Emergency Use only Cross

[dead]

I read of this in one of the threads. Would like to know the location on the gun and what it looks like. I have a 1917 with marginal headspace and was said to have once been at an American Legion Post. I shot it once with no problem. Want to check it for this cross.

[jgaynor]

kind of a heavy maltese style cross, about 5/16" square, applied to the side of the buttstock

[chuckindenver]

chances are, someone is not checking the headspace correctly.

[Col. Colt]

What chuckindenver just said.......

No firing mechanism in bolt, totally stripped bolt body ONLY, quality headspace gauges, very light fingertip pressure ONLY on the bolt handle. If you push very hard at all, the M1917's enormous camming pressure will chamber and compress a solid steel headspace gauge and/or elongate the chamber - even if actually in spec, otherwise! Many, many M1914/17 rifles have been accused of bad headspace when the only problem was the headspace between the operator's ears.......... CC

[John Sukey]

I seem to recall the maltese cross was the result of British arms inspectors being picky rather than any safety problems. This resulted in the fitting of a larger bolt locking lug and the corresponding mod to the reciever to accomodate it