M17 Life Guestimation - right track?

[baconslayer]

Hi all, This weekend I picked up a bubba'd M1917 Eddystone. After some initial research I wanted to put forth a guestimation of its life. Bubba mods= cut down stock, retains both sights.

The serial number refers to an April 1918 rifle manufacture.

The barrel is dated 12-17 ; W for Winchester.

Bolt is mix of R, E and W.

The barrel and action are parkerized in a well done black/dark grey.

The bore measures .3005 at the muzzle with erosion tool gauge.

Markings: Left side: AAB, AABG, RA ; H by mag well ; Square P and Fancy P behind Trigger guard

further research: AA= Augusta Arsenal used 2, 3, 4, and 5 letters. Examples include but are not limited to AA, AN, AAL, AAM, AAR, AOY, and AAHO.

My assumption:
Made in 1917 - did some sort of service WWI era, Training, etc...
Put in storage
Pulled out in WWII
Determined damaged bore / barrel, replaced with the Winchester then parkerized
Sold to public, bubba'd and rarely shot

Thoughts? I am mostly questioning the arsenal install of W barrel and parkerization.

Thanks!

[oldfoneguy]

Don't sell it short with "some kind of service". That rifle was undoubtedly in the AEF's hands by summer 1918 and saw some serious service. Remember Belleau Wood was summer 1918 and the Meuse-Argonne was a little later in the year. The war continued until 11/11/18 with action even on that very day.

In WWII it probably never left the states. It was most likely used at a camp gate, guarding a telephone or western union exchange building, guarding docks on either coast or one of the thousands of railroad bridges throughout the country. It was referb'd to serve in WWII and probably sold out of service after that.

If you want to learn a good deal about your rifles production I suggest you look up The Story of Eddystone on the Remington Society website. It's free and extremely informative.

[baconslayer]

Don't sell it short with "some kind of service". That rifle was undoubtedly in the AEF's hands by summer 1918 and saw some serious service. Remember Belleau Wood was summer 1918 and the Meuse-Argonne was a little later in the year. The war continued until 11/11/18 with action even on that very day.

Did not mean to sell it short, for all I know it could have been issued to my G-Grand father who served in France with the AEF with the Army Signal Corps.

Thanks, I will check out the Remington Eddystone site.

[browningautorifle]

My past father in law was issued an M1917 while he was employed as driver in Fredericton NB and quartered at the experimental farm on the old Lincoln road. That one would have probably seen Canadian acceptance marks though. So they even saw their turn here.

[FremansFarm]

Should be easy to drop in a 1917 stock. The CMP custom shop detected a cracked receiver on my Danish import Eddystone. It had an excellent stock. No problem finding a doner similar to yours on GB.