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Hi all!
I’m looking at a ‘42 Bsa No4 and the bolt does not have a serial stamped on the rear of the handle.
It only has “1942” stamped on the underside of the handle.
Is this normal for a 42? Were the serials not stamped on them until later or is this an incorrect bolt?
Thanks in advance!
Jon
If the bolt does not have a matching serial number then this was not fitted whilst in military use.
The assumption would be that someone bought the rifle with a 'lost bolt' bought a bolt and 'slid it in'.
Bolts are not plug and play and they need proper 'FITTING' (as in work needs doing).
There is an article in the 'library' by Peter Laidler explaining how to fit a bolt, it is not rocket-science but it needs doing properly to avoid having an unsafe rifle.
As Alan has said it is not normal practice as all rifles had their bolts numbered to the body by the manufacturer. If the bolt required replacement in service there was a specific procedure for doing this, & it included the numbering of the new bolt to the rifle. This particular rifle may have come along with a missing bolt, or it may simply have had that bolt in it & somebody didn't like the fact that it was mismatched & so linished the number off.......but it would not have been left without a number in military service.
Ok that’s what I thought just wanted to confirm!!
Not my first rodeo fitting bolts so no problem there,
More of an interest/information question for myself and also maybe will give me leverage to get the price down a bit :)
Thanks guys!
Got the rifle in question yesterday.
Very nice surprise to see the matching serial stamped on the bolt where it should be!
I guess the seller didn’t realize the serial on the back of the bolt handle was what made it “matching” and not the “1942” stamped on the underside!
A bit of unexpected good news!:clap:
For sure Roger thanks!
Now back to my original question!
Why would 1942 be stamped on the underside of the handle?
I’ll provide some pictures for a better look
Here are the pictures.
I under the handle is a washed out or poorly struck 1942?? Maybe 1943? Hard to say.
Maybe 1948?! Were FTR. Dates ever stamped there?
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...68FDADBC-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...FCC50B43-1.jpg
The rifle has been refurbed at some point as it appears to be suncorited. (It also has a Savage cocking piece). The original finish on a 42 BSA would have been blued, if I am not mistaken. The bolt could be an ordnance replacement. BSA produced bolts bear a letter 'B' stamped onto the rear flat (the same flat that the s/n is stamped into but right up where the bolt handle meets the bolt body). Later on, the B changed to M47/C. This was probably when the butt socket markings changed in the same way, during 1943. We can just see some markings in this area but they go off the edge of the photo. The other way a BSA made bolt can sometimes be determined is if the bolt handle is hollowed out or not. Other manufacturers may have started out like that but generally tended to revert to the solid knob. BSA never did, so if the bolt handle knob is solid it ain't factory original.
Hope these few pointers assist.....though none help with your original question. Looks like 1946 to me. I suspect it is a date, as one sometimes sees odd components, or perhaps odd batches of them, that were not generally dated, but which were on occasions.........but I have no proof of this, just speculation having seen a few spares over the years!
Very helpful Roger as always thanks!
I’ll look to see if the bolt is hollowed or not.
The paint on this example is more of a bbq paint. It’s coated all over the bolt body, head and cocking piece and makes it sticky in the action. The striker capture screw is coated in the top only, not the sides and the slot is partially filled with paint, I think someone gave it the spray bomb treatment without disassembling anything.
Sorry, I mistook it for suncorite. Sounds more like the work of a previous owner! You may find the original finish is intact underneath if you feel brave enough to remove the paint..... I suppose it depends on how much you want to play about with it. Indeed, you can just enjoy it as it is.
Confirmed, bolt knob is hollowed out
Can you make out what the writing is on the bolt handle, just where it joins the bolt body? I was wondering if it might be M47/C? If so, it is probably a later made replacement bolt, but of the same manufacturer. In 1942 BSA were still using the 'B' to identify their No4 bodies (receivers) & bolt bodies.
ATB.
Looks like a poorly struck M/47C
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...FC0FA252-1.jpg
Yes, looks rather like it. Perhaps a replacement bolt (nicely serial numbered) from the same manufacturer....