Gotta admit-

I'm just a little nervous about this.
Somehow I have the sense of the possibility of finding a bad fault with one of these sets of barrels. I'll be bringing at least four sets of barrels to test.
As you and I had noted in an earlier conversation there's this (and I know it's irrational) sense I'd be ashamed to have put my money into something I'd thought would be a good runner...
Then there's facing off with accepting what's there -- then choosing one way or the other as to what is safe and what isn't.
Fair to say that a void of metal where corrosion's gotten through from the bore to nearly the outside or vice versa, in the area from the chambers to the end of the forend... that would likely be a no-go indicator. Cracks running through the barrel would also be a sign it's time to get some new tubes.
Oh, how I want to set out and regulate. Oh, how I've been hesitating, and ooohh how the story of your H&H coming apart has gotten me to step up to the plate and take a good look at my barrels before I set into running my Tolley. The thing still needs stock work before I shoot it. Good I'm doing the test work before I have the wood dealt with.

I know that this is the right time to find a fault, and that it's much better than having a piece of steel fly off my gun god-knows-where, venting pressures where they absolutely aren't meant to go...

I'll be bringing a box of Woodleigh 350gr round nose, some Hornady of similar construction, two or three other .458 jacketed lead bullets and the 250gr .458 BarnesX for hardness and destruction testing.
That should be enlightening and fun.

Got my fingers crossed.
This worldly knowlege stuff can be a two edged knife...

--Tinker