The Position of the Bolt on the MC

[Walt Cakebread]

According to Robert Frazier’s testimony, the rifle with the scope (and, I believe, strap) weighs 8- pounds. Watch the secret service reenactment and see how the agent casually walked across the sixth floor and sets the wooden rifle prop into the space between the boxes. The only thing that he doesn’t do is push the two boxes over the opening. That could be very quickly done. No problem…

Mr Collins, do you really believe that that light weight piece of dimension 1X4 is an accurate substitute for the 9 pound carcano?

[Charles Collins]

Mr Collins, do you really believe that that light weight piece of dimension 1X4 is an accurate substitute for the 9 pound carcano?

8-pound Carcano, not 9.

No, of course I don’t believe it is an accurate substitute. However, it does serve the purpose well enough to make the point that if the boxes were slid over after the rifle was set down on the floor in a similar manner to the one in the reenactment, then your silly idea of having to hold the rifle by the butt end and inserting it into a covered opening from the west end is simply not relevant. In other words, there is a viable alternative to your theory.

[Jerry Freeman]

Here's the deal.... The rifle found in the Texas School Book Depository Building was 40.2″ long and was the Carcano Fucile Modello 91/38.
This rifle weighs 7.44 lb.
No one has ever replicated the act of carrying ...unnoticed by any others... this amount of hardware in a flimsy paper sack [as described by Mr Frazier] ... the only person that the Warren gang managed to bully into half-halfheartedly fingering Lee.

Perhaps review the above post---the act of carrying an 8.3 pound parcel [unnoticed] into the bldg to begin with.
So go get a grocery sack...put a full gallon of water...=8.3 in it and see how it feels when you pick it up.

[Walt Cakebread]

8-pound Carcano, not 9.

No, of course I don’t believe it is an accurate substitute. However, it does serve the purpose well enough to make the point that if the boxes were slid over after the rifle was set down on the floor in a similar manner to the one in the reenactment, then your silly idea of having to hold the rifle by the butt end and inserting it into a covered opening from the west end is simply not relevant. In other words, there is a viable alternative to your theory.

 it does serve the purpose well enough to make the point that if the boxes were slid over after the rifle was set down on the floor.

So gravity was in aberrance there on the sixth floor?

What do you think the effect of gravity would have had on the box that is shown above the stock of the rifle ?...

If that box of books had been slid across the gap what would have prevented the south edge of the box from falling into the gap?   

[Charles Collins]

it does serve the purpose well enough to make the point that if the boxes were slid over after the rifle was set down on the floor.

So gravity was in aberrance there on the sixth floor?

What do you think the effect of gravity would have had on the box that is shown above the stock of the rifle ?...

If that box of books had been slid across the gap what would have prevented the south edge of the box from falling into the gap?   

If the weight of the contents of the boxes was evenly distributed, then the boxes would be able to be slid and cantilevered so that almost half of the boxes are overhanging before the south edges start to fall. It appears to me that the south edges are barely touching the boxes below the south edges. So, if the south ends of the boxes happen to be heavier than the north ends of the boxes (due to uneven weight distribution), then using both hands (one on each end) to support the boxes while sliding them would be necessary.

[Walt Cakebread]

If the weight of the contents of the boxes was evenly distributed, then the boxes would be able to be slid and cantilevered so that almost half of the boxes are overhanging before the south edges start to fall. It appears to me that the south edges are barely touching the boxes below the south edges. So, if the south ends of the boxes happen to be heavier than the north ends of the boxes (due to uneven weight distribution), then using both hands (one on each end) to support the boxes while sliding them would be necessary.

Question....What is preventing the south edge of the box from sliding into the gap?

[Walt Cakebread]

I think it's David Von Pein who said Walt's Rube Goldberg constructs in the NW corner were on the order of building the Great Pyramid.

I'm not quite old enough to have been the engineer who designed the pyramids....

[Charles Collins]

Question....What is preventing the south edge of the box from sliding into the gap?

It appears to me that it is touching the box below the south edge such that box could be supporting it. However, it also appears to be overhanging less than half way of the north/south dimension of the upper box. Therefore, depending upon the weight distribution of the contents of the box, it could be that the support from the lower box is not even necessary due to a cantilever. Either way, it is being supported adequately to prevent it from sliding into the gap.