Hi All,
Not sure if this is the correct forum for this,and maybe it's a stupid question, but here goes:
I've been inspecting a J.M.Marlin Pacific in 40-63 and am curious about the factory workmanship and numbering on original forearm wood for these guns.
This particular gun has an un-numbered forearm that had the cleaning rod hole drilled considerably off center from the front, then finish drilled in from the rear.
This is only  the second Pacific I've handled, so I have little hands on experience to judge if the forearm is original or not.
Outwardly, it looks old and has the proper ferrules for the cross screw, but the buggered rod channel looks real suspicious, as well as the lack of any portion of a serial number to match it to the gun.
Anybody care to hazard an opinion ????
Thanks !

I agree. I don't think Marlin even bored the Pacific forearms. I belive they were milled out with a ball end mill from the marks I've seen in originals. Never seen an original Ballard forearm without a serial number in any model.
I've always milled them out also, as drilling them often gives the results you're seeing.

I hate returning guns too, and I always hate to get excited over a neat gun, then find out it's not so neat. Sorry it didn't live up to what it should have been!

Any seller who will lie about his gun isn't worth listening to when he condemns you for pointing out his lies. I'd expect no less.
Remember the old saying, "Thou protests too much." It's his way of changing the subject to you being the problem, not his gun or sale.