Hey, we're talking about wackin off a double barrel. I don't think we're talking about a family heirloom here, are we? Or
are we?
After all, smiths started somewhere...
If it were mine (remember, internet advice and all that...), I'd cut it off. If it fell apart, then
maybe I'd go to a smith (in reality, I'd weld it back together because that's the kinda guy I am, but anyway..). After all, the smith would cut it off, then figure out how to reattach the barrels. This way he can give a good finger-wagging. BUT, if it doesn't come apart, and it is indeed attached up the entire length like Gordon thinks, he might've saved himself a few months of waiting to get it back from a smith.
I'm not trying to take away a smith's business, just the same as Harry Homeowner isn't trying to put me out of business by working on his own house or outbuilding. If someone were to ask me what the best way is to set posts for a deck, or how to frame a roof, I could very easily say, "Get a builder to do it", but I don't think that was the question. Sometimes, you just want to do it yourself, even if it's wrong.
A question in the "
gunsmithing" section of a forum probably wasn't intended to evoke an answer like, "Take it to a smith".