RIA bolt identification

[esmont]

I have a Rock Island '03, serial #298624 with excellent RIA barrel dated 9'18. The rifle still has most of it's blue finish. The stock, however, is a Springfield single bolt with a clear JFC inspector stamp in a box. My issue is bolt ID. It is slightly swept with a punch mark on the bottom root and a "3" on the top of root. The safety has serif letters on both sides. The handle is a bit thicker toward the ball than my Remington "03 (not "03-A3) bolts. What do I have? Thanks in advance.

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[Rick the Librarian]

I would say (if there is no R on the bottom and no markings on the top, probably a Smith-Corona bolt body from WWII.

[esmont]

It's a smooth bolt without the slimming around the safety lug

---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 PM ----------

It has the number three on the top of the bolt and nothing but a punch mark on the bottom.

[esmont]

Rick,
One more observation. There is a small vent hole at front of bolt. It is much smaller than on any of my 1903-A3 or Remington 1903 bolts. There is also a small vent hole at the front of the extractor. The extractor is blued.

Thanks in advance.

[Rick the Librarian]

And there are NO markings on the top or bottom of the bolt handle except the "3"? Safety lug?

I would wonder if the answer to the above is "no", if there is a chance it has been "bent" and might be a case-hardened bolt?

[esmont]

Nothing on safety lug. #3 on top of bolt. Punch mark on bottom of bolt. Small (.09) gas vent on front bottom of bolt body. Small vent on front of extractor.

[esmont]

I suppose it could be a bent case hardened bolt, but it could just as likely be an early double heat treated straight bolt that was bent. Maybe a RIA swept bolt from 1919 or so. The #3 is the mystery. It's definitely an early bolt due to the gas vent on the extractor. That would suggest 1918 or earlier.

[m1903rifle]

Look for markings on the safety lug.

[Rick the Librarian]

The usual "book" is that if there are no markings on the top/bottom of the bolt handle and on any side of the safety lug, it is a WWII SC bolt.

As m1903rifle says, look carefully on all sides of the safety lug. If there is an NS it is a late Rock Island bolt.

[esmont]

The vent on bolt is too small and the bolt is not turned down in the area of the safety lug as is characteristic of 1903-A3 bolts. It is marked on top of bolt root with a clear 3 and underneath with a punch mark. There is a small vent at front of extractor. none of these features would be found on a WWII Smith Corona bolt. It's the 3 stamp that has me puzzled.