When Slamfire comes along, he will present The Other Side from what tahuna says.
I enjoy poking holes in fictitious beliefs on these older receivers. People who own the things make up stories why these receivers are perfectly safe to justify their purchase.
I am not a fan boy of any pre 1920 receiver because period metallurgy, process controls, were primitive. While the M98 action was the best design ever (I am biased) M98’s from that era had their own workmanship issues. I recommend reading Dieter Storz’s book: “
Rifle & Carbine 98: M98 Firearms of the German Army from 1898 to 1918” to find things like Amberg produced bolts broke at the rate of 1 per 1000. Probably typical for that era.
It is apparent that the American single heat treat receivers were made using obsolete equipment (they did not use pyrometers till 1918!) and poor process controls. The Germans were using temperature sensors in 1906 but Springfield Armory relied on worker’s eyeballs to judge forging temperatures. It is incredible to realize that Springfield Army had been producing receivers since 1903 with a systemic defect and did not acknowledge it till receivers burst at a commercial ammunition plant in 1917, 14 years after production started. All of these problems show that Army Management was asleep at the switch. The Colonel in charge was mostly likely playing polo on the parade ground, and currying the Generals’ favor, instead of managing the details of his production facility.
In so far as safety features the M1903 has almost none. Off the top of my head the Hatcher Hole was the primary one adopted later and it is basically worthless in preventing gas from going in the shooter’s eye or doing much of anything else.
By the time you get to 1920, so many receivers have broken with crappy WW1 ammunition and poorly made single heat treat receivers the Army creates a coverup with greased bullets, and continues the coverup with the 1921 tin can ammunition; passing all blame onto civilian shooters.
However by the late 20’s it becomes apparent through accidents that the single heat treat receivers are too risky for the troops and in 1928 the Army makes the ultimate decision to scrap 1, 085,507 single heat treat rifles when the rifles come in for rebuild. This is a large bunch of defective rifles as in 1928 Springfield Armory was at serial number 1,285,266.
I consider this a criminal decision in terms of today’s society. The Army made the decision to keep a defective $40.00 product in service, and if a trooper lost an eye, a hand, before that defective rifle made it way to depot for rebuild, well that was just too bad for the trooper.
The basic problem the Army had then, and it is just as true for today, is non destructively figuring out which were the good receivers. If the receiver was over heated in the forging shop ovens it will be weak. If you have an overpressure event the receiver is prone to fragment. Today’s steels have more elasticity and today’s’ breeching methods will protect the shooter more. These old guns, really only the M98 has superior shooter protection features, and the metallurgy for all of them stink.
There are good liability reasons why organizations selling these things don’t recommend anyone shooting them at all, or in their matches. They have a known history of failure. These actions are a risky unknown.
Examining the pictures you have a WW2 bolt, a WW2 barrel, probably a 50’s Fajen stock, and a old receiver.
If you plan to shoot the thing if would recommend reloading for it and sticking to loads that are closer to 40,000 psia than 50,000 psia. The original 30-06 load was a 150 grain bullet at 2700 fps. That is pretty mild in today’s world. Use only the best brass as case head failures in single heat treat receivers have sent people to hospitals.
If your barrel is a two groove barrel, think about only using it with cast bullets. My two groove barrels shoot cast bullets better than the four groove ones and cast loads are very mild.
