Cracked Right Lug........

[USGI]

Dave, are you meaning WC 820? I had some Vietnam era LC carbine ammo that I believe was loaded with 13.0 grains of WC 820. Very fine granules, and did seem to burn cleaner. About the time I figured out what it was, it was no longer readily available. I've only loaded carbine ammo with H110 and WW296 which nowadays apparently, are exactly the same thing. - Bob

[Bruce McAskill]

About 10 years ago I had a complete original early Underwood with a type 2 bolt. Beautiful blue finish on the bolt and as I was shooting factory FMJ the carbine jammed. The right lug had broken off and inside the area were the lug attached to the bolt body was a void in the center and that is where it had let go. I was never able to find a bolt as nice as that one was. I still have the broken bolt as I kept it to remind me about shooting the originals so I just use my late Inland and Winchester for shooting now.

[browningautorifle]

I still have the broken bolt as I kept it to remind me about shooting the originals.

Exactly where I am with this Bruce. We had a huge discussion about shooting originals...this is exactly what I spoke, of and would just cringe to have it happen to me. Maybe they don't deteriorate with age, but how do you make this better?

[DaveHH]

The stuff Bartlett sent me (he said) used 13.5 a round so you are probably correct. I am leaning away from shooting my two originals, but I am also curious about which one shoots the best and it is probably the NPM I bought as a shooter. CMP selected a nice IBM barreled example when I wanted a shooter. It came with an Inland I cut stock (marked with a .U. rebuild stamp) a quality RP and a Rockola Hammer. The TH was NPM probably the original part. It can hold the 10 ring on an SR-1 at 100 yds. The Inland is so new that I think that it should shoot better than it does.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

I guess I lean heavy the other way. I have shot all my carbines. After all they are combat weapons, designed to be shot not safe queens. If something were to break, I have spare parts.
I'm skeptical when someone says they have an "original". Who really knows if what we like to call our originals, and I think I have some, are the way they came out of the factory. I think most guns that sell as originals have had something done to them. Maybe a part changed in the field. Or after the war. It could be the same type and marking. Even later someone dressing it up to look original.

I think unless it was a presentation gun, with provenance, it has been shot. And probably more then we think.

But that's just my 2¢

[browningautorifle]

I understand that Jim, but with my LL M1(which we aren't talking about here) if I broke the op rod, where in Canada could you get something like that replaced? I'd have to move to Oregon...

[imarangemaster]

I understand that Jim, but with my LL M1(which we aren't talking about here) if I broke the op rod, where in Canada could you get something like that replaced? I'd have to move to Oregon...

Or, Jim, you could go down and visit Bill in Oregon, and take care of things.

[browningautorifle]

visit Bill in Oregon

Sometimes it almost comes to that...really...

[imarangemaster]

Sometimes it almost comes to that...really...

You could always "visit" Northern California where I live, also..... LOL

Bernie

[imarangemaster]

I agree with Jim, pretty much. My Winchester is still original, though I have put my round bolt in for the upcoming So-Cal watermelon demolition derby (the one that was scheduled for earlier this month but was postponed), as we will probably shoot 800+ rounds. For my own casual plinking and local Mil-Surp 100 yard matches, though, I will probably use the original flat bolt.

Now if I was going to use it as a patrol carbine for the high country security contract I had, I'd put it in an Inland M2 potbelly stock, M2 catch for using 30 rounders, and flip safety to keep it from getting beat up and improve reliability. Since I recently gave that contract up in favor of one 10 minutes from home with 8 hour days (instead of that contract with its hour plus commute each way and the 12 hour shifts) I am too old for 15 hour work days!