Trying my hand at Gun Broker

[togor]

I wouldn't go by the finish on the threads to judge whether the 2/42 barrel has ever been installed or not. Barrels can be refinished. Best check I can think of is to slide a dummy round into the chamber and observe how much of the case head sticks out, as compared to the same round in an installed barrel. On a true uninstalled (i.e., short-chambered) barrel the head will stand out by a noticable amount, maybe .050" or more. Combine that with TE, MW readings and the appearance of the lands near the muzzle (very clean if not in the white), and you'll have a good sense of whether the barrel is unmounted or not. Also there is the condition of the sight sleeves. In other words, go by multiple points of information, not just one.