[mike0010]

Hello all,
I recently acquired a cir. 1928 manufactured SA 1903 but the bolt was manufactured around 1917 (code i8). I have not fired it as yet, since I don't want to find out the hard way that the thing might blow up in my face. The seller was sure it was fine, saying his buddy had fired it before. So the question is - is there a safe way to test this rifle out?

Thanks for any advice

 

[squirrelhunter]

A vice and a looooong string

 

[gumpy]

Get someone else to shoot it! Lol. Preferably the person who changed it out.
Get a trusted, or recommended, gunsmith to check it out for you.

 

[SHOOTER13]

What squirrelhunter said...........

 

[Teddybear]

Something in the back of my mind says there was a problem with how the earlier 1903 receivers were heat treated. If I remember correctly, under 800,000 serial numbers are not heat treated properly and are not safe to shoot. Serial numbers above 800,000 have the proper heat treatment and are safe to shoot. Please research it before you shoot it, unless its with an afore mentioned vice and a long string.

Also if I'm wrong on this, please let me know. I'm 63 and sometimes I suffer from CRS disease.

 

[mike0010]

HA!!! I already heard the one about the vice and the loooong string from my buddy at the range

My breech is numbered in the 1.5M range, so I am pretty sure the heat treatment was done the right way. However, I have serious concerns about the bolt, since it was manufactured under the earlier heat treatment process. The thing is does this matter if the head-spacing is correct, as someone (not on this forum) told me, or do I need to match up a later bolt (I already have two that are supposed to be heat-treated properly, but don't have any clue as to how they would match up with the breech) and then ensure head-space is within spec? Also, hiow do I know if a local gunsmith knows his bit about these bits?!

Thanks for the feedback