eddystone 1917 came home today!

Just brought home my first m1917, an eddystone. Kind of a mix master with sone odd alterations. SN# is1225359. bolt is remington stock is a beat up winchester, barrel is marked HS and P and with the flaming bomb. The rifling is pretty good but there seems to be alot of pitting just past the chamber and the muzzle was counterboard(!) almost .5 inches deep! there is a a stamp in the end of the stock with the W in it and a number 7. on the left side of the stock Below the bolt release is a stamped box in the wood with 3.G.M.-(?) stamped in it. there appears to be a number "7" stamped into the wood in front of the floor plate. otherwise the stock lower wood is in rough shape. It looks like a dark red shellac over shoe polish. I intend to clean it up per the recomendations on this site but will be seeking a better wood and correct eddystone parts in the future. I have already ordered the Ferris book and Kuhnhausens Mauser book. they should be here wednesday so You'll all will have to keep me on life support until they get here.

Is the pitting just past the chamber typical of rifles that have shot Black powder blanks or murcury primers. My experience with this I always assumed it was the murcury primers.

I'm going to restore it to go with my 1903a3 and my M1 and my 1943 M1911a1. I will be replacing the barrel at some future date and will address that issue with our resident expert.

Where to look for cracks in the reciever? I know it happens so rearly that its more of a myth than fact. My dad always loved these rifles and replaced a few barrels in them back in the day. He was a metallurgist and claimed that the cracks occured in recievers manufactured by all three Arms companies and the cause was not anything to do with quality of metal or heat treatment but the incorrect way people reinstalled new barrels. I just recently read this same explaination in Terry Wielands "Dangerous Game Rifles" 2nd edition. It seems alot of the mint unfired M1917's went to some of the exclusive gunsmiths to manufacture thier Magnum caliber African Game rifles. Up to .577 Caliber! The m1917 is still reveared as one of the strongest actions out there, Pardon me for killing time while my camera battery charges up. Wont be able to get out a range report any time soon because there is yet another gun show this week end.

Just curious about the SN# and dates of manufacture. one source says it was made in november of 1918 another states December of 1918. any feedback on that?

Congradulations on your rifle. Beware, you may become addicted to them. Of all my milsurps, for some reason I like the '17s the most. I would try shooting a few times before I would worry about replacing the barrel. If your worried about receiver cracks, a quick check is to wipe the area with acetone or gasoline. It will dry on the surface quickly and weep out of any cracks. At least that is what people say. None of mine are cracked. I'll let you look up the answere to you last question in Ferris's great book. :)
john

id doubt that youll find a 1917 with a cracked reciever.

I'm not too worried about the crack issue. Addiction to these is abother issue altogether!! Now looking for a remington and a winchester to round out the collection. Dis assembeled the rifle to clean and inspect it and found that everything is eddystone except the complete bolt is remmington and the lower stock is winchester. No markings on the upper hand guards. Kinda weird but while cleaning the stock with Dawn dish washing detergent all kinds of red dye came off of it. like really a lot. It looked like a murder scene when I was done. very surprising. I recall that some early 03 stocks were stained a redish color but this surprising. also the stock cleaned up pretty good. hot water raised out alot of the more minor dents and dings. the true grain structure of the wood is comming out with this and, no doubt successive cleaning. Stamped on the butt of the stock under the butt plate was the number 215. also after inspecting the metal bits they are in very good condition. the HS barrel is Parked but the Recieber and a majority of the parts are blued while some minor parts are parked.

I am going to look more closely at the barrel befor making any hard disicions. altogether a fun bit of military anthropology.

I've been using scrubbing bubbles in the shower to good effect. The reddish color may not be stain or dye but the years of grease and oil. Just about every stock I've done this way has shed a reddish mess. Let is sit for a bit and then just turn the shower on. Make sure to clean up the tub base well or the wife won't be too happy.

I recieved Farris's book in the mail to day from Brownells!!! they said it would get here wed or thursday but it arrived at 10:30 this morning!! Interesting book. I stand corrected on the parkerizing observation made above. Based on the Sn of my rifle it came parked from eddystone. In Ferris's Text there is an explaination of the manufacturing process and surface prep priot to parkerizing and a detailed descriprion of the resulting color and surface texture. based on that and my closer scrutany its clear that my rifle is parkerised.

One other thing: afew additional markings are becoming appearent. The 3.G.M.-(?) is actualy 3.G.M.-Q as qonfirmed in ferris's book.I used Dawn Diswhashing detergent with grease cutter and hot water and a well worn scotcg bright pad approved for teflon, the firsttime an got about 80% of the grease and red dye off. Hot water is used so that it will dry quickly and minimize warping. I allowed it to dry and took a closed took and spot cleaned it again using Dawn and luke warm water and a tooth brush. The thing is to be carefull because the water raises and softens the wood grain and agresive scrubbibg can remove the remains of some of the smaller stamps, However it does raise the grain and it has eliminated alot of the dings and dents.

I continue to marvel at the condition of the metal components even screws into wood are not corroded or rusted at all and
metal surfaces under wood areas nice as the rest.

The red dye still amaze's me, while it seems to have abated somewhat it still oozes from those areas cut against the grain of the wood.

Total confused about "battle zero" explaination in ferris's book..

red logwood stain, was used to help seal and protect the wood...

Just oiled up my stock. Tung oil. 7 bucks a pint at ace hardware. have not yet sanded /polished it but she'e lookin alot better already

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mike16

Just oiled up my stock. Tung oil. 7 bucks a pint at ace hardware. have not yet sanded /polished it but she'e lookin alot better already

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If were mine, I wouldn't sand the stock...

too late....but why not?

You can't put pack wood you take off. I usually just hit it w/ 0000 steel wool to smooth it down.

Mike D

I have four 17's and have finished them well using boiled linseed oil cut with 1/3 turpentine. It penetrates well in wood covered by metal and dries ok. On exterior wood it takes quite a bit of rubbing. The oldtimer's formula of "3 drops and rub for 3 weeks" would probably work ok if one wants to persist, but a lot of patience is required. Either way the rifle comes out looking good and it stays that way. JC

I was taught to "wet sand" it with 1000 then 1500 grit sand paper with tung oil. The two upper hand guards came out looking mint. the lower stock looks a 1000% better than it did but theres no hiding its troubled child hood. plus I really gave the barrel a good scub and what I thought looked like pretty good rifling looks more like a threaded hole thats had its threads stripped out of!!!!Yikes!!