I bought this at a Big5 sporting goods store a couple years ago for $99. The barrel looked good. After cleaning there was some shine. The grooves remained a bit dark but the lands appeared sharp and strong all the way to the muzzle.
That little chip of wood missing at the rear of the handguard in the right photo is the only real oopsie. As I mentioned in another post about this rifle elsewhere, instead of slugging it I had some cast 8mm boolits all lube-sized to .325" so I loaded 50 rounds, 10 each of 5 different generic type loads. Shooting them proved a bit disappointing. No wild but rather larger then a person would be really happy about
I got involved with several something else's for a period of time before getting back to this rifle. I had some of the Lee C329-205R's cast up so I oiled the barrel and drove one into the breech. It had upset enough to also give a throat measurement, which was just a couple tenths shy of .329". Egads!
I then drove another up past the throat, and tapped it out and got a measurement of .314"x .327" (and a couple tenths). I did the same at the muzzle and got the same measurement. I then made myself a .328" push through size die. I then lube-sized a bunch of the Lee C329-205R's to .329" (I already had a die that size) and then sent them up through the .328" die. I also had to make a new 'M' type caseneck expander, and then loaded them up over the same loads as previously loaded with the muchly undersized cast slugs.
I haven't had a chance to fire them yet, but I have high hopes as now I know they FIT! It's a nice rifle. The number on the buttstock matches the serial number on the action, barrel, and bolt. However I know these had been rearsenaled as the side sling swivels had been removed as evidensed by that round plug up toward the wrist. It has nice wood, and when I bought it I thought it was walnut, but now know it's some species of Elm.
...............Buckshot