Another guy who got one just posted his has the same "crown" or lack of but the rest of the barrel looks fine. He also confirmed his earlier Apex barrels had the recessed crown.

The Apex 45/70 converted to a SML has been a "go to" for affordable conversions. Mainly because the price BUT the breach OD is larger than other break actions. Plus the barrels are offered in what is called Full Contour.