My New 1917

First I'd like to start by saying hello to everyone, and that this is my first rifle that I've bought for it's historical value. From what research I've done, I'm pretty sure I found an amazing deal (I bought it off a coworker) @ $160. The stock has been "sported" but the metal is all intact, minus a few minor pieces. I plan to restore this as best I can. So here's the run down. The barrel is Winchester dated 6-18, all other metal is Eddystone and the serial # is 490833. There is NO rust and it is in firing condition. As far as the parts I need, the biggest is a replacement stock, but I also will need handguards, front ring & swivel, & the screws, and that is really all it's missing. All the sights are entact.

Oddly enough my father (I think) found a 1917 Bayonet at a yard sale this past weekend. I don't have much info on it yet but from what he is describing to me it sounds like a vintage bayonet w/scab in preaty good shape. He's bringing it to me this friday so I'll know for sure then...

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I hope these pics show up. I thank you in advance for any help or comments and I'll post pics of the bayonet this weekend.

-James

Looks like a viable project. Odd to find a Winchester barrel on an Eddystone, though. Usually replacement barrels are Johnson Automatics, dating from the WWII era.

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Originally Posted by jamesmcnatt

As far as the parts I need, the biggest is a replacement stock, but I also will need handguards, front ring & swivel, & the screws,

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I go all that for 60 euros over here, from a scrapped rifle. Where you are, parts are more readily available, so for another 100 $ or so you should be able to put it back into original configuration, and will still have a bargain rifle.

I thought that also. I'm sure there's a story as to why the rifle parts are miss matched and I wish I could find out more information about it. My thinking was maybe it was replaced during WWI and that the barrel was what they had on hand. I'm hoping that I might find more information when I tear it down to put the replacement stock on it.

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Yea, all the metal parts that I need are going to run me about $60, but the stock is going to be quite a bit more. I'm also having a hard time finding a vintage Eddystone stock. I don't plan to use a newly manufactured one unless I have to.

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Originally Posted by jamesmcnatt

My thinking was maybe it was replaced during WWI and that the barrel was what they had on hand.

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WWI replacement is statistically unlikely. An Eddystone made in Feb-March 1918 would have reached the troops a month or so later, and the "end user" would hardly have been able to wear out the barrel in what remained of WWI. At that time, the Eddystone plant was still operational and there would have been plenty of replacement Eddystone barrels available.

IMOH, the barrel is probably a "commercial" (i.e. non-arsenal) replacement from anytime since, and could have been made because the original barrel was shot out, bell-mouthed, ringed, or just plain rusty! There's surely no way you can tell now. Unless, of course, you can find an arsenal refurbishment mark somewhere.

As far as stocks go, the Eddystone ought to be easiest as there were more produced than by either Winchester or Eddystone's owner, Remington.

The barrel is not a commercial barrel. All the marks and stamps are on it, just like it's supposed to be. Id have to look again to tell you the location of each stamp but It has the Winchester with June 1918 manufacture date, the ordinance bomb stamp, as well as the eagle head acceptance stamp...

I think when Patrick said "commercial", he meant an outside entity i.e. gunsmith replaced the Eddystone barrel with the Winchester

From the pictures it looks like the receiver is parked and the barrel is blued or manganese parked so I would lean towords a post goverment rebuild.
john

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Originally Posted by jamie5070

From the pictures it looks like the receiver is parked and the barrel is blued or manganese parked so I would lean towords a post goverment rebuild.
john

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I'm not understanding the reasoning or logic behind this thought process. The barrel is dated 6 - 18 with all the stamps that a Winchester M1917 would have in WWI service. If it was a post war rebuild then why use an old barrel if most used the Johnson Auto barrel... I realize I'll never get the perfect answer as there are no records. No matter how it ended up miss matched, for $160 I'm counting it as a lucky find. I can't wait till friday when my dad brings me the possible 1917 bayonet. I'll have a new history endevore for the weekend.

Thank you for all the comments guys! This rifle has really sucked me into the history...

The most likely answer to the barrel conundrum is that the Winchester barrel is a gunsmith pull-off which was kept until a previous owner needed a barrel for this rifle.

Pull-off barrels are common because actions are used for sporters in other calibers, i.e. 270 Winchester. Most gunsmiths have a largish pile of old barrels in varying degrees of servicability. Some are only good for hollow bar stock. Others are about "new".

Oh, okay. That makes since now. How ever it happened it's all in fantastic condition. The guy I got the rifle from had shot it on several occasions and said he had a pretty tight shot group. I don't plan to fire it until I get the restoration the way I want it. Thanks for all the input!

You still have a good project. The barrel alone is worth what you paid to someone with a Winchester that needs help.

After WW1 over 1 million rifles were sent to government arsenals to be cleaned, repaired and preserved. This started as early as 1919, and went throughout the 1930s IIRC.
By 1927 many of the earlier preserved rifles were found to have rusted and pitted barrels, and had to be repaired. All 3 of the makers of the M1917 had made extra barrels.
Perhaps yours is one that had a pitted barrel and was replaced at one of the government arsenals in the 1930s.
It's fun to wonder!

Shoot it!

Dang, no need to wait. Enjoy it, see how it shoots floated or bedded however it is and then see what it does with stock tension.

If its better as is then you know it can do better and work on the new stock.

The scenario could very well have been something like this: Customer A walks into a gunsmiths shop and says:

" I have this old military rifle and I want to convert it to a different caliber".

The gunsmith says "sure" and installs a different barrel. A couple of years go by and customer B walks int the gunsmiths shop and says:

"I have this old rifle and my idiot brother borrowed it and shot corrosive ammo through it and didn't clean it and now the barrel is rusted up".

The gunsmith says "I just happen to have a barrel here for that rifle and for a few dollars I can fix your gun".

This ( or some version of it) seems to me what would be the most likely reason for you to have a mismatched barrel.

winchester made replacement barrels for the 1917..usually later production dates.

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Originally Posted by budmant

I think when Patrick said "commercial", he meant an outside entity i.e. gunsmith replaced the Eddystone barrel with the Winchester

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I did indeed, and wrote so quite clearly - at. least, I think so!
"... the barrel is probably a "commercial" (i.e. non-arsenal) replacement... "

James, just shoot it as is is. M1917s work excellently without any of the black magic of stock tuning with carefully dosed muzzle pressure etc. And when you get a replacement stock, fit it so that the barrel is free floating!