Really! Send me $200 and I'll send you Stock for the Brooklyn Bridge. Let's just hope he does not fire it, the medical costs will be more than $200.
I don't see why you think it's unsafe and even if it was, $200 for a sound lock and well made stock with inlays isn't bad at all. It's easy enough to replace a barrel. Take measurements of diameter and determine any taper. This is basic bench metal work. A bit of soldering (or filing for the underlug).
Of course, the very first thing to do is check if it's loaded. Always keep it pointed in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger. Make sure there is no percussion cap on that nipple. Drop a dowel rod down the barrel and mark where it meets the muzzle. Then lay the dowel rod alongside the barrel and see if it comes up short to the nipple.
If it's a bit high (say 3/4" for powder and ball), it's loaded and handle with caution. You might want to dribble some water down the nipple (or remove the nipple and drop water down it, then insert a ball puller and pull out the ball). Alternatively, if you have a C02 discharger, try that.
A barrel that short should be easy to inspect. Remember these are not hand forged, twisted iron barrels like demonstrated by Wallace Gusler (see for free on U-toob The Gunsmith of Colonial Williamsburg) or worse, a pot-metal replica (which I don't think yours is). Easy enough to shine a light down
an empty barrel to inspect
OR even take the barrel to an autoshop to magnaflux it. Magnaflux will reveal any cracks/fissures. Let's say the barrel is bad but everything else is solid. Buy a new barrel from Dixie and fit it. That isn't that hard. Good learning opportunity.
If it's loaded, it can be discharged can be done outside by removing the barrel, securing it something solid and inserting a fuse and after hiding behind a shelter, light it. If it blows, at least the entire gun isn't ruined. Dixie Gun Works catalogs used to have an article on testing barrels. If it doesn't blow, clean it, take measurements (inspect for bulges) to check against the measurements you made already.
Huskerblitz - if you ever come to Southern Colorado, drop me a PM. I'm a grad of Trinidad College Gonne-smithing with many NMLRA and Conner Praire classes beneath my belt and (like many other here; especially Johan Steele), I've been around gonnes for many decades (yes, I'm an old phart).
Bringing the