Bolt Locking Lugs

I have a 1916 BSA No1 MkIII* and the bolt number does not match. I was doing a bolt test last night and only one of the lugs is making contact. I haven't shimmed the offending lug yet to see how much gap is present. Is it ok to lightly stone the "high" lug until both get equal engagement? I know to only do a few light strokes and check. It's labor-intensive, I know. I just don't want to cut through the hardening on the lug.
Thanks
Jon

that was my comment i did not make when i loooked at the thread a moment ago , im not the guy to answer this question , there are armorers amoung us that can give you a better answer than i could even without inspection i suspect - but i would not take any action to correct untill you get the right input - and please allow it all to accumulate first - read it thoroughly - then act with responcible consideration as this could be a really expensive fix if its F'd up , MVHO 

Jump over to milsurps and ask your question Jon. Theres very qualified people there to help you with your problem.

IMO safety must always be concern #1. While there are a lot we can do as amateurs there are some things best left to professionals to do.

The hard part of course is deciding where the dividing line is for each of us. Some are just more mechanically adept than others, & some are more knowledgeable than others.

My decisions in that grey area are based on a realistic assessment of my equipment & abilities. Based on that I'd strongly suggest that, based on your posts, your needs will be best served by a smith at least evaluating the project. Not trying to knock in any way, but there are aspects of this work you seem unfamiliar with & that to me is a warning flag that you might be getting out of your depth.

Especially when there is a piece of metal that could come flying back into your face.

From what has been mentioned, it sounds to me like the bolt head is a size to large. In that way the bolt will not engage fully.

Thanks all for the wonderful info. It shoots. It extracts. It picks up the next round. My face is still intact. Maybe I should just leave it well enough alone. Maybe it's a non-issue.

I just checked the head space using the method in post #9 above (thank you Mr Buchanan) and a cursory check with my calipers puts it between .070/.071. I'll check it at work Monday with the CMM or height gage. I read on another forum, some info by Peter Laidler (sic) and found that I was checking the lugs incorrectly. Upon checking it correctly, they seem to have equal bearing. I guess I was definitely worrying about a total non-issue with my rifle. All is good.Thank you again, my friends.Jon