no 5 fake or real???

[Beerhunter]

It looks like this is being discussed on two forums. As I said, I can't see any reason why the the Proof marks would have finish in them but it could be trick of the light.

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[Thunderbox]

It looks like this is being discussed on two forums. As I said, I can't see any reason why the the Proof marks would have finish in them but it could be trick of the light.

Yes, I've taken to copying and pasting my forum replies to save time!

Take your point about the Proof marks, but I do find that sometimes the Proof stamp has also impacted the suncorite - making it look as though the mark has been painted over. If you follow the photos in the link, and keep clicking on them, you get to the enormous original close-ups. You can see that the paint inside the stamps looks thinner - consistent with being stamped or rolled - and does not show any filling that might be from fresh paint.

What I also find is that even when these rifles are absolutely mint and unused, quite often the suncorite is worn off the exposed barrel and the bolt knob - presumably from storage handling. I have seen these bits repainted - giving the "look" that the whole rifle has been repainted.