Would you tell the folks how you corrected these problems?
HH - glad to contribute also ...
Missing lip on bolt base: Because the lip is necessary to allow the ejector to firming grip the cartridge and keep the loaded round from 'rising' when going into battery ... I took pictures of a dozen spent cases that I indexed, showing the primer hits near and at the primer hole. I sent them to Nick Ecker and Italy (Nicola and Angelo). Swiss Oscar also penned a lengthy letter to Nick detailing that original rifles had lips and the purpose that Winchester put them on the bolts. Ecker's email to Italy only contained one word ... HELP! Charter Arms then sent us 4 new base bolts with the lips.
Excess head space:
When I drove up to Charter Arms and proved to them that there was 014 excess head space with an unfired 348 case (062 rim diameter) in the chamber and bolt in battery ... I was provided with the parts drawer that contained the toggle links. I measured over 2 dozen and separated a couple that were 002 and 003" longer. They came home with me. Then I took each link and filed down the angles where the front and back link meet when fully extended. This increased the length of the links when the bolt based went into battery. In addition, the shoulders of the 348 reloads also took up head space and reduced the excess to zero with the bolt in battery and loaded cartridge in the chamber.
Magazine tube moving past the muzzle:
Is a Work In Process ... after two tries to use a larger pin through the tube ring. Considered the silver solder approach but decided against it because the ring would be permanently attached to the barrel.
Two conditions exist that keep allowing the tube to extend past the muzzle -
1. The elliptical dove tail on the barrel that holds the tube ring
(a) Was cut too deep allowing 014 gap between the barrel and the base of the ring
(b) Was cut too long. Before bluing, I believe the barrel sub contractor, put 3 punch marks on each dove tail 'ear' to force the ears down - to try to allow the ring to stay in place.
So, I'll pick up the tube ring this week. It will have a bead of TIG weld on each 'wing' of the ring. I'll mill the bead down so when it goes into the barrel dove tail there will be zero excess gap
2. The lip of magazine plug presently doesn't fit tightly into the slot cut. So a new plug with a longer ear with be made using my friend's (Swiss Oscar) lathe. Then with the tube in place and the ring properly seated to the barrel, the plug will be custom fitted into the slot cut so it is absolutely tight. A 6/32 thread screw through a half moon cut on top of the magazine tube will be tapped into the ring base to hold the ring/tube tension. What Italy did before they shipped the rifle I received didn't work. They applied cold solder to the plug and barrel to try and hold everything together 'tightly'!
The incorrectly indexed barrel that was fitted to the receiver on mine - causing the excess head space ... is postponed because the rifle shoots great groups. I have an agreement with Charter Arms. If the head space starts to 'grow' after the rifle loosens up ... they will replace the whole rifle under warranty
I heard also about the side plate problem, specifically the right one with the loading gate. This was a problem with the xxx digit serial number rifles and has since been corrected. It can be replaced by Charter Arms under warranty
Misfires are another known issue. Using cartridges with a 057 rim diameter and excess head space are the contributors. I understand the Chaparral Arms in Italy now has GO-NO GO gauges, presumed on a case with a 062 rim diameter. Would be interesting to know the serial numbers that don't have a problem with head space ... indicating that the gauges are being used before the rifles are shipped