Oh I see what you are talking about now. I missed the line in your picture. I looked several other images from others and yes there is some material missing. It’s nicely rounded and smooth, so it appears intentional. What are the chances it was just a “B” grade hand guard? Short supply perhaps?

As far as the bolt goes, this one came out of Ethiopia. It wasn’t a close personal sale. Do people have any similar success? Seems like a huge stretch this many years later. I’m not even sure what number to match it to. When I get it disassembled we’ll see if the barrel can shed any light.

Many thanks!