I'm not sure this is the right location for this post so please forgive me if it isn't.
Today I was doing a deep clean on my Model 8 and noticed this abnormality that was covered by the magazine. I cannot figure out for the life of me how this could've happened as there's no damage to the magazine nor is there any damage to the rest of the receiver or parts that make up this rifle.
What a bummer for sure but it doesn't look like a throwaway for sure.
If you had really bad worries I would bring it to the gunsmith and have them check it out.
Maybe Magnaflux it for the crack or something?
Maybe they can weld-fill it and machine it flush again?
1913Model8 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 14, 2023 3:59 pm
What a bummer for sure but it doesn't look like a throwaway for sure.
If you had really bad worries I would bring it to the gunsmith and have them check it out.
Maybe Magnaflux it for the crack or something?
Maybe they can weld-fill it and machine it flush again?
I looked at it a bit closer with magnified loupe that I use for checking fountain pen nibs and upon inspection, it doesn't look like a crack. What it looks like is a machined cut with circular tool marks, albeit very rough. My idea is that it was made in order to make clearance for the magazine to fit. I was looking online to see if any other Model 8's & 81's had this and I found an album on Flickr where someone else's Model 8 had similar marks in the same spot and I will link the photos. I tried looking for any other resource to see if this is a problematic area in the receiver and I even referenced Henwood's book but I came up with nothing. What I did find were a couple of posts on different websites where people were talking about the Model 8 & 81's receivers and how they don't really take up much of the recoil force since it has a barrel extension and the bolt locks into that. I would also like to note that I found no abnormalities and deformations with the barrel extension, the bolt or the carrier. I'm kind of stumped on this. I will be sending it out to a gunsmith I've previously worked with and I've been in contact with him about it. I just have to clean up the rest of the internal parts, reassemble, and then ship it out to him.
As for the serial number, I will PM you about that. I will say publicly, however, that the serial number falls into the number of rifles made in 1931.
