Unusual, unknown '03 bolt sleeve

[RBruce]

Any ideas who manufactured this bolt sleeve?

Information

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[Jim Tarleton]

Sedgley.
Jim

[John Beard]

I concur with Jim.

J.B.

[Chuckindenver]

Sedgley, with a Krag safety

[RBruce]

Wow! It must be a rare and valuable piece.

[Chuckindenver]

piece is one word a guy could use...
rare and valuable???depends on what you collect i guess.

[John Beard]

Sedgley, with a Krag safety

The safety lock is Krag style, but it's not an actual Krag safety. Sedgley made the safety lock too.

J.B.

[Chuckindenver]

the Sedgly made safetys iv seen were of alloy, and not steel.
you can see were they modified the front to work with an 03.
i used to have a small box of alloy parts made by Sedgly, i think Vi Shooter ended up with it one day, after digging through my parts boxes.
he had a Sedgly stock, and was going to put one together.
if i remember.
i had, a 03 rear sight, safety, floorplate, trigger guard, front band, buttplate,
front sight, rear lower swivle, and a bayonet lug all made of alloy.
i think i have a buttplate, and floorplate still, but the rest are long gone.

[Gary L. Bush]

R.F. Sedgley made bolt sleeves as part of his speed-lock system. These bolt sleeves can be identified by two fin-like rails on the bottom of the sleeve which would be ground to fit the rifle and guarantee uniform return of the firing pin and striker. The second characteristic of the sleeve is the shorter travel space for the firing pin.

Two styles of Sedgley bolt sleeves have been seen. The first is with the shorter travel space speed-lock which requires the use of a longer striker. The second is without the speed-lock and has a normal travel space for a standard length striker.

The picture on left, from the top left, is the bolt sleeve showing the fins and shorter travel space for the firing pin. Below this is a complete speed lock and safety key. The sleeve to right in the picture has fins and a travel space for a conventional length striker.

The second picture shows the bottom views of two Sedgley bolt sleeves. The one on the left is for use with standard striker and the sleeve on the right is for speed lock.

Sedgley-made bolt sleeves are often found on the Sedgley Cadet Rifle.

Gary Bush

[John Beard]

Gary,

You will note in RBruce's photo that Sedgley made another type of Bolt Sleeve with a funky sleeve lock. I've seen those before also. You will further note that the sleeve has a notch milled on the left side, for additional safety lock clearance, I suppose.

Thanks for your photos and explanation! I had seen that, but had not heard that before.

J.B.