Sometimes things just fall in your lap

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

A couple of years ago, I helped a buddy locate a M1917 Enfield GI replacement barrel and bought it for him, had it shipped to my place. Turns out when checked closely, his rifle was a P14 in caliber .303 British, not an M1917.

He said he didn't want the barrel and asked me to sell it, since I'd paid for it. I decided instead, knowing there aren't a lot of original GI or replacement GI M1917 barrels out there, to keep it. Additionally, it was a two groove barrel and I knew from the forums here it would shoot lead good.

Yesterday, I picked up a sporterized M1917 with a bad barrel someone had cut off several inches and mounted a 1903A3 front sight. Luckily, they hadn't messed with the rear sight ears and the buttplate on the stock was original. The fella wanted $180.00, I was thinking $150.00, so I made him an offer to split the difference. He accepted it and I became the owner of a brand new baby restoration project.

Went through the receiver and all orginal parts. It's definately a Mixmaster parts wise with both Remington and Winchester parts that was probably rearsenaled at some time in it's life. There's black paint on the butt plate and some screws. So it appears to be a perfect candidate for a Johnson Automatic replacement barrel.

The problem I have right now though is I don't have a stock set for it, so I'm going to have to search for one. So if anybody knows anybody with a nice restorable stock set, Eddystone, Remington or Winchester, I'd be happy to know about it.

Plan is to clean the rifle up, replace the missing parts, rebarrel it, repark it, restore a stock for it, restock it and then shoot lots of nice lead boolits out of it[smilie=w:

[MtGun44]

Should be a good project and likely a good cast shooter when you are done.

Bill

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Knowing the propensity of the Eddystone receivers to crack, I'm going to hire a guy that's got a good reputation of doing the proper stress cuts before removing the barrel.

I'm hoping it shoots cast good. The barrel has a little rust on the exterior, but the bore is beautiful, TE/ME is great and has obviously never been on a rifle.

[rollmyown]

Remember Dave, no pics = didn't happen :-)

Keep us posted.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

It's too too ugly to take pics of right now and I just stripped it into parts. I'll take a pic of the parts just before I ship the action out to be rebarreled, how's that?

[rollmyown]

Perfect!

[Gtek]

Do yourself and your barrel guy a favor. Lay out in hot direct sun or heat gun up and when good and heat soaked stand receiver up and hose with Kroil around chamber area, time is on your side.
Heat cycling a couple more times and re-squirt does not hurt either. I would also scrounge up all front sight components and install or send for visual confirmation of barrel indexing. Those tall ears on both ends makes check easy. Incorrectly timed barrels is one of those things that makes me nuts! Gtek

[skeet1]

Dave,
If your not concerned if the stock is original but just want to get it back to original military configuration, Boyds is selling new 1917 stocks and that might be a good way to go. It might be kind of hard to find an original stock that is in any kind of good shape.

Ken

[Dean D.]

Dave, you might try looking here: http://forums.thecmp.org/forumdisplay.php?f=89

They do a lot of swapping/selling of various US military rifles and parts.

Good luck, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on this project.

[wallenba]

Look here http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Replacement-Stocks-for-US-Enfield-P-17-s/49.htm

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Does anyone know if the M1917 Boyd's stocks are any good? I've heard all kinds of bad about them over the years.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Do yourself and your barrel guy a favor. Lay out in hot direct sun or heat gun up and when good and heat soaked stand receiver up and hose with Kroil around chamber area, time is on your side.
Heat cycling a couple more times and re-squirt does not hurt either. I would also scrounge up all front sight components and install or send for visual confirmation of barrel indexing. Those tall ears on both ends makes check easy. Incorrectly timed barrels is one of those things that makes me nuts! Gtek

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll follow them.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I haven't heard of any M17 stocks being imported here, but heaps of guys are importing all sorts of stocks from Boyd's including a friend who is a gunsmith and stockmaker. He says he can't turn out a stock for that sort of money and uses them regularly except on the high dollar rifles.

One thing I have heard is that the odd one is a bit crooked. My mate is a big Remington fan and had a lot of different finished stocks. He bought about ten over the past few years and 9 were spot on and one was crooked, but not badly so. He sold it to another guy who reckons he can straighten it ok and was happy to save a few bucks. My mate is pleased, his rifles all feel the same, look the same and look good. He said that much as he enjoyed the project, he is never, ever going to refinish a stock again, he's over it, lol

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Mick,

Thank you for that information. If I don't find a top notch military stock from someone to put on there, I can get NOS handguards with metal & rivets installed, then pick up a Boyd's stock and fit it.

With a NOS barrel going on there, it's important to me to build this rifle up into both a nice looking and excellent shooting rifle.

Best Regards,

Dave

[Four Fingers of Death]

One thing I have heard that the metal ring thingo in front of the action that goes around the barrel and holds the rear of the top wood in place is the same as the part fitted to the No4s. I have never thought to check this to see if is the case or not. All of my P14s and M17s are shooting well and I don't pull them apart unless there is a big problem.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Mick,

That's interesting, I have a beautiful example of a number four in my closet I can check out. Since this is a mixmaster already, wouldn't hurt to save money on stock parts if I can. I think the part you're mentioning is called the top band. Lots more number 4's made in the second world war, making a #4 part a bit cheaper I would guess.

[Four Fingers of Death]

A good No4 looks like poetry in motion doesn't it?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Absolutely, the one I have was built after the war with beech blonde stocks and finished clear. Has matching numbers, blued/painted in the 50's style and has the good machined rear sight on it. It was manufactured, put in cosmoline/mummy wrap and stored in an arsenal somewhere. I bought it mummy wrap still on. I pulled it out, fondled it, cleaned it up, admired it, fondled some more and put it in the gunsafe. I'm backed up on projects (boat, house, trucks, various guns and general cleanup), but I do have intentions of getting out somewhere and making some bowling pins dance.

[leadman]

DuPage Trading would be one place to try. If not on their website call them as the have stock not listed.