[ithacaartist]

Here's an idea. The front of the frame below the barrel where the serial number once was looks severely ground down to me...so much, in fact, that I suspect this Franken-artillery may have been slapped together on an early long frame that was ground to be flush with the upper. One thing's certain--the frame never left the factory like that. Moreover it had to have been refinished at some point to cover up the grinding. All re-blues are not equal, and sometimes it's hard to spot a vintage replacement finish. And finally, the receiver doesn't appear in the close-up or that area to have been relieved to allow the lowest position of the rear sight.