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Finally a last piece which had turned up on gunbroker and I had brought home to Europe. Note the additional thumbhole for stripper clip filling of the magazine, plus the nearly blank phosphate finish.
Edit 18.06.2023: re-uploaded pictures that were lost in forum crash.
Promo-- I am believing your rifle probably a combo of P14 and M1917 parts. The buttstock is definitely from a WWII US re-build program at Rock Island Arsenal. Is there anyway to determine who in Belgian did the conversion?
Thanks
--fjruple
PS-- Nice rifle by the way!
The stock is indeed from a M1917. If you were to ask me, this rifle had been converted during the 1930s by Grimont in Belgium, then sold to Spain and from there on post WWII made the way to the US (possibly with an ugly stock) where the stock was replaced with a better one.
Promo thanks. Does your rifle take the sixth round in the magazine well like the M1917? Additionally any markings on the barrel? Pics please. It not that often we get to see these great weapons.
The rifles were converted to 7.92 mm by a company called Edgar Grimard in Belgium.
This is the same company that converted the Vickers to 7.92 for the British to give to Turkey in an attempt to buy their loyalty.
Gimard was a large company and did a lot of conversions and I believe the number of Pattern 14 conversions was quite large.
I have the figures here some where but where escapes me right now.
Grimard had an understanding with Soley Arms who was established by BSA to sell off WWI excess British arms. As I understand how things happened. Very little research has been done in this area.
Makes me wonder how many crates of 8mm p14s are hidden away in Turkey...
Sam
The trouble was very few buyers on the international arms market were interested in buying .303 weapons, except Britain and Empire, who would have made their own anyway. Those who had been gifted them were more interested in replacing them not buying more. Reworking them to 8 x 57 was supposed to make them more attractive.
What makes you think there are 8x57 IS P.14 rifles in Turkey?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty_Old_F250
Just a hunch, but I know the brits sent turkey all kinds of equipment, I’m mostly familiar with the locomotives and railway equipment, but turkey would be the perfect place to unload any coverted p14s in inventory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Promo
Sam
Knowing the conversion was done in Belgium by a private company I therefore don't think UK would pay for rifles they anyway sold get converted and then gift them to another country. They would rather give them the guns for free and maximum tell them where they can get them converted. The Turkish also converted guns themselves, therefore I believe if they were given P.14 and they wanted them to be 8x57 IS, they would rather convert themselves.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty_Old_F250
Turks sold their 7.9 weapons inventory years ago and would most certainly have disposed of a non standard like a P14. If they kept any 7.9 rifles it would be Mausers. They also disposed of their No4s.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty_Old_F250
Converting a .303 Brit chambered rifle to 8mm Mauser would not be cost effective. Rimmed case to rimless requires drastically altering the bolt face, mag follower and extractors etc. Certainly wouldn't have been paid for by either Turkey or Britain. W.W. I literally bankrupted the Brits and Turkey has never had money.