Lee, I really appreciate your inputs. My post is really more about how we view things and less about the gun. I believe that being 5" it is unlikely they would have a barrel to replace it with. Of the guns I have examined, after market cutting almost always led to a non-original sight, since it would require extensive work to reuse the original sight. I do not have a letter, but the letter may not explain why it went back to the factory. A careful examination of the gun (to include the finish and components) does not reveal any obvious other reason for going back. However, you are certainly right, I cannot be sure and it could have had work done on the action (or something similar like the fitting of the stag grips). When I first saw the gun, because of the workmanship, I and others did not realize it had been cut.