someone got reamed

[Patrick Chadwick]

except I'd say the mounts are OK even if the screws have been abused.

Please all note: I did not write that the mounts were not OK. What I did write, was that the mounts had obviously been removed by a bodger. Which raises the question: why? If the rifle was originally made as a 4(T), or even set up as such later, by a proper armorer, then there would surely have been no need for the aforesaid bodger to remove and replace the mounts. Ever.

The fact that the individual components (e.g. mounts) are OK does not prove that the entire assembly left the factory with these components in this configuration. And evidence of incompent removal/replacement of parts is a very good reason to be very, very cautious and examine the whole object very closely. The prices gained by examples which are presumed to be in their original configuration with their original parts are so high that the temptation to "restore" a rifle to the "correct" configuration is enormous. But one could at least buy a good screwdriver beforehand!

[vintage hunter]

Busy hunting season?

Yeah but most of the business had to do with beating off the hoards of mosquitos that hatched out as a result of the Sept/Oct monsoons. Was convinced at one point I had came down with some sort of mosquito borne virus but thankfully it was a false alarm. It was a hot one, IIRC we only had 3 or 4 mornings where it was cold enough to frost. Not many photo's to show, had to hurry up and get it cleaned and in the cooler before the blow flies got to them.
BTW, the deer in the second photo was literally covered in mosquitos when I got to him, about 3 minutes after I shot .....and every one of them got on me when I laid the rifle down to take the photo.