Lithgow No1 Mk3 sticky extraction.

[CINDERS]

Had a look close up and its lint casting a shadow on the feed ramp but those brass chips are everywhere is the underside of the mags front feed lips smooth with no sharp bits that will scrape the side of the case as it is stripped. Also is the flat spring fitted on the front of the mag this sits in-front of the follower on the magazine body (Spring Auxillary "B") that would leave a sharp edge of the mag box that may scrape the cases

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

You're right to be a bit concerned in my humble opinion. That bolt head looks to me like the vent (pic, bottom row, 4 & 5) has been brazed up. Photo 4 top row - is the bolt head underhang chipped too? It also looks to me like those 'improved' slots in the feed ramp have been put there by a bubba home enthusiast with a blunt hack saw blade or an out of control dremill tool. As for that amount of brass swarf is a cause for great concern too. These are smooth running rifles and that indicates big problems to me. Just my opinion of course based on nothing more than having seen a few ---- zillion!

[lcgivz12]

The flat spring in the mag is in place and seems to be..... springy lol. I tried taking a sharpie and coloring the brass to see where the case was being shaved and I couldn't tell wheather it was the bottom or the left side. However, it was always the last 1/4 of the case I would say around the 8 o'clock position. If anyone wants any more pictures please just let me know... and Thank you all for helping me. I sincerely appreciate it.]I'm not sure I am qualified to be mucking around to much with this. If anyone has a qualified individual that I can send this off to, I'd really appreciate the info.

[Peter Laidler]

Send or discuss it with Brian at BDL Ltd in SC. He's the US Enfield man to go to. But he's a straight talking man so don't be alarmed when he tells it like it is............

[muffett.2008]

Gotta say, I reckon it was welded or brazed up.
I would downgrade it to DP pretty quick.
Beside the bodgy work done on the bolt and bolthead, there are fatigue fractures on the feed ramp, the barrel seat for the cartridge looks to have been cleaned up and there are heat marks at the front of the action just behind the chamber, also a couple of marks in the chamber.......may have been plugged.

The brass shavings are probably caused by the left front magazine feed rib, the projectiles are being pushed over to the right side.
Also the bolt guide looks a bit ratty at the front, the extractor slot looks a bit off, as does the extractor .....has the barrel been removed?
The angles of the pics are not really showing the action from the front.

[browningautorifle]

there are heat marks at the front of the action just behind the chamber, also a couple of marks in the chamber.......may have been plugged.

I don't think it's a weld up... I think if he sends it off to BDL, we'll find there's not much at all wrong.

[muffett.2008]

Just some closeups of the areas that concern me.
Attachment 83311note the crack extending up the loading ramp, also the heat marked area. You can see the pitting in the chamber.
Attachment 83310note the rough face of the chamber, of the thousands of these I have done, I have never seen a seat this bad. Note the heat marks at the front.

Attachment 83309 This is what Pete was looking at, appears to have braze around areas of Bolthead, and heat discolouration. Also the bolthead gap, seen better in other pic's.

Really need better pic's. But I would be giving it a good going over.

[browningautorifle]

note the crack

That's not a crack, unless I can't see what you mean. There's a sliver of something standing vertical but if he cleaned all that off for us it would provide a different picture.

note the rough face of the chamber

I see the rough, dirty appearance and agree it needs a good look. I can't for the life of me make out any heat discoloration though... I wish he's clean and oil and come back with new pics. The bolt head, well...if we could get our noses over top it might be different. Completely agree about better pics and if he understood what you wanted it would be better, location wise.

The whole thing could be as you say, I just think there's less here than meets the eye... If he sends it off to BDL, we'll get definitive...?

[CINDERS]

Muffett click on the original pics then hit the enlarge icon it really blows them up for minute examination

[30Three]

If testing the loading and unloading , may I humbly suggest using blank rounds instead of live ones!