Mint M1917

Picked up the most beautiful, unissued Eddystone M1917 at the Montgomery Gunshow yesterday. The gentleman that I purchased it from ordered it out of a magazine in 1967. It is flat mint and in the original shipping box (it cost $2.28 to ship on 16 Jan 1968...) unfortunately it is not an arsenal box and he didnt have the bill of sale.
My main question is above the trigger assy there is an Eagle proof and a US in a shield. I have never seen a US in a shield before and looking through Ferris's book, I dont see anything mentioned about it. I'm thinking it might possibly be a way to help identify it as US 30/06 in the Rack?:dunno:

Any ideas???

PS Anyone interested in seeing pic I can send them to you... Kenny27@aol.com

Very nice! :dancingbanana:
Do you have any more close up pics of the rifle, maybe some showing arsenal marks? Wonder where it was stored after it rolled off the assembly line.

I'm also curious if you have determined from the barrel date stamp and serial number when your Eddy was made, and how many of the parts are Eddy marked.

The reason why I ask is I am wondering if there are many M1917s that are unissued and went from factory to arsenal to private hands without an arsenal rebuild in the process.

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Originally Posted by eldowerks

Very nice! :dancingbanana:
Do you have any more close up pics of the rifle, maybe some showing arsenal marks? Wonder where it was stored after it rolled off the assembly line.

I'm also curious if you have determined from the barrel date stamp and serial number when your Eddy was made, and how many of the parts are Eddy marked.

The reason why I ask is I am wondering if there are many M1917s that are unissued and went from factory to arsenal to private hands without an arsenal rebuild in the process.

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Barrel date is 11-18 and serial number series is 1.26 million. Pretty much shows Dec-1918 as being built, with Jan 1919 having the last rifles made. It is ALL Eddystone. Everything has the little E marks and it does not have anything other than the original Arsenal eagles (and the little US in a shield...) No rebuild marks/stamps anywhere and it is all original finish (a beautiful blue...)

Thanks, Phrogpilot.

Very cool!

So NO arsenal marks at all?!
Does that mean that some M1917s were stored in arsenal but weren't rebuilt or reinspected and therefore received no arsenal stamps?

Just asking, have you had it apart to check for internal E markings?

I did that to mine and found some parts that were not Eddystone. From the outside it looked great and still does but inside there were other than Eddystone parts.

Yeah, nice rifle and we'd like to have some more pics.

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Originally Posted by armabill

Just asking, have you had it apart to check for internal E markings?

I did that to mine and found some parts that were not Eddystone. From the outside it looked great and still does but inside there were other than Eddystone parts.

Yeah, nice rifle and we'd like to have some more pics.

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Nope, I have not had it apart and do not intend on it. The screws are still staked from the factory and do not look to have ever had a screwdriver in them so I'm not going to be the first one to mess them up. If you could see the rifle, you would understand...
Whats your email, Ill send you pics...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eldowerks

Thanks, Phrogpilot.

Very cool!

So NO arsenal marks at all?!
Does that mean that some M1917s were stored in arsenal but weren't rebuilt or reinspected and therefore received no arsenal stamps?

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Yes, I would say so because it does not have ANY arsenal marks on it whatsoever...

I have Eddystone 1238410, bbl date 10-18, in similar condition. No lend-lease or US arsenal marks and all Eddystone parts. The only wear is a bit of rubbing on the buttplate,muzzle and bolt handle and some stock dings. Finish on mine is not blue, but what appears to be black parkerizing. Muzzle gauges .301. It does not have the US shield mark on the stock-only the eagle device. On reloading for this rifle I found the throat to be a bit shorter than my WRA and Rem M1917s. I've had this rifle since 1974 and recall paying the princely sum of $38.00 for it.
I picked up 3 ex-Danish rifles about 18 yrs ago, a WRA and 2 Rems. No lend lease marks on these. They are in ex condition with the original blue finish and mostly matching parts. They all have the stocks and bolts serial numbered as was the Danish practice. Bolt s/ns do not match the receivers,but both headspace OK. 2 of them have the Danish "notch" milled out in the rear of the receiver face.

iv seen the shield marking on other surplus rifles, likely from the company that sold it, and nothing to do with the US military.
last time i saw it was on a Victory model Smith.

They're out there. I was thrilled to find an all-original late Eddystone a couple weekends ago; 10-18 barrel, a bit later receiver. I had stopped at a local sport store on a whim while the kid was at a swim meet nearby. It was the last rifle I checked out at the store (had a $$ '03, trapdoor, & m1 carbine) 'cause I just wasn't expecting much on a M1917 - all I've seen are parts gun - I am SOO glad I didn't walk out 1st!

Have had it apart - completely original Eddystone. Has dark grey Parker finish that is smooth 'black' on exposed surfaces (appear much as yours does), a layer of old grease on those metal surfaces has made/kept them dark & shiny. Also thrilled to see the 1907 sling it came with had a 1917 date on it.

Yours may be Parker finish too (likely should be, I think).

I'll have to get some pics up!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...img1869l-1.jpg
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https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...img1866k-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...img1867v-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...img1870i-1.jpg