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  1. #1
    Legacy Member Entropy's Avatar
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    First Post, Some Basic Advice Needed...

    As they say...long time listener, first time caller.
    I’ve hopped on and off here over the years, along with some other related boards that have come and gone. A few Mausers reside in the safe, along with a few Swissicon’ and other odds and ends.

    Here’s the question: Picked up a 1943 No.4 Mk. II/III Maltby. All matching and in decent shape with good bore. It went thru Fazarkely in the early 50s for refurbish. Overall fairly clean but has the grundge in the corners and recesses. My initial thought here is to leave it stocked up and just work over the wood and metal with mineral spirits, some rags, and a tooth brush. My concern is doing a detail strip before I even know what kind of shooter I have. Reading up on the whole “stocking up” thing is a bit intimidating to say the least. I have NO issues detail stripping any firearm, but the voodoo involved with these has me putting on the brakes until I have a chance to see exactly what I’m working with. Advice greatly appreciated, pics to follow.

    Thanks
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    You're right, clean the bore and shoot it before anything and come show us. Then we'd dearly love to have a look at in the whole... Stripping and cleaning, assembling isn't so bad though. The rifle won't change if you don't change parts or woodwork around. Pics...?
    Regards, Jim

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    Thanks. I’ll attach a few pics below to show what I have going. Spent the afternoon giving it a good scrubbing with mineral spirits. Bore seems fairly clean with no blue patches using old school Hoppes. I’ll shoot it and see what I have before hitting it with Patch Out or Kroil. Right now it’s sitting on the bench with a film of 50/50 BLOicon/Turps. Comments welcome.
    Attachment 111846
    Attachment 111845
    Attachment 111847
    Attachment 111848
    Attachment 111849
    Attachment 111850
    Attachment 111851

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    Legacy Member limpetmine's Avatar
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    For the life of me I don't understand the need of some to completely strip a rifle down when they buy it. If you're the first owner after 60-70 years in an Saharan desert country, sure, have at it. But more damage is done with ill fitting screwdrivers and ham handed folks (not speaking of the OP here) often does irreparable damage. Check the bore for hidden drill holes, a good surface cleaning and scrub the bore, and have a go with it. JMO YMMV

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    Agree. In the past, I’ve picked up some cosmolineicon covered messes. Peeling apart an SKS or even a Mauser is on a lesser level though IMHO. There is not a single buggered screw on this one, and it appears the fiber disk is still covering the stock bolt. Bore is decent, measured the headspace using the “used primer wag” and got about .067”. I have a few boxes of factory PPU and a few boxes of POFicon Mk7. Hopefully get to shoot it the next few days. I’ve already picked up some dies (including a neck collet) and a box of Hornady 174gr RN to try out as well. More brass on the way. Rolling the dice with this one, but it looks pretty promising. I’ll keep ya posted.

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    Attachment 111976
    The rifle looks clean enough; but in the photo of the receiver with the serial number and FTR; I see a couple of details that may want a closer look.
    Probably it's nothing; but above the ejector screw there are some grinding marks that look a bit odd. Not sure why that would need grinding unless someone has filled a hole. maybe for an old scope mount.
    At the front of the receiver ther are also 2 semi circular marks. Are they stamps or possibly filled holes?
    I suggest checking on the inside of the receiver to make sure. It may be just an impression from the photo. But some rifles have had tap and drill scope mounts fitted and could have been repaired to appear original.
    As I say; I may be way off here because I can only see the photo. Maybe some of our more experienced guys could comment on the finish of the receiver.
    Last edited by 30Three; 10-30-2020 at 08:15 AM.

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    Thanks for the heads up on that. I took a closer look at the areas you mentioned as well as the rest of the receiver in general. The area above the ejector screw shows no mirrored marks on the inside of the receiver. The two semi circular marks you mentioned indeed look like stampings. There are what appears to be letters or partial letters in the stampings.

    In addition, I took a step back and looked at the overall condition of the receiver as a whole. There are similar “rough” grind marks (similar to that above the ejector screw) at various places on the receiver including the bridge and right receiver side. To my untrained eye, they all appear to be more akin to rushed machining and assembly than to any repair or modification.

    The one item I scratch my head on is what appears to be the “striked out” serial number that is below the visible number stamped on the lower portion of the receiver. Perhaps the receiver was swapped as it went thru FTR?

    Appreciate the info and responses.

    Jim

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    Sorry to say this about your new rifle, but that is without a doubt the roughest finishing I have ever seen on a No4.

    It's a pity they didn't spend a few minutes with files and a flap wheel when these rifles went through FTR to remove the most egregious wartime sloppiness.
    Last edited by Surpmil; 10-31-2020 at 12:46 PM.
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    I think the grind marks are almost certainly post war & probably from the time of the FTR. It was not unknown for the charger guide inserts to come loose & so at times of refurbishment or as necessary they were given a gob of weld each side of the receiver (I'll bet there are marks on the other side of the charger bridge if you look closely). The grinding off of the excess weld is quite typically very crude. Yours is not unusual, & it is all part of its service history. I wouldn't worry about it.
    Last edited by Roger Payne; 10-31-2020 at 01:26 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Payneicon View Post
    I think the grind marks are almost certainly post war & probably from the time of the FTR. It was not unknown for the charger guide inserts to come loose & so at times of refurbishment or as necessary they were given a gob of weld each side of the receiver (I'll bet there are marks on the other side of the charger bridge if you look closely). The grinding off of the excess weld is quite typically very crude. Yours is not unusual, & it is all part of its service history. I wouldn't worry about it.

    Yup. Opposite side is the same. I need to research a bit on the charger bridge and how it’s constructed. I was figuring the receiver was one piece milled, but obviously not the case.

    Hopefully some shooting with it this afternoon.

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