My new MILSURP

[AZ-Stew]

Photos of the 1917 Eddystone Enfield I bought at the Mesa gun show this weekend. Comments?

http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield left.jpg

http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield right.jpg

Stock marks in grip area:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield stock marks grip.jpg

Date on barrel behind front sight. Date is 11-18. Seems to coincide with the S/N:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield barrel mark and date.jpg

Faint "E" on forend tip:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield stock mark forend.jpg

http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield receiver mark and s-n.jpg

Nice, clean rear sight:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield rear sight.jpg

[home in oz]

Looks good.

What do they go for?

[AZ-Stew]

Top of bolt handle:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield bolt closed.jpg

Bottom of bolt:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield bolt bottom.jpg

Bolt markings:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield bolt marks.jpg

Top of bolt:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield bolt top.jpg

Bolt face:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield bolt face.jpg

Front sight and muzzle:
http://www.inficad.com/~gstewart/misc_photos/enfield front sight and muzzle.jpg

I'm amazed at how clear the finish flaws and machining marks are in the photos. You can't see them when the rifle is in your hand. Does anyone know what the ".015" means just to the left side of the front sight blade?

Regards,

Stew

[AZ-Stew]

I paid $475 for it. Looking at the prices and condition of what's on Gun Broker, I think I got a deal. I've cleaned enough copper out of the bore that I may be able to sell the patches for a couple of bucks at the scrap yard. This rifle was bought to be a boolit shooter, so I hope the bore is in decent enough shape after I get it clean.

Regards,

Stew

[Buckshot]

...............Hey Stew, it really DOES look like a M1917 :kidding: Nice clean looking ole trooper. It has some swapped parts but that's common. Mine has parts from all 3 makers.

http://www.fototime.com/25E47382292E8CD/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/F5226DB777ABAE7/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/F3F318BC4AB0FC7/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/739E1C2EB8F12BD/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/35D6D974F4705F1/standard.jpg

Even got a Kraut sticker for it 8-)

http://www.fototime.com/4B67A8461FC6459/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/20A4D892AA6120E/standard.jpg

The bayonet has never been sharpened, and it and it's scabbard look unissued. Mine likes it's boolits sized .310".

http://www.fototime.com/744016067C66EFE/standard.jpg

Group fired at Winnemucca, NV (NCBS 2009). Very first 'For Effect' group fired with new rifle. Load 23.0grs H4198 + Dacron, Lyman 311284. Fired at 50 yards, 1.050". This was for the 50 yard Iron sight and it was beat by a 1.030" group.

..............Buckshot

[AZ-Stew]

Nice group, Buckshot! I hope mine does as well. Is the 311284 the "go-to" boolit for these rifles? Do you seat it to the forward crimp groove?

What do you see on mine that's a swapped part? Everything I can see without taking it apart seems to be marked "E".

Regards,

Stew

[dualsport]

Good score! That's a good price too. Good luck with your project. I borrowde one from my nephew, it was an Eddystone but if I got it right it had a Winchester bolt and barrel. Good shooter though.

[CALGOUGERS.NET]

Looks nice I have been wanting a Winchester 1917 but i have yet to find one at a reasonable price.

[Bret4207]

Man, I kick myself when I think of all the '17's, '03's, Krags, etc. we wouldn't even buy or take in trade years back. DUH!

You done real good.

[oldhickory]

Looks like you got a good deal there, Stew.

Buckshot's load looks good, the Lyman 311284 seems to be the boolit for .30 bolt guns from what I read, I ended up with a 311282, (same boolit, just 180gr. version). I use 23gr. of IMR 4227, a Dacron tuft, no roll crimp and it shoots under 1.5" @ 100yds. in my scoped "medium" Mauser sporter with a 3-9 Burris scope. The bore in my 1917 isn't the smoothest around, but does well with j bullits. My M1 shows promise with the same 311282 and 41gr. of IMR 4831.

The number stamped on the front sight may be the number indicating the height of the sight, I think they had around a dozen different heights of them.

[Multigunner]

The number stamped on the front sight may be the number indicating the height of the sight, I think they had around a dozen different heights of them.

Thats my guess as well. The Lee Enfield front sight blades are numbered like that, and the M1917 started out as an Enfield design.

The metal on the OP rifle looks like its had a thin coat of Suncorite at some point, if so it might have been a Homeguard issue rifle at some point or used by a country that was familar with the British custom of using tropical paint to protect the finish.

Someone had painted My Savage 23B with a similar paint. That was fine with me since after removing the remaining shreds of paint I found the original bluing in very near 100% condition.

[AZ-Stew]

The number stamped on the front sight may be the number indicating the height of the sight, I think they had around a dozen different heights of them.

That's what I was thinking. It makes sense if that refers to a height differing from some nominal value that was used as a "standard". As is, the sight blade is FAR taller than 15 thousandths. My understanding is that the factory sight-in was intended to make a battle sight zero of 400 yards. If this rifle shot high with the nominal height sight blade, it would make sense to use a taller blade to bring the groups down.

Here's an excellent article from the CMP forums: http://www.odcmp.com/Forms/M1917.pdf

And another here: http://www.scott-duff.com/Eddystone.htm

I'm finding more history and info as I browse around the net.

Regards,

Stew

[oldhickory]

I don't think they went by any actual measurement to coinside with the sight. I beleive they just went from 1 to what-ever.

[jtwodogs]

Sweet, let us know how she shoots.

[mroliver77]

I better look and see if mine is still here! Looks like the twin to mine. The wood on mine is worn very very smooth. You can tell it is from 80 years of handling.
Jay

[AZ-JIM]

Nice looking rifle, you need to find the matching bayonet to go with it. It looks like it would be fun to shoot.

[Multigunner]

I'm not certain but I believe Eddystone didn't make the bayonets, Remington produced the vast majority of bayonets with Winchester making the rest.

[AZ-Stew]

I have a bayonet for my Garand and one for my carbine. Since they don't shoot cast boolits, all they do is take up space in the safe. It would be interesting to have one, but I'm not that intere$ted.

Regards,

Stew

[Echo]

Stew, you got a smokin' deal. When my smith put mine together, he found that it sorta sprayed the rounds. He checked closely, and found the bore was not concentric with the OD, throwing the crown off. He did a minor counterbore, maybe 1/8", and it is a tack driver.

[chasw]

What a beauty! Notice the detailed workmanship that went into this mass produced service rifle, e.g., the checkering on the rear sight elevator. I suggest you re-cut the muzzle crown and strip off all the dirt and oil from the stock and the remaining black paint from the metal. Congrats on such a nice find. I wish I had one like it. - CW