Getting back to the original purpose of my post, which was the rifle, I want to again express my appreciation to all who contributed to my understanding of the origins of this piece. A friend who lives in Bozeman is going to eyeball it for me next week, and let me know what he thinks. Yes, I could send for it, and then send it back if I didn't like it, but this fellow knows my tastes, and we can save a lot of money and time in shipping, cashier's checks, FFL dealers, and the like.

As far as prices go,I'll admit to being the king of chiselers. By the same token, as a lawyer who used to practice a lot of corporate law, I know the only real purposes of a corporation are to make as much money as legally possible for the shareholders, and to insulate them from personal liability. As such, even though I personally detest the ignoramuses at Bass Pro Shop and Cabela's, I try to keep this in mind.