Printable View
Purchased m1917 awhile ago trying to identify some of the stamped marks--
this one is a Winchester serial number 402xx-on the left receiver rail has the usual ordnance bomb that matches the one on the bolt but also has a star in a circle. In Harrisons book he indicates if has a star it is a british arsenal repair mark-this is a star in a circle
Any help ??
Also have a Winchester in serial number range 43,000-plus a Canadian lend lease remington and an Eddystone plus several p14's.
the star in a circle is common of early Winchesters, to show it may have fitting issues with replacement parts.
Harrison is in error on this and many other things
thank you for the info-is more believable than the unit being reworked in england-I did read somewhere that winchester did have problems with interchangeability of parts. I still reside about 10 miles from the Winchester factory and grandfather worked at Winchesters during the time of the production
If I recall, the very early Winchesters (60,000?) were produced before the common blueprints were finalized between all 3 manufacturers. Winchester just jumped the gun and went into full production before they should have. They have real issues. But, the Winny's had and still have a long-standing reputation for excellent accuracy.
I guess Winchester literally and figuratively jumped the gun.
actually some parts did interchange and quite a disagreement on if Winchester did jump the gun or had it right the Crozier e was completely wrong.
Winchester had it right in my opinion that while it would have benefited them financially (and fine for that for the desperately needed rifle they would have provided)
The Pattern 1914 was not common and did fine.
The need was for rifles at the time and commonality would have come along and at something like 20,000 combined production a day you would have had more rifles in the hands of troops and any inability to cross a part would have easily been dealt with by issuing a new rifle.
A rifle in the hand is worth far more than one that is working towards parts inter-change.
Far from the first or last time ordinance was negligent in supply the troops what was needed.