1903 field test bolt?

[brian1]

In going through my Dad's effects, I came across a 1903 test bolt. It was in a package marked "Packed October 1954" and was inside multiple layers of long term storage wrappings. Inside, the bolt was heavily coated with a thick, black, sticky grease. Once I got all that wiped off, the thing is, of course, like the day it was made. Now that I've seen it, I'm pretty sure I had seen another one like it, without all the long term storage wrappings and grease, somewhere in my Dad's stuff, but I'm not sure where it is right now.

I'm wondering what this is for and if it's of any value to anyone. Like a go-no gauge for when a rifle was issued or at a match?

The outer wrapper had a label I was able to salvage, and it says:
J012-55-20656
BOLT, FIELD TEST
5520656
METHOD I
PACKED OCT. 1954 RIA

I assume the RIA is Rock Island Armory

There was another label between the outer cloth-based wrapping and the inner paper-based wrapping that said the same thing.

The bolt is also etched:
U.S. RIFLE CAL. .30 M1903
FIELD TEST BOLT
G-20656 ORD. DEPT. U.S.A.
W&S

Near the bolt head is etched: MIN. .509

[MasterChief]

Wonder if it's for a secondary check on a receiver that fails max headspace measurement? In effect a "known-good" bolt...

[Wineman]

Nice to have a headspace gauge that did not need you to take apart a bolt and see if it passes. An interesting concept, great for volume checks: pull bolt, test with Field Bolt, reject or pass, next...

Dave

[RCS]

I looked up the FIELD TEST BOLT in my TM 9-1270 ordnance manual on M1903 rifles. "test bolt is used in conjunction with
headspace gages to determine whether the chamber, bolt, lug seats in the receiver, or all of these, are worn beyond
serviceability".

[Calif-Steve]

RCS is correct. Depot would use them with all of the Headspace gages to figure out if barrel, receiver, or bolt were good/no good. Handy tool. They used to be around and I bought 2 of them. Not expensive but fun.