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.

[k arga]

1 have 2 a4 bolts , both have a punch mark above the R and a tad to the right. the top radius cut running down to the knob does not look as it should be.

[Johnny P]

Just change the focus to the safety lug and depth of field is not an issue.

[cookoff]

It's not a remnant of an R, it's a remnant of a 42, I'm very certain of that, I have several like it. A run of Remington bolts had that marking, I can't say that they were used as A4 bolts or not and I don't know about earlier ones either.
Assuming it is a replica, it looks like the the curve and profile (at least fore and aft) are spot on. From the side may be a different story, should be wide, with prominent dog leg in front and recess cut in back (which looks like it was polished off, if it was there).

[John Beard]

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.

Cookoff is correct. The marking underneath the handle is the bottom half of "42", a common Remington marking. One has to ask how half the marking got there without the other half! That's one thing I meant when I said it doesn't look right. I see two other issues.

Who is the collector in Texas who spends a lot of time grading rifles for the CMP? I haven't seen anyone there in quite a while. And that's what I do.

J.B.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

If it is a fake, it is the best I have ever seen. The two "R's" are a bit confusing, as one appears to have been applied prior to forging, thus it is a fake. Most of the real A4 bolt knobs are slightly larger than their counterparts. Can't distinguish between sizes from the pictures posted.

jt