eddystone 1917 came home today!

[mike16]

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?

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