The rifle is a 1944 Maltby, FTR'd at some stage to Mk1/2. The receiver is in fine condition with almost unmarked suncorite.

The rifle turned up without a rearsight, and when I tried to fit one I understood why:

The rearsight axis pin holes are about 2mm/ 1/12" lower than on a normal No4. Consequently any rearsight fitted not only cannot be folded flat, but also fouls the bolthead when trying to withdraw the bolt. The axis pin itself will actually foul any bolthead in the gap. The axis pin is so low that the base of the rearsight jams the plunger against the receiver; there is insufficient room to allow the square lip of the rearsight to pass when trying to fold it down - same as when you try to use a standard sight on a Trials No4 receiver.

I've tried about a dozen different rearsights (Mks1-VI), pins and boltheads - all with the same result. To get a rearsight to fold and allow bolthead clearance, I had to grind down the bottom to the point that the axis pin is revealed. Even with this, the bolt can only be extracted by working it through the gap.

The axis pin mounts show no sign of damage or repair - the receiver is very tight and unworn. Very strange that the rifle not only has had some sort of service career, but that it also got through FTR without being cast.

??????





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