Q: Rolling Block - Casting or forging flaw ?

[OneBarfly]

Hello,

I received this Remington made Swedish Rolling Block lately. I really don't know what to make out of what looks like a crack on the left side of the receiver. It really doesn't go anywhere, but could originate from the pin area. What's weird is the heat treatment seem to flow around it. Is this nothing or something? Thoughts?

I do like the bright case colour.

Also, I know that this uses a hollow-base bullet, but should you be able to drop one down the bore and have it come out the other side? Before you ask - yes, it's the right calibre bullet (original 12.7) Other than that, the rifle looks OK. Is this normal? Thanks in advance !

[rudybolla]

Maybe just a flaw in the casting process. Does the flaw show up in the wall of the pin hole? With the way the colors flow around the crack, it must have passed inspection. Is rifle still in its military configuration? That could make a difference for my last point. Maybe get it xrayed.

[OneBarfly]

Hello,

The rifle has been sporterized It's still in it's original calibre. My thinking is that this flaw has been there all along. It doesn't seem to go into the pin hole. If you look close, it appears that the pin hole was drilled into the scratch/flaw, as the mark seems to appear both the left and right sides of the hole.

Thanks for the input!

[Harry Eales]

This is not an uncommon occurrence in many different types of single shot rifle.

In my opinion it is caused during the drop forging process. Here the metal is heated to very high temperatures. During the heating process a scale developes on the surface of the material, much of this will break free but sometimes it sticks and when the drop forging takes place these pieces of scale can get folded into the action frame, as the metal is squashed in the shaping dies.

These cannot be removed, it's just something you have to learn to live with. I wouldn't worry about it.

Harry