Winchester 1917 questions

Hi guys, new to the forum and wanted to get a read on what looks like a matching Winchester I recently picked up. I've been a casual milsurp collector for years but have never really had anything that might present as "correct," but I'm hoping I might've done pretty well rolling the dice at an auction. Went down the rabbit hole last night so I hope I'm asking the right questions, apologies if I'm missing something obvious.

The rifle is 278xxx. Barrel is marked 5-18 and looks great. Everything I see has a W. Stock looks great, no markings other than the W, the eagle with a 544 seen below, and a 43 underneath the bolt handle. Take a look at these action screws, tho. One appears to be still staked but buggered, the other doesn't have the punch indent lined up with the slot. Thoughts? Maybe somebody decided they were going to take it apart with the wrong size screwdriver, got one screw to move and then gave up on the other? Or is it a restake?

Thanks in advance and let me know if there are any other pics that can help. Attachment 121999Attachment 122000Attachment 122001Attachment 122002

It's not unusual to see that the previously staked screws have been moved. There has been a century's worth of curiosity of what might be found inside.

The stock appears to have crisp inspection stamps. And the blond shade of the wood is OK for the Winchester.

Welcome and thanks for showing your Winchester, your few pics are enticing. Would love to see more of the whole rifle. The barrel date lines up with receiver mfgr. time as well.
Both screws appear to have been turned to me, albeit with a non hollow ground screwdriver. Not the end of the world though.

I'm not the best photographer but I'm happy to share! Let me know if there's anything in particular I should take a photo of. Guess I shouldn't be fixated on the screws. It has some honest wear, wasn't a NOS rifle for sure.

I'm very pleased with this one. I also have a boxed OGEK Eddystone with JA barrel - never had the receiver checked - and a great uncle's Eddystone Colorado deer rifle. That's a compass in the stock. :cool: Can't hate it. I wonder if 50 years from now these sporterized rifles will have their own collector's niche as examples of mid-20th century craftsmanship. Attachment 122003Attachment 122004Attachment 122005Attachment 122006Attachment 122007

ETA: Should mention, came with a 1918 dated sling and I picked up a Remington bayonet in really nice shape for an additional $100.

Nice looking rifles, yes more detailed pics would be nice.

That is a really beautiful Winchester. Nicest blue and wood that I've seen for awhile. Regarding the sporterized milsurps--- They have risen in value lately and will rise over time to a certain extent. I used to like to restore sporterized rifles but in this era it is really not smart due to the high cost of parts and wood. So that leaves me with a few ugly sporters that I will enjoy all the same! Salt Flat

Thanks! Yeah, very pleased with this. It was an auction where I was really looking at a Krag, pictures weren't great and details were scarce, but I took a chance and threw a bid on it. Nobody else bit.

My grandfather did wood inlay and checkering on various rifles, mostly commercial, but some surplus as well. I have a high-wood IBM Carbine I'll post pictures of one day...no collector value in the wood but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Here are a few more pics. Anybody want to take a SWAG at valuation? Closest thing I could find on Gunbroker was $1950; this look pretty similar?

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/914802048

Attachment 122050Attachment 122049Attachment 122048Attachment 122047Attachment 122051Attachment 122045

The Gunbroker auction is a very good indicator of the value of your rifle. Sreisel usually gets around a 10-15% premium over other sellers with similar wares. But your gun looks nicer than his. It's a $2,000 piece to the right buyer. But don't sell it! It will be difficult to replace such a beauty.

Awesome.

I rarely sell anything, but I keep a running Excel spreadsheet so my wife doesn't get ripped off at my estate sale.

"I rarely sell anything, but I keep a running Excel spreadsheet so my wife doesn't get ripped off at my estate sale."

A precaution that I have also taken, and recommend to everybody.

Your pictures were lost to me in the last couple days of the site being down, but sounds like a very nice example Rifle!
Congrats, and Martin08 gives very good advice.
Yes, the 'grey blanket' seller does well through good pictures and marketing descriptions which may tell most, but not all.

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Originally Posted by METT-T

Hi guys, new to the forum and wanted to get a read on what looks like a matching Winchester I recently picked up. I've been a casual milsurp collector for years but have never really had anything that might present as "correct," but I'm hoping I might've done pretty well rolling the dice at an auction. Went down the rabbit hole last night so I hope I'm asking the right questions, apologies if I'm missing something obvious.

The rifle is 278xxx. Barrel is marked 5-18 and looks great. Everything I see has a W. Stock looks great, no markings other than the W, the eagle with a 544 seen below, and a 43 underneath the bolt handle. Take a look at these action screws, tho. One appears to be still staked but buggered, the other doesn't have the punch indent lined up with the slot. Thoughts? Maybe somebody decided they were going to take it apart with the wrong size screwdriver, got one screw to move and then gave up on the other? Or is it a restake?

Thanks in advance and let me know if there are any other pics that can help. Attachment 121999Attachment 122000Attachment 122001Attachment 122002

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Ive been told by a number of well respected national collectors that the manufacture of the M1917 by Winchester had very poor quality control that results in issues with interchangeability even with other Winchester parts. Can anyone comment on that? I confess that I still want one to complete my collection of a Rem and Eddy M1917 but am a bit wary.

---------- Post added at 11:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 PM ----------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

"I rarely sell anything, but I keep a running Excel spreadsheet so my wife doesn't get ripped off at my estate sale."

A precaution that I have also taken, and recommend to everybody.

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I dont know about you, but my spreadsheet has gotten quite big with the addition separate bayo, scabbard, frog, and sling sections, just to name a few. The prices of many bayos and frogs have just gone thru the roof! Even some slings are worth hundreds!!!!!

---------- Post added at 11:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 PM ----------

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Originally Posted by martin08

The Gunbroker auction is a very good indicator of the value of your rifle. Sreisel usually gets around a 10-15% premium over other sellers with similar wares. But your gun looks nicer than his. It's a $2,000 piece to the right buyer. But don't sell it! It will be difficult to replace such a beauty.

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I am envious of Sreisel! Just where does he get so many fabulous gems!?!?!?!?

Like many aspects of the 1917, a lot of what is posted is wrong.

I have owned Winchesters, swapped a few part around and out and no issue what so ever.

The base of the Winchester so called issues was that they began produion before the specs were agreed on. It has nothing to do with quality and fit may not be an issue. Quality was as good as Eddystone and Remington.

Fit? I never had any problems, they might have existed. They just did not know for sure as the agreement on what the specs were. All my Winchesters had a large number or R and E parts. Functioned just fine. An early W might possibly have some issues but if its all W, not an issue either. Other than the extractor they don't break.