In Daryl's pics above, you can clearly see two very small concave areas in the outer edge of the breech face, where the barrels mate to it. Not being able to see a view of the breech face proper, are those the exits for escaping gases, as in a primer piercing where gasses exit the primer and have to be vented away to keep them from going into the firing pin holes and destroying the stock at the wrist? Usually when a maker provided for this they cut tiny channels in the breech face to the outside for the gasses to exit, but I don't recall seeing the exits ever having a "treatment" of this sort.


May God bless America and those who defend her.