1917 Winchester Mystery

[savannahjoe]

I just purchased a mystery 1917 winchester and thought you guys might help answer some questions.
This 1917 has the rear sight guts removed and has a 1903 springfield rear sight installed on the barrel(with a professionally modified hand guard) and 1903 front sight.
Anybody have a clue how it came to be??
I would appreciate any info.

thanks,
SavannahJoe

[jamie5070]

Questions: Has the barrel been shortened? If not, What are the makers of the barrel and receiver? What is the approximate receiver serial number and barrel date? Some time ago there was a rifle on one of the auction sites that was made of parts from different types of rifles. Bannerman special?
It's always interesting what you can find out there.
john

[savannahjoe]

Serial # is 176440.
Barrel is not shortened.
The whole gun is all Winchester , except for the sights.
barrel date is 2-18

[Dan Wilson]

OUCH!
Why would anybody in their right mind put one of those idiotic 03 leaf sights on a 1917?

Dan

[Calif-Steve]

Bannerman Rifle. He had crates and crates of '03 and '17 parts after WWI. So, he put together drill guns and even sold some off a real guns. Lots of his '03's had '17 bolts.

[Match223]

The Bannerman rifles used a welded on Kraig rear sight, you are correct about the cut down 1917 bolt.
My guess is they wanted a windage adjustable rear sight and liked the 1903 rear sight.
Here are pic's of my Bannerman Model 37

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh34/match223/Sigma/P1010152.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh34/match223/Sigma/P1010151.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh34/match223/Sigma/P1010150.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh34/match223/Sigma/P1010146.jpg

[snell]

Match223,

What an interesting Franken-chester you have there... 03 rifle, Krag sights and 1917 bolt.. Is it fully functional and if so how does it shoot? It sure would get the tongues wagging at a CMP shoot LOL

Art

[Dan Wilson]

Man that is one funky looking beastyhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/FTFFTW/smileys/anim_whacko.gif

Do you shoot it http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/FTFFTW/smileys/10171.gif or is it just kept for shock value?

Dan

[chuckindenver]

Bannermans..
suprising.
it has a early Rod Bayonet sight base, and maybe rear sight, SHT 1903 receiver, 03 safety sleeveand a 1903 barrel.
stock, trigger guard, and bolt are from a 1917.

DONT SHOOT THIS RIFLE.
Sedgly and Bannermans advertise that they reheat treated low number Springfields...

not a good idea, likely very unsafe to shoot.
and may have a pin through the chamber for Drill use..

[chuckindenver]

hate to say, nothing about that rifle is a Winchester, other then maybe the bolt and trigger guard.

[Calif-Steve]

Not common anymore. I guess people have used them up for parts. Do not shoot the rifle, but do hang on to it.

[chuckindenver]

or sell it to me. i have a use for the barrel, and rear sight..

[chuckindenver]

well, i must be getting older...the rifle pictured. is not the rifle in question...
lol,..old age aint fer sissys.
sorry for the mixup....duuuuhhh.

[Match223]

Sorry, I didn't meam to screw up the thread, I'll start a new one.
The barrel is a 1911 SA
The receiver is a 6xx,xxx vintage which does not match the barrel
The upper band ans stacking swivel are Kraig
The stock is shortened and a peice has been grafted in for the rear receiver bedding (behind the bolt slot)
the bolt is a cut-down 1917 bolt and the extractor has been modified
The safety is an un-finished 1903 blank, the hole for the safety is not finished
The rear sight is from a Kraig, it is silver soldered to the 1903 rear sight base
The trap door on the buttplate is soldered closed
All internal parts appear to be 1917 spare parts
The handguard is of un known origin

I took it to a vintage rifle match just to see the reaction, I havn't fired it yet, I do have some blanks and the 4th is soon.......

Thanks
Match223

[andiarisaka]

The rear sight is an unmodified 1898 Krag sight sitting atop a sleeve for the 1903 rod bayonet Springfield. There should be a sight that is more like the 1902 Krag sight. One enterprising gunbroker fellow has an original 1898 sight priced at $250.

[ncblksmth1]

Try looking in Brophys Book on 1903 Springfield Rifles and Variations. Page 79 is a photo of the rifle you describe.

I just purchased a mystery 1917 winchester and thought you guys might help answer some questions.
This 1917 has the rear sight guts removed and has a 1903 springfield rear sight installed on the barrel(with a professionally modified hand guard) and 1903 front sight.
Anybody have a clue how it came to be??
I would appreciate any info.

thanks,
SavannahJoe