Honestly, you could do this yourself, probably have most everything at home other than the rust blue solution. It's sort of fun. Brownell's makes a classic rust blue, it will blend in better than you think.
Send it to smith, i think its 225ish and there are a few options for bluing for you to choose from. You will still be getting a factory refinished smith back.
Fire form one of those and then measure the shoulder with some headspace gauges.
I think you are overthinking things. You can measure coal all you want but if its the shoulder not being pushed back enough causing the issue coal doesnt mean squat.
read up on rust bluing, easy to do at home with minimum investment. I watched a lot of these guys videos before trying it. I used a classic rust blue from brownells. For a pistol, you would just boil the parts after the rusting occurs. And not all steel is the same, same prefer different type of...
if kroil doesnt do it, shoot a box of rounds through it. Folks dont realize the heat created can help loosen up locked up chokes.
I saw one so bad once a gunsmith had to weld a rod to the inside of the choke for leverage, got it out though.
oh...the 99m1, cool guns. I have a the regular 99. Was it in bad shape? the 99m1s are bringing decent money now.
Cerokate would be an option, or go to lowes or wherever and get you a can of Rustoleum automotive black spray paint (i know it comes in matte or semi gloss), degrease receiver well...
awesome guns/groups
What rings/bases did you use on your 541? I just picked one up not long ago and purchased the Leupold bases but haven't installed them. From what I'm gathering the front base will hang over the receiver some, I'd like a cleaner look if possible.
And all adjustment is out of the rear sight?
When you say it needs to go right...are you talking the poi or sight?
I'd think it would be a little easier just bumping the rear sight base to the right a tad if it is out of adjustment.