Something not mentioned in the (most interesting) report is the use of grease to lubricate the cupro-nickel bullet jackets of some ammunition produced during the '20s. Apparently shooters believed that the grease would prevent the pesky hard-to-clean fouling from being such a problem, but the grease ended up migrating onto the chamber walls and thus greatly increasing the bolt thrust. Urban legend has generally acknowledged that some rifles were in fact blown up in this way, but no reliable numbers have been given and there's probably no way to know what effect this may have had on the facts recounted in the report.
My own opinion is that I'll continue to shoot the low-numbered rifles but will not build one unless first annealed & tested or else chambered for a lower-pressure cartridge. At this moment there's a low-no receiver in my shop in the 770xxx range that looks to be in excellent condition, until you notice the small crack that has propagated up the left rear sidewall from the rear of the magazine opening into the bolt stop hole area and then up to the left rear of the rear ring at the primary extraction cam. The owner wants to use it for a paperweight but I'm hoping he'll let me anneal it & experiment a little first.
Regards, Joe
