NO32 MK1 Persistant Seller

[vintage hunter]

I've never seen a set of genuine pads off the gun before but comparing them to the pads on my no.4T the first red flag is the rear pad. Screw holes are wrong, should be slightly diagonal, the holes in both pads were countersunk with a drill bit and 4 of the 5 look too deep.

[Peter Laidler]

That's pretty well your answer XA coupe......... They were drilled slightly diagonal so as to avoid/clear the induction hardened rear locking lug. They were NEVER available as spare parts and as I often say, the parts list was a list of parts and not a list of AVAILABLE parts. The bloke is a lxxx and a cheat and needs to be told. In fact I'll tell him in as many words today..................... Unless someone else has in the meantime

[xa-coupe]

'question' ( informing the seller they are repro ) sent. I was pretty gentle as they will probably not know they are repros.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I recently bought sets of those same "K98 number stamps" for numbering parts from an engineering supplier here in Sydney.

This is entirely my personal opinion, and I apologise if it unwittingly gives offence.

Nevertheless is my well considered opinion that while it is perfectly reasonable to use replacement parts to make a rifle functional again, to mark those parts with numbers to match the rifle is a falsification. The only purpose of such numbers in production was to identify the parts as originally matching to the rifle, so the presentation of replacement parts with numbers is IMOH just one step away from faking, which is what it becomes when the rifle is passed on as "all-matching".

There has been plenty of criticism in the Mauser forum of a certain supplier who has an apparently endless supply of "all-matching original K98s". It is regrettable that members of these forums, who we would surely all like to think of as informed and responsible persons in matters pertaining to old collectable rifles, should also be lured into this regrettable activity. I leave it up to individual members to square it with their consciences.


Patrick

[Peter Laidler]

I have mixed views too and have due regard to the price of the real McCoy too. I am all in favour of someone making up a good repro - or even better an absolutely PERFECT in every way repro - and all power to his elbow and skills too. Indeed, I've even tried to help him get his No4T repro right along the way. But it's just the thought of the person making up a good/perfect repro being hoodwinked by someone selling home-made recently made parts as 'original' when they're clearly not. That is lying and cheating on the part of the seller. Call me a cynical old man Xa but my bones tell me the seller knows what he's saying alright.................!

We know the repop scopes aren't original, neither are the brackets and more to the point, neither are these pads too. So far as I'm aware, I had the only original pads and these were taken off scrap No4T's or L42's plus a few dozen partially and finished odds and ends taken from the old factory that I photographed for and are shown in the book. And these clearly illustrate that they were actually finished when fitted to the rifle.

Anyway, that's my little rant over

[tbonesmith]

Here's my take, when I've fitted a bolt to a rifle and it's all hunky-dory, if I feel like it I'll stamp it to match, for one thing so I don't mix it up. I might put a litlle TB next to it so Joe Bloggs knows somethings a little awry. I never lie about what I've done when it's time to get rid of them. From now I'm going to number replacement wood too, because that's what you do when it's fitted up, but don't worry I'll write TBONE next it it and maybe the year too.

and BTW I was just kidding about the K98 comment...

[Peter Laidler]

Hey TBone, that's not comparing like with like. THat's not faking anything or lying and cheating........... That's just refitting a bolt with another GENUINE AND REAL item. Fitting it properly and numbering it as per the EMER/factory. But if you were selling on a modern repro bolt and marking it up with a steel batch number and BSA inspectors marks AND calling it original, then that'd be something else.

I say carry on refitting a bolt properly AND renumbering it.

We had a huge box of used bolts that we'd select and try first if a rifle needed a replacement. If it fitted and mated then it was machined away at the rear and renumbered - just like you're doing.

[Sht_LE]

I agree with Peter, I have fitted new/used bolts to rifles for both myself and customers and I do number them to the rifle. I have done this with Enfields, Mausers and one Arisaka. I do it to show the bolt is properly fitted and headspaced to THAT rifle and not to try and fool someone. I don't fudge markings and always try to use a different font than what is on the rifle. On the other hand I also have what amounts to a brand new SMLE Mk.III* I build on a 1918 dated Enfield action body using almost all NOS parts. Other than the action body nothing is numbered, not the barrel, bolt, wood, rearsight, barrel, magazine or anything else. I did it mainly for enjoyment, to see if I could do it, and for my personal edification of the Enfield species (us gunsmith are silly folk). Other than the barrel (it is post 51 RFI) I did use all Enfeild made parts, makes me wonder if I should number or mark her in someway so that when I am gone she does not get passed off to some unsuspection bloke as a rare prototype or some such.

[Bearclaw]

Not sure but I think this stuff is from a well known gun shop North of Brisbane, or an employee. They were cleaning up an old storage area and discovered a quanity of LE parts. Currently advertising a No4T with the statement could be original or made up from parts.

[Maxwell Smart]

I've seen it; made up with parts I think. Scope bracket is certainly a repro - no cheekpiece on butt either.