How about paying $1.49 for a bottle of water?
I wish that I had thought of that scam! Imagine, beer has actual ingredients that must be cooked, and aged for months but a single can still sells for about the same as a bottle of water! And we are not talking about the only water available, there is always a water cooler.
I probably wouldn't pay a premium for an unfitted barrel, but might pay a premium to H&R for faster service. Hey, I just paid $150 for a used Ultra Varmint .223 in excellent condition! I would have paid most of that for a new barrel, and now I have an action and premium stock. Another local gun shop will pay me, in cash, what I paid. If I want another caliber, I'll wait until one hits the shop since I don't want any exotic calibers anyway. They have a .30-30 for $140, but I have a great Savage 340 and a Savage 24 in that caliber already.