Concerns over extra holes in No4 Mk1 body

[Bearclaw]

G'day guys,

I am new to the site and to restoring. I picked up my bubbarized No4 today, had been sportised in the 1950's to .303/25 and now has a brand new .308 barrel which is coming off. My problem is, it looks like at sometime or times scopes have been mounted and extra holes have been drilled and tapped into the body, should I be concerned over these weaking the body. Can they be repaired somehow. Here is a picture.

Myles

Information

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[tbonesmith]

I'm not sure...

[browningautorifle]

I HAVE filled them before. Sometimes it takes a plug screw and a touch of a wire feed welder and sometimes it's just the wire feed it's self. A bit of bulge on the outside gets tooled down flush and it's good. The only problem is sometimes upon refinishing, you end up with discoloured blue at that spot. But not always! And no, they don't weaken anything.

[Chuckindenver]

i use a good welder, and weld them shut, if done right, you wont be able to tell, maybe a ghost of the hole is all, no strength issues.

[jmoore]

I can't recommend welding along the load bearing path on a receiver due to the heat effected zone surrounding the plugs. IF you heat treat the entire receiver afterwards, it would be better, but most heat treat faclilities won't touch it.

The holes themselves are of no concern! As pictured above, they are similar in placement and size (not quantity-too few!) to the No.4 Mk.I(T).

Plug 'em if you want and file the plugs flush. Refinish to suit.

[Bearclaw]

Thanks guys, looking at the reciever more closely, it appears to have been welded as well. Problem here in oz due to the gun laws, I simply just can't go and get a replacement receiver. Went to my local gun shop today, they offered me an old sportized savage No4 for a $175 oz. This project is starting to get expensive.

Myles

---------- Post added at 08:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:15 PM ----------

Sorry, also Milled as well near the front sight holes.

Myles

[Chuckindenver]

the {holes} thing as been drawn out before here...the holes will weaken it more then the weld, if done right, welding the holes will make it stronger then it was before the hole was drilled.
like i said.... with a {good} welder, and someone that knows how to actually use it...they can be repaired..
the welders sold at Harbor frieght, and Sears.....are not {good} welders.
if you dont have access to a good welder. simply plugging the holes with a screw, and grinding the head down flush is you best bet.

[Bearclaw]

Chuck,

I have access to a quality mig welder and I am quite handy with a mig but I am not sure being able to plug weld the hole satisfactory to get the desired finish inside the receiver. Do you see a problem using a screw to fill the hole then welding?

Myles

[fergs]

myles if you are using a mig welder and you want a nice or atleast a flat finnish on the inside i have used in conjunction with my mig welder a nice piece of bus bar (copper bar) that is approx 10mm thick placed in behind where your welding to create a flat base for the weld to pool on, then with the aid of something like a dremel minimal grinding is required if any. The problem with welding can be that you will draw the carbon from the surrounding steel weekening it, the weld itself would be stronger than the original steel. But as others have mentioned you would probably have to re temper the action to equalise the temper again.
Regards
Fergs

[Bearclaw]

Thanks Fergs,
I never thought of that, I actually used grub screws, but I should have drilled the threads out just below the surface after installing hte grub screws. Took a few touch ups to get it right.
I will use your method on another receiver coming my way.

Myles