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Note the different milling operations on these two early M1 bolts. While not really rare to
find, they are not common either. The early M1 bolts manufactured during the pre war period were well made and still in use when production endedAttachment 92850Attachment 92851Attachment 92852
Is the serial a part identifier or manufacturer coding as they are the same. Just asking....
The numbers on the bolt are not serial numbers they are drawing numbers, revisions, and heat lot codes. Both of the bolts shown are the original drawing number D 28287, no revision, heat lots J1 and D1. The first revision to the bolt was a hand added -1 below the drawing number on existing bolts. The first bolts manufactured as revision 1 were marked D 28287 -1 in one line.
The D 28287 is the drawing number for the bolt, a revision number was added as a modification was put into production. First there was D 28287-1 until spring 1940. Also 1940 has the D 28287-2 SA (SA was added
when Winchester started production but did not use revision numbers, by 1944 there was D 28287-12.
The heat lot code for example D1 was a record of the bolts manufactured and stamped D1, if something defective surfaced, all bolts with this heat lot code could be withdrawned from service,
which did happen on one such heat lot code
Also just received my copy of Billy Pyle's "The Garand Stand Report Summer 2018 and on page 5 is an article "Cracked Bolt Lug - SA"
The article details a Springfield M14 bolt which was found with a left bolt fracture. this bolt had a heat lot code or as Mr Pyle who use
the correct term heat traceabilltiy code of Z3. It was determined that all bolts with this Z3 heat lot are unsafe and will be removed from the
system and scrapped
Thanks for the replies chaps.
Interesting to note that at the same time these M-1 bolts were being made
1903 bolts with the same steel lot/heat lot codes were being manufactured.
Ed Byrns
I have a Model 1903A1 bolt manufactured in 1942 (checked Vi Shooter chart) which is still in the original foil wrap.
This bolt is marked inside the bolt root SA and on the outside bolt root H O 18
The internal parts in this photo are late Remington 1903A3Attachment 92965
The VERY early bolts show hand stamping. I guess the roll stamping machine wasn't ready for the task.