deepwoods thank you for your very good response. i have the rife in possesion but am not at least at this time able to take photos and i hope i havent drug this out too long but it has been very helpful to me. here is what i think i have. first the rifle appears to have been used very little. it two good cleaning sessions using wipeout for 24 hours each time there was only a little black and grey on the patches and no blue not a speck. so i guess i had a little powder and carbon fouling but no sign of any copper. the gentleman who sold me the rifle had it in possession for 20 years and never once fired it.it came from a collection in africa.i am very happy with the gun.once the headspace is cheeked i will fire factory ammo in it.could do this remotely. anyway it is not a square bridge but round front receiver.so i would think the work was done outside the factory. it would seem to me if someone went to the trouble to fit bases surely they had a scope on it and fired it some tho i certainally dont know this at all. but i dont think it could have been used much. i would think any problems would perhaps show up later thru more use. really nothing outstanding about the rifle except it is really in good shape wood and bluing and bore. serial # 101xxx. thank you all so much. john