Whats the scoop on lightened bolt handles?

[Son]

Long Branch seems to have drilled out until the MkI* modification was introduced. Maltby seems to never have, likewise Savage.

Some No5's have a larger than normal hole about 1/2" that actually required(?) the knob to be shortened about 3/16" I believe.

Perhaps as No5 production continued after No4 production was reduced or halted at war's end, there was a relaxation of standards to allow No4 bolts already on hand to be used up?

From what I found when scratching my head over the same question a while back...

No4's could have (depending on manufacturer and date) a totally round solid knob, a solid knob with a small flat area on the end, or a 5/16" hole.

No5 's started out with the lightened bolt knob being drilled 7/16" as opposed to the drilled No4 bolt knobs having a 5/16" hole.

At some stage in production, it was decided that any manufacturers bolt body could be fitted to a No5 or No4 rifle. This explains the amount of later No5's with the matching numbered bolts that are drilled 5/16"

No5 bolts drilled to 1/2" have allegedly been reworked in India. The changes done to No5's during Indian service varied a lot, and didn't seem to fit any set pattern. They could have had any, all or none of the following.... an Ishy screw, totally scrubbed left side receiver wall, paint removed and blued, bolt knob hole enlarged, some "RFI" marking of small parts (possibly replacement parts)

Probably missed some others, but the point was to show there was no guarantee the bolt would be drilled out in Indian service.

HTH... (and not confuses things further...)

[bradtx]

Surpmil, Mine is a C prefix with the ROFM on the left sidewall, no M.

Brad

[Surpmil]

Surpmil, Mine is a C prefix with the ROFM on the left sidewall, no M.

Brad

I was thinking of the bolt actually. The ones I referred to were the roll-stamped "R.O.F.M.No.4.Mk.1." bodies as well.

Personally I can't see why the Indians would bother to bore out bolt knobs.

[Son]

Personally I can't see why the Indians would bother to bore out bolt knobs.

I know what you mean... surely they wouldn't have reduced the weight of the rifle any more than lightening the sear did!

[madcratebuilder]

Rifles with drilled bolt handles and are matched.

42 Maltby
43 Faz
44 BSA (T)
48 Faz
MkI's all.

Of the non drilled about half are round and half have a flat on the bottom of the ball.

[Beerhunter]

EN for England.

Sorely EN= RSAF, Enfield, for whom Turpin worked.

[Peter Laidler]

I knew someone would raise that Beery......, that's why I included it. It is a popular myth. The EN is in fact England.

If you need some pleasant summer reading, might I suggest The Sten Machine Carbine from Collector Grade books, Available from BDL I think......

[Simon P]

My 1933 Trials Rifle has the hole drilled in the bolt. The bolt is Enfield marked & matched to the rifle

[RJW NZ]

Its too bad we don't have surviving machinest who colud explain what flight of fancy would occur them to suddenly start,stop,start making holes in handles, was the job that boring?
lol, he made a pun
... its so random, and yet in such a highly controlled production line, it seems a major deviation .... imagine doing that to other parts? ie front sight ears, lessee, drill 500, leave 500. that'll keep em guessing?

[jmoore]

My guess is that it depended on the fixturing used during mfg. As the No.4 was highly subcontracted, there may have been various "feeder" shops doing vatoius degree of machining to the bolt bodies before sending them to either assembly or further finishing. Have that aspect of production added to the random batching or "binning" (not throwing away!), and things get muddled, I reckon.

Trials rifles and early production samples ought to be more uniform, but rebuilds done early on confuse that picture as well- i.e. 1931 rifles dated 1933 are just a bit different, plus the few odd post 1933 build ups and mods, well...

At least we aren't talking Webleys! Sometimes I think there's no two alike, aside from MkVIs.