Originally Posted by Der Ami
buckstix,
Regarding the possibility of a dovetail cut in the receiver, the rifle is yours and, in your hands, making you the authority on it. As I said, my idea was only a supposition.
Mike
I always really appreciate your comments, but in this case you are incorrect in your assessment of a possible filled slot for a claw mount base. As mentioned earlier, there is also no evidence of any modification for a corresponding rear claw mount base.

But, to put an end to this discussion, I took the rifle to a local casting inspection shop this morning. I often used this business when I was a Design Engineer. They X-ray castings to look for flaws. I also used their service in the past to X-ray Colt Single Action revolvers looking for welding repairs and serial number alterations. As the X-ray below shows, there are NO SIGNS of any alterations to the front receiver of this rifle's action, only uniform grain structure throughout.

[Linked Image from buckstix.com]

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