Saw this refinished Victory Model in 38 Special in a pawnshop 9 years ago. I told the clerk they would likely never get the $100 asking price due to the badly bulged barrel. He asked me if I thought I could fix it and I allowed as I probably could. He said make an offer. I said $60 and he accepted without hesitation. Should have said $40.
Used the vise on my workbench to remove the bulged 4" barrel and installed a 5" tube I got off Ebay for $5. Serial was within a year of the frame. Had no problems with swap and gun shoots just fine. Total investment was $65.
Honorable mention (tie)...
Got this 1970 M14-3 off Gunbroker for the $100 starting price. Has some finish issues but tell me YOU wouldn't buy it at that price.
At a local show this was on a table for $100 because the action was frozen. As I figured, congealed grease had it locked up and after flushing with solvent it worked fine.
