“though I have no horse in the notched receiver race”
No ideal why every attempt to contribute turns into an argument, could be traced to mental illness of the Internet. Dick Culver said the the butt stock had a band, he did not mean butt plate and I am not going to demean his effort.
Notch, reminds me of the blind men and the elephant, boils down to ‘what none of them had ever seen’, before I fire a rifle I determine the length of the chamber, then! I determine the maximum overall length of a cartridge that can be chambered, a discipline? Who knows? But if anyone with a M1917 with a notch in the receiver had the ability to determine the maximum overall length of of of a CHAMBER from the bolt face to the rifling they would find the notch was not necessary, other notched receivers, Turks, Peruvian etc..
I have not forgotten the request for pictures, I should not be concerned with the motive for asking but, who knows. Then there was the threat of an Invasion, From? Germany! And I ask, just how exciting would that be? That would be another story 'OF' Mixed rifles, and ammo.
F. Guffey
http://www.wordfocus.com/word-act-blindmen.html