How do you know it's old?

[M ELEY]

This reminds me of that thread I started awhile back concerning these rare items. Another red flag for these expanding bar shot are the sheer number of them that seem to pop up. Because they were a relatively primitive item, it doesn't take much to make a really good fake. I've always wanted a bar or chain shot for my collection, but with so many fakes, I've stayed clear for now. Dmitri, you are spot on with your observation about the vast majority of the bars being square and not round. I see many dumbbells being sold as shot also.