Go w/the Linebaugh. He is the one who started all those custom rounds. Rod. We switched bases & rings several times it was a long drawn out process. In the end Bob just tired of it.
Thats definitely strange, but it may have been as simple as a simple machining defect on the part of S&W. That's too bad though mine was a shooter with a scope on it and I'm sure your buddy would have loved it.