1903a4 receiver tearing up tap...

[amadeus76]

So I recently bought a 1903a4-gery built off a reclaimed drill receiver and found that the rear bolt tap wasn't done quite right. I took it to my gunsmith to have it redone proper and the receiver chipped away the tap. He'd had the tap for awhile and figured it was just at the end of it's life and ordered a new one. When he tried with the new tap the same thing happened. He's now going take it to his machinist and see if he has any insight.

​​​​​​​Has anyone ever run into this issue?*

Information

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[Patrick Chadwick]

"1903a4-gery built off a reclaimed drill receiver"

Warning bells are ringing here. It sounds like the receiver is excessively hard, even glass-hard (which means DANGEROUSLY hard), in an area where it should not be. There was a history of early 1903 receivers being withdrawn because of faulty hardening, making them brittle. Is it possible that this is such a faulty (over-hard) receiver that someone has creatively "recycled"?

Check out the number and the number range for the brittle receiver problem, look for signs of welding, renumbering etc.

You may have acquired a piece of dangerous scrap that was not intended to be used for live firing. I hope not, but check it all.

[amadeus76]

"1903a4-gery built off a reclaimed drill receiver"

Warning bells are ringing here. It sounds like the receiver is excessively hard, even glass-hard (which means DANGEROUSLY hard), in an area where it should not be. There was a history of early 1903 receivers being withdrawn because of faulty hardening, making them brittle. Is it possible that this is such a faulty (over-hard) receiver that someone has creatively "recycled"?

Check out the number and the number range for the brittle receiver problem, look for signs of welding, renumbering etc.

You may have acquired a piece of dangerous scrap that was not intended to be used for live firing. I hope not, but check it all.

I don't think that's it necessarily... The receiver is a reclaimed Remington and the front of the receiver tapped just fine.

[CINDERS]

Just a Q if the front of the receiver taps just fine and the rear breaks 2 taps then does that not signify uneven heat treatment or hardening! I am no engineer nor metal smith but that's my take on it.......

[browningautorifle]

You're trying to do a build on the cheap with a receiver that is apparently not what it should be. You've denied a sensible answer to your question...what answer do you want? If you tell us what you want to hear it will save us time. I'd say three of us think about the same way on this.

[amadeus76]

You're trying to do a build on the cheap with a receiver that is apparently not what it should be. You've denied a sensible answer to your question...what answer do you want? If you tell us what you want to hear it will save us time. I'd say three of us think about the same way on this.

Wow... I've never had this problem before. I'm sorry I asked a question about something I don't fully understand and thought that maybe it might be something else other than a brittle receiver since those seem to be limited to early 1903's and not the later Remington made rifles.

But thanks for being a dick.

[browningautorifle]

But thanks for being a dick.

Nothing like starting multiple threads with sketchy info and not taking any of the advise given. Now you see there's not but one basic opinion to what you ask.

Pics would have been priceless...and name calling doesn't help. So, look in the mirror...

[RCS]

I know a lot of the drill rifle 1903 and 1903A3 receivers had the cut-off area welded-up too, This would apply excess heat to the rear area, do not know if your receiver was involved.

I have also heard of restored 1903 drill rifles having headspace problems after a few thousand rounds, which should not happen

[amadeus76]

Issue resolved.

...and name calling doesn't help. So, look in the mirror...

If it fits...

[browningautorifle]

Issue resolved

You had a gunsmith with the receiver in hand and he couldn't sort it. You come here and ask us without even a picture to tell you how to fix it...not just one thread but two. You get what you pay for. We have no idea if anything is resolved, or more likely you're too embarrassed to say. Either way, doesn't matter.

Second thread... https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=60309