Quote Originally Posted by BVZ24 View Post
Beware on that RTI. I bought one before they raised the price to current, just so I could get an example of a long lee. If you haven't received it yet, you are in for a greasy mess. Mine was mostly complete. BSA speed. No provision for clearing rod. My bolt has the notches for the dust cover, but it was not included. You should make sure yours is safe. Mine was not in Good/Very good condition, close to poor/parts. Bore is bad, no blue. Mine is downright unsafe. It was used for drills so much that the locking lugs on the bolt and receiver is ground uneven. I can send a picture if you want.
IMO not worth getting the dust cover for.
Ive bought many rifles from RTI and for the most part they have performed well enough (there have been exceptions, but they were resolved. They rate these latest Lee Speeds at fair to good and clearly state no dust cover. Looking at the condition of the examples in the pics Id rt them as poor to fair...but I like restoration. However the pics do show some differences (clean rod, no clean rod, swivels, no swivels), so we shall see. In any case I do not intend to shoot a 120+ year old relic. It is for a 103 rifle SA Wat to Cold War display at the Texas Veterans Hall of Fame Museum in Denton, TX to complete the WWI Brit section. As such investment in a dust cover, if one even exists, adds value to the rifle for display at a minimum, so the worth is best determined by the need and intended use. Surely you didnt expect to take yours out into the field and be ready for a fire fight! ;-)

I do have a bore erosion gage and headspace gage for the .303 Brit, so I will be curious to learn the actual condition of this rifle. However, knowing where these rifles come from my expectations are informed and realistic.

As to the cleaning rod, it is my understanding that there were variants with and without bayonet lugs. It is my guess that only the variant with the bayonet lug provides for cleaning rod, but thats just a guess. Does yours have the bayo lug?

In any case Im sure we would all like to see pics of yours. Please post.