Thoughts ona M1917 Eddystone in .303-25

[no34570]

Hi Fellas
I have always wanted a P-14 or M1917 in full military condition or sporterised,it did not matter,but prefer a bubba rifle then I would not feel bad about rebarreling it and changing things:mrgreen:

I have the opportunity to purchase a M1917 Eddystone in .303-25 for $350Aus,if the dealer still has it(has not contacted me yet)I might purchase it and it will become my project gun,that I have always wanted to do[smilie=w:
The caliber I will get it done in is .303Epps or Improved,probably the Epps:veryconfu

Questions:(feel free to answer,please)
I have heard the Eddystone M1917 are prone to crack in the receiver?,Is this true? and is it all of them?

Would they in time crack,if they have not already?

Are these actions strong to handle the .303 Epps?

Are there any modifications I can do to the action to make it slicker?

Trigger,what are they like on them?
Should I ask the gun dealer(Is also a gunsmith) to be able to guarantee the action is not cracked and in writing?.

Or do you suggest I just get a No4 Lee Enfield and use that action(to be honest I was going to do that,until I saw the M1917)

This is what the rifle looks like

[JSH]

I can't answer any questions, but I LIKE!
Jeff

[swheeler]

I was always under the impression that the recievers got cracked from barrel removal, and the best way to avoid that was to take a relief cut into the barrel at the front of reciever. That said I have removed two barrels from one Eddy and one Rem, using only my barrel vise and action wrench, neither cracked but were really tight, but so are Spring 03 and they all wear 10square threads.
Now the part I don't understand is someone rebarreling a 1917 to use a rimmed cartridge-303/25? The bolt face, extractor, magazine box, follower and rails all have to be altered. I suspect it is a P14 useing a 1917 barrel configuration(coned breech) with the left locking lug on the bolt altered for said system, which is what I did for 375H&H. Or I guess it could be a 1917 REc with all the P14 parts and a barrel configured for P14(square breech face).
As far as strength goes, not a worry mate! It's got the smle beat by some margin.

[no34570]

I was always under the impression that the recievers got cracked from barrel removal, and the best way to avoid that was to take a relief cut into the barrel at the front of reciever. That said I have removed two barrels from one Eddy and one Rem, using only my barrel vise and action wrench, neither cracked but were really tight, but so are Spring 03 and they all wear 10square threads.
Now the part I don't understand is someone rebarreling a 1917 to use a rimmed cartridge-303/25? The bolt face, extractor, magazine box, follower and rails all have to be altered. I suspect it is a P14 useing a 1917 barrel configuration(coned breech) with the left locking lug on the bolt altered for said system, which is what I did for 375H&H. Or I guess it could be a 1917 REc with all the P14 parts and a barrel configured for P14(square breech face).
As far as strength goes, not a worry mate! It's got the smle beat by some margin.


swheeler
The fella on the website when I did talk to him said it was a M1917,but you could be right about being a P-14 in disguise.
Hope it is there for I want it now:groner: more expense,but hey,you can't take it with you.:p

[no34570]

I can't answer any questions, but I LIKE!
Jeff


Me too;-):-D:-D

[elk hunter]

I'll second SWheeler and add that I've rebarreled several P-14 s and M 1917s by Remingtom Eddystone which is another Remington plant, and Winchester, in 375 H&H and 416 Rigby never had a problem with any of them. Since it has been rebarreled already and you intend to do it again, you can have it magnifluxed or if there is no one to do that, when the barrel is pulled and the action stripped, warm the action with a heat lamp, not an open flame, until it is quite warm to the touch, then set it receiver ring down in a can of gasoline that will just submerge the action ring and let it set over night. The next morning pull it out of the gasoline and wipe it dry, then put it back under the heat lamp or other heat source that will not ignite gasoline and look at the action as it warms up. If there is a crack it will absorb the gasoline and then when it warms up the crack will show as a very fine wet line.

Good luck with your project.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Another way to prevent cracking in a "tight" receiver is to use some of the more modern penetrating oils they have these days. Be careful to get the oil only in the threads, not on the barrel where you'll grip it, let it soak over night, then remove barrel when oil fully penetrated. It helps, but you'll need to clean the oil off thoroughly when you install the new barrel.

Regards,

Dave

[Multigunner]

There were a lot of P14 rifles rebored and chambered for the 7.92X57 and fitted with an M1917 bolt to take advantage of the boltface configured for a rimless case.
The work was done in Belgium I think, for sale to china and a few other countries where the 7.92 was the common caliber.
This left a lot of orphaned P14 bolts.
Red Chinese rebarreled M1917 rifles used the original bolt of course.

In the Nineties P14 and M1917 receivers with your choice of bolt were offered pretty cheap some with shotout 7.92 barrels still in place.

So a custom P14 with M1917 bolt or vice versa is an occasional find.
Not sure if the bolts require modification in all instances.

Also an M1917 which had previously been barreled or rchamabered for a Magnum would have the bolt face opened up, which if rebarreled later on would be a good fit for the rimmed .303 case.