I picked up a 1916 E-Series 1897 Winchester Take-Down several years ago when I first got my 03FFL from a seller in Kansas. I got a decent deal on it but pictures made it difficult to see exactly what needed work until I got it in my hands. When it got to my doorstep, it was in bad shape, but the price I paid was reasonable for the condition, so I kept it. It's been sitting in the safe for years now, and I'm finally getting around to giving it some attention. It had the stock replaced with a Fajen stock at some point that needed the final fit and finish done (was never properly mated to the the receiver) and I've got that all smoothed out. Everything else is original and matching except the barrel, which is where the dilemma comes in.
Some A$$hat decided to cut down a perfectly good 30" full choke barrel for CAA shooting. They did a hack-job of it too. The cut isn't perfectly true, and they then threaded it for choke tubes and got the xtra-full they put in seized up in the threads. To make matters worse, they dropped it on the muzzle end at some point and dinged it down to the point that even if the threads weren't originally seized, It'd require cutting down more to get the tube out.
They cut to 20" and I could, in theory, have a smith take it down to 18.5 and still be in the safe realm where the NFA is concerned. Have it re-threaded for tubes, and done right this time, but I don't think that's the route I want to go. Instead I'm thinking of putting a used barrel on it at 28-30" full choke. I'd get a Winchester barrel for it rather than an aftermarket one to keep things as original as possible.
Does this seem worth it? Everything else is in great shape with this gun, and being a take-down, I'd like to get it back to original. Is there any "shame" in putting a cheaper aftermarket barrel on it? What would you guys do?
Some A$$hat decided to cut down a perfectly good 30" full choke barrel for CAA shooting. They did a hack-job of it too. The cut isn't perfectly true, and they then threaded it for choke tubes and got the xtra-full they put in seized up in the threads. To make matters worse, they dropped it on the muzzle end at some point and dinged it down to the point that even if the threads weren't originally seized, It'd require cutting down more to get the tube out.
They cut to 20" and I could, in theory, have a smith take it down to 18.5 and still be in the safe realm where the NFA is concerned. Have it re-threaded for tubes, and done right this time, but I don't think that's the route I want to go. Instead I'm thinking of putting a used barrel on it at 28-30" full choke. I'd get a Winchester barrel for it rather than an aftermarket one to keep things as original as possible.
Does this seem worth it? Everything else is in great shape with this gun, and being a take-down, I'd like to get it back to original. Is there any "shame" in putting a cheaper aftermarket barrel on it? What would you guys do?
