can see the sloppy soldering job.
I wonder how much this would cost? Even for a gunsmith who does a less-than-outstanding soldering job, it can't be cheap. And I wonder if someone didn't put more money in this gun than it's worth.
Just an fyi, that is not a monobloc joint. It is a sleeving. A monobloc requires a single piece of metal to be machined and fitted with barrels.
The sleeved Hercules. The seam is too far forward to be a monobloc.
![](http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun_inventory/images/billings/american_sg/1254723_iverjohnson_2m.jpg)
If you look at other pictures of Hercules guns, you will see there is no joint.
![](http://www.gulfcoastguns.com/gunpics/shotguns/iverjohnson1238-3.jpg)
A Beretta is a true monobloc. In this photo, you can just barely make out the seam above the hing.
![](http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/179213000/179213313/pix1057148500.jpg)
![](http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/tintype1/Beretta%20Hammer/Beretta_1938_catalog_monobloc.jpg)
I have no clue why some one would spend all that time and money to redo this gun.
Pete