M1917 .308

[ozarkeod]

Recently inherited a nice M1917 with an almost new Criterion barrel in .308. Mag well has a nice fitting Delrin spacer and first round inserts into mag fine. Adding each of the next 3 rounds cause the follower to pivot up and down and pivoting up when bolt is pulled back. Follower was trimmed just behind and in front of mag spring. Before I try soldering tabs on each end of the follower, has anyone else solved this problem? Thanks for any advise.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Very interesting post. A couple of photos would sure help. I'm trying to get the picture here.....the rifle has been sporterized? The length of the magazine box was reduced with a spacer? The follower's length was reduced as well? So it tips back and forward when cartridges are loaded? Can you get 5 or 6 loaded, and what happens then when you feed them?

Here's a photo or two of an 1893 Mauser converted from 7x57mm to 7.63x39mm. It has a spacer in the rear of the magazine box that is actually a piece of channel iron welded into place. The follower is plastic and just the right length for the remaining space. The magazine/follower spring is a zig-zag shape which is the same front to back width as the space remaining in the magazine box. It was originally for a different make/model of rifle. It works very well, although the bolt throw is a long one. I have never tried it, but I believe one or two coil springs could also be made to work if positioned properly.
Attachment 183496
Click to enlarge.

Hey--first time poster! Welcome to the forum. Great place to learn, help educate, and associate with the like-minded!

[Texas by God]

My opinion only but I think I would rechamber to 30-06 & restore the magazine to original. It was made to work with .303 first then 30-06. One usually converts a1914/17 to larger cases but I hope you get it going. Best, Thomas.

[Hardcast416taylor]

This is what I used to look for, sportered 1917/14 Enfields to rework them to my idea of a sporter in a larger caliber.Robert

[ozarkeod]

Thanks, and I would but it's the only .308 I have and that's why it was passed on to me I'm sure. I got the smooth bore .30-06 barrel that was pulled off it when it was rebarreled too. My uncle had several M1917s in .30-06 and left them to others in the family. He knew I had one in -06 and a P14 already because we traded parts a lot. I really like these old rifles and don't mind trying to get this one working right.

[Gtek]

Just me, but- I think I would round up whatever it took to put back to original box, follower and spring and try it. You say you have others and that maybe experimentation could be free other than labor, if not pretty cheap to round up. May not be the best functioning with cartridges swimming for and aft if they were to do so, they may sit right there in the back and work fine. All those little things designed into receivers with the rails and angles and ramps were tuned to function the length cartridge intended for that platform, you depart from that and the world changes rapidly.

[racepres]

I'll stick a few 308's in one and "test" it...In a Bit...

Edit; I checked...and I see what you are talking about...
if my Eddystone was chambered in 308...I think I would ream it to 30-06!!!!
the 308 will Not, feed reliably in my Eddystone!!!

[Scharfschuetze]

You may not have a follower problem. Many 30/06 rifles when converted to 308 will need their reciver guide rails modified for the shorter and less tapered 308 case.

[ozarkeod]

Third photo shows the follower in front of white spacer, second is bottom view of same. First shows that rifle is not sporterized, just a CMP barrel swapped for a shot out original. This is a real late production Eddystone and doesn't have the big lightening void under rear sight. Thanks to all for opinions and suggestions.

[Texas by God]

Long shot here but Remington chambered the sporter model 30 express in .25,.30,.32,&.35 Rem - If you could find an example or photos of the feed setup it might help solve your situation. Best, Thomas.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Just looking at the photos--it looks like it should work. Looks like the spacing of the follower in the room that's available is correct, so I'd have to suspect something about the spring.

[Gtek]

Looking at pictures, how tight is the follower in box? Maybe increasing clearance would free up? How does spring look removed and free, top and bottom close to parallel?

[ozarkeod]

The follower has enough clearance that it can be moved fore and aft about the thickness of a .303 rim. That's what gave me the idea to solder a brass tab on each end of follower to bear against the mag well and spacer to try and stabilize it from pivoting (which is still just an idea). I have 6 extra follower springs and compared all of them to the one installed after I read your post. Only 2 seemed to be parallel top & bottom so I reassembled with one of them and no change in pivoting but thanks for the idea.

[ozarkeod]

I'm afraid to look at a Rem model 30, I might buy it!

[Gtek]

Was just wondering if it was collapsed and pitched in. Ok you have fore and aft, how about sides? Does it show any drag at all top to bottom? If you have that many spare springs, what about grabbing one and stretching out to a big open W and see how that plays.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

A simple rechamber to 30-06 usually does not work, the shoulder of the 308 will still exist in the 06 chamber. An 'improved' chamber is needed to clean-up the chamber, or setting the barrel back several threads to clean-up the 308 chamber.

[reivertom]

If you have the original barrel, have it re-bored to .35 Whelen and have a gunsmith re-install it. This rifle is heavy enough to soak up the recoil nicely. It should have enough metal to get it done. Here is a company that is reasonable and has a great reputation:http://www.35caliber.com/ They could tell you for sure. There is also another option:http://criterionbarrels.com/M1917-Enfield-Barrel