[LDBennett]

Never fired? I highly doubt that!

It was a military rifle supplied to the government. The military had specs that had to be met before any gun was accepted. I would think that would include a firing test for accuracy minimums. It might have only been a few shots like maybe a thee shot group (??).

I also doubt that a visual inspection would reveal for sure that it was never fired. It might reveal that it was never fired extensively.

But the proof might be as easy as cleaning the barrel. Use a copper solvent and if after several passes the patches ever comes out green then it was fired. Copper get into the metal during firing. It may not even be able to be seen with the naked eye but it may be there. The patch would come out with a green tint if the gun was ever fired with copper gilded bullets (standard Military ammo) and without the tint if never fired. There is nothing in the manufacturing process of barrels that would put copper into the barrel; only shooting does that. It is a crude test but an indicator none the less.

Anyway that is my opinion and yours may vary.

LDBennett