I have had a few Winchesters with the WP and P in oval proof marks, the first the Winchester Definitive Proof Mark, the other the Mail Order proof mark. Common think, and I have always heard, that any Winchester with the P proofed mail order barrel was done outside the factory. The barrel was shipped out through the mail order department, and someone after the fact installed it. However, I have it from a good source that if the barrel is just marked P, that is the case, but if marked with both, it was rebarreled at the factory with a mail order barrel that was in stock, and then shipped back out through the mail order dept. This I have been told from a former employee that this was done a lot and in the words from someone who worked in this dept, if it is WP marked, it was done at the factory. Some disagree strongly with this though and stick with the traditional thought. This gun has both (or at least it looks like the P in the oval on the barrel, can OP verify that?) if so, quite possibly it was rebarreled at the factory. Still don't think the magtube is right though. A good hands on inspection would likely tell the tale.
Matt
Matt
