Hey GT!
I like you have seen just a few broken rear toggles... mostly in the last ten years in parts sold on ebay (back when that was allowed)... they usually were included in a batch of other parts... I imagine that a consistant diet of strong reloads or sub-machinegun ammo, might eventually fatigue one of the toggle knobs and break it off... but I have never witnessed such a failure personally.
As far as a rear toggle pin hole fracture, I believe that I have only seen one in my whole life, and if memory serves me correctly, it was in a photo that someone posted on this forum five or six years ago. It was a hairline fracture that someone picked up on, and warned the owner about.
Such a damaged receiver could still be useful (IMHO) by using it strictly for a .22 conversion unit... but I would silver-solder or braze the fracture before using it for that.
While the thought of such a failure would be alarming if it happened while you were shooting,... reflections on the possible result would likely just be a very damaged gun. Should it happen on firing, the recoil would still be moderated by the toggles striking the ramps on the ear, and additionally, the breechblock would ultimately strike the rear frame... which would also have to fail for the shooter to be harmed. At least that is how I picture the engineering of the mechanism handling the initial failure...
Anyone else care to speculate???
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regards, -John S
"...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL and are endowed by their Creator with certain UNALIENABLE rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."
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