It definitely is a #1 action, I knew that at the time I bought it. I bought it as a low wall, but the picture showed it to be a high wall. I'll not use it for anything bigger than a .38-55, so the small shank is fine. The serial # is in the 4700 range, so it's a very early gun. They hadn't standardized on low walls for the smaller cartridges then. On bringing it home and looking at it with some magnification, it is obvious that someone used something abrasive to remove some of the rust freckling, and ended up scratching one side of the receiver quite a bit. The whole barrel is the same way. No reason for that, rubbing it with a wood block and some oil would have taken off the rust freckling without any scratches. But, it is what it is. The scratches are too fine to see easily without magnification, but they're there. On using a poorer action for a custom? I've just gone through and squared up and sanded the pits and buffing waves out of a converted varmint high wall. Still doesn't look perfect, as the screw holes were egg shaped a lot by the buffer. I need to drill out and fit an oversize lever pin to hide the worst sins from that buffer. I have an inordinate amount of time in that action to get it looking pretty good, and still have another 3 hours to go from the 80 grit to a 600 grit ready to case color finish. It still has a scope screw hole in the top ring that really needs welded up too. The amount of time I have in polishing that action is about equal in worth to what this one cost me. I can probably polish it up to case color in 2 hours or less. Absolutely no choice here; I'd much rather break up a great condition rifle than spend days cleaning up and polishing a beater. I'm going to try the stocks on my early, panel side low wall that has mediocre stocks. I have an idea they will really dress it up. If this was a 50-110, or a 40-70, or 38-55 or 38-72 or other desirable cartridge, wouldn't be much of a choice. Collector value would exceed parts value. But a #1, small shank, .32-20 with idiot scratches down the barrel and in the receiver finish on one side? Every collector that you try to sell it to will say "too bad about the scratches and the caliber and the barrel size". "I'll take it off your hands if you sell it cheap, and use it, I like the .32-20". The barrel is of value to someone to restore a low wall, though, as a shooter. It will be valued a lot more in that context than on this rifle. dave
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