New to Me - Win Model of 1917

Hi All,

So I have been gone for quite a while - life gets in the way sometimes - we all know how that goes.

However, i got in on a trade a Model of 1917 - here is what I know.

All Winchester except for the bolt release marked E (eddy) - would you go through the process to replace it? And the stock has the nice big R in the channels

All other parts are W marked - bright shiny bore - ME 1.5 easily passes headspace checks on WWII guages

Stock has the C ^ stamp on the stock - and has the tell tale sign of the red band under the handguards. Reminds me of the No1MkIII that Peter helped me ID way back when as a DP rifle...! :)

Cleaned her up last night got some cosmo out in places and have her a good raw linseed oil bath and kept screws nice and loose for a bit - she will get another bath this weekend.

My question however is - was there a methodology for placement of the red band and if so where would it be? Also might seem silly but was there a definitive color palette for the red and if so does anyone have a good pic?

I am thinking of adding the band back...

The detraction that I see on the rifle is that it is import marked by CAI at the muzzle...

Other than that it does fit in the collection.

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond if you do....

Pics

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../cXgI6gQ-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../lbVyQvv-1.jpg

Nice looking rifle...good catch. It would be like the one my past father in law was issued as a driver in Fredericton NB during the war. I wouldn't repaint the band.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

I wouldn't repaint the band.

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I think I am tending to agree at this time - the remnants of the red are under the handguards where they meet - I will leave those there for posterity - hopefully will get her out on the range this Sunday with some M2 Ball and see how she does - :)

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Originally Posted by Nickjc

some M2 Ball

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Should do well, give us a look after?

Agree on not painting again too. It's beauty with a good barrel, and the Canadian provenance is there with the remnant paint and broad arrow stamp.
I have a similar early 87K winchester, and consider the CAI import stamp part of the provenance also.
Lots of these were given to Denmark also,well traveled but not shot out. Nick Ferris book on the '17 has good info on these.
Congrats!

Each entity that put a color on the stock used their own color and location and likely it was generally applicant, so variation on where.

All they wanted was a heads up, not precision.

Canada had Air Force, Army and various non deployed interior defense entitles so those would have done their own.

If it was Danish, then it wold have the SN on the bottom of the stock, like the bolts, possibly not the same SN as on the rifle as they did get mixed up when brought back into US.

Keep as is, all the marks tell the story of the rifle and its provenance is then proved.

parts: There are a lot of parts than can have an R, W or E (some only numbers per Ferris book) so it can be a challenge getting all to a W.

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Originally Posted by RC20

If it was Danish, then it would have the SN on the bottom of the stock, possibly not the same SN as on the rifle

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I did have an M1 come past me that had the rifle number on the stock...same number as the receiver. That said to me they were supposed to be numbered together, otherwise why would they have placed a tag inside stating the zeroing requirements of that rifle... ?

I have an Eddystone, import marked, that can trace its use by Canada, Norway and Denmark. All of the added markings and modifications match. All firearms commercially imported into the U.S. post 1968 must have import markings added. The receiver is notched (Norway), the stock is numbered to the rifle (Denmark), the bolt and rear sight are numbered to the rifle (Canada) :cool:

So as they say you dont know what you dont know... ! :)

Get to range and was thinking...man that is a fat front sight holy cow....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../TIV7HV4-1.jpg


So I setup at 50yds ladder sight down...and holy hell do I have to hold LOW yo get on paper... need to drift the sight....


https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../tmWRXWi-1.jpg

Get out to 100....and damn that front sight is fat ! Not a stellar day but is suspect she shoots better than I have held today....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../okOuFDr-1.jpg


Time to find a replacement front sight that's a bit thinner....who in gosh darns name thought a roll pin would make a good front sight...???? ;)

Danes.... and who knew the battle sight was 450.... not me.

All this means is another trip to the range.... poor me !!!

All in all very smooth, comfortable to shoot...little to no recoil and seems to like 150gr heads with 49.5grains of 4064.

Minute of man I will tell myself.

I have one of these Canada/Denmark m1917s, Eddystone though, with nice bore. Shoots good, accurate.
Need to find a consistent sight picture through that big rear aperture. Set it up for bird on a post. Set that bullseye right on top of that pin.

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Originally Posted by Nickjc

damn that front sight is fat

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Danish roll pin sight isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Kerry49

I have one of these Canada/Denmark m1917s, Eddystone though, with nice bore. Shoots good, accurate.
Need to find a consistent sight picture through that big rear aperture. Set it up for bird on a post. Set that bullseye right on top of that pin.

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That damn post is so big ! Lol..what were they thinking....

Going to drop a blade in and see how she does...

---------- Post added at 06:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 AM ----------

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Danish roll pin sight isn't it?

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Yeah seriosuly...I dont get it....its like a pole on the end of the barrel.


Very difficult to get a precise hold when the damn post is so big....

A blade front is in order to see how she does...

Well, everyone has their preference. My eyes aren't good enough to clearly see the narrow front sights on the 1903 and Krag rifles.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../Ids078N-1.jpg



So this is an aggregate once I changed the front sight post from the roll pin to the tallest one I had in the shop.....acceptable now for both the battle sight and ladder.

It's always fun near the AR guys at the range with all the optics lasers reflex sights etc....and the 100yr old rifle doea just as good if not better.

The roll-pin front sight was adopted by the danish Homeguard because especially the older members found it very difficult to keep focus on the very narrow original front sight. Using the roll-pin solved that problem at a relatively low cost. A test showed an 13-20% improvement in score. Some 85000 original front sights were modified by a danish company.

The roll-pin was adjusted to the same hight as the original so that the original front sight markings were still valid.

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Originally Posted by Nickjc

So this is an aggregate once I changed the front sight post from the roll pin to the tallest one I had in the shop.....acceptable now for both the battle sight and ladder.

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Distance?

Congrads on your rifle. These are very nice rifles. I usually take at least one to shoot every Sunday when I work the range. Unfortunately both the Pattern 1914 and M1917 rifles were looked on like the red haired step child nobody wants but was there to pull the allies arse out of the fire when needed.

Cheers