Need experts

[wolley]

Chuck, John and Jim
Educate me. Looks legit to me

[1mark]

Is the safety lug square or scalloped? Is there a R on the underside of the handle?

[John Beard]

I'm no expert on A4 bolts. But if I was forced to wager, I'd bet that it's an outstanding reproduction.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[wolley]

What makes you think it might be a reproduction?
Other than what appears to be non USGI bluing job?

[cookoff]

I'll take it if you don't want it

[wolley]

Is the safety lug square or scalloped? Is there a R on the underside of the handle?

You can see both in the pictures.

[1mark]

The safety lug picture is blurry and I cannot make it out. Is it scalloped or square? If it is square than it is a reproduction.

[John Beard]

What makes you think it might be a reproduction?
Other than what appears to be non USGI bluing job?

It doesn't look right.

J.B.

[jgaynor]

The polish on the handle looks too shiny for wartime work. The 'knuckle" where thee handle joins the body doesn't look quite right either. Try closing up your lens if possible and get more depth of field in your pictures. There should be enough pics but detail is lacking on some due to the narrow depth of field.

Regards,
Jim

[wolley]

The lens used is a Kiron Dental Macro and has very little depth of field. These were shot at F11. I can get better pics when I get home.
However, I'm beginning to side with Jim.
Talked to a collector here in Texas today who spends a lot of time in Anniston grading rifles for the CMP. He states emphatically that the A4 bolts were not made from existing A3 bolts. Therefore the remnants of another "R" that can be seen in the last picture disqualifies it.