Yesterday's Weapons Forums

I've posted in the Conversions forum about an out of spec action I've been working with for a shotgun conversion.
Well while examining photos of an official issue Cadet Drill rifle the method in which it was de-milled struck a cord in my memory.

The L59A2 Drill purpose rifles
http://rifleman.org.uk/L59A1_and_A2_DP_Rifles.htm

Notice the round cut bored into the left side of the reciver to destroy the locking recess.
Then the mutilation of the locking surface on the right hand side.

When I polished and cold blued the out of spec action I found both a perfectly round area on the left and a wedge shaped area on the right locking surfaces where the metal turned much darker than the rest of the receiver.
I'd thought this might be a sign of the heat treatment process but now I'm wondering if this receiver is a DP receiver thats been built up by welding and the locking surfaces re cut.
When polishing down the right hand receiver It showed a slight bulge and marks as if from a wire wheel, there was also a tiny bit of brass caught in one of the striations. Possibly from a refinishing process but also possibly from removal of scale after welding.

The metal of the receiver seems a bit soft as well.

Any thoughts on this?

The receiver you are using was originally a lithgow made No.1 mark III from your post on conversions forum. No.1's that I've seen converted to DP's were done differently from the L59A1.

The example DP No.1 I have in my collection had the firing pin cut short, the firing pin hole welded up, the lower rear bolt lug ground down and a steel wedge welded into the rear lug recess.

The welding of the firing pin hole made the bolthead useless. The cutting of the firing pin maid a replacement bolthead useless. The grinding of the rear loxcking lug and welding of a wedge in the recess prevented a replacement bolt fitting the receiver while the ground bolt lug would only fit in the DP action.

BUt - I don't know if they ever did it differently so based on your observations and doubts would not restore this to a working firarm without getting the metallurgy of the receiver checked.

If you have an FFl (03 or 01) you should send me a private message as I have a better No.1 receiver that you could use.