Winchester rework program?

[Lancebear]

Hey guys,

Did Winchester maybe have a post WWI rework contract?

LB

Information

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[Calif-Steve]

I thought the Army purchased all of Eddystones spares and shipped them to Springfield. Springfield did the Overhaul and Repair of the M1917's. Perhaps one on the experts could weigh in on more.

[Col. Colt]

I was told there were three big rebuild programs of M1917s.

First, immediately after returning from WWI when many of them needed barrels from use in the trenches with corrosive ammo, battle damage, etc. These guns were refinished - mine in a black parkerizing, with evidence of some kind of media blasting before hand. Some reworking may have happened in France, as well - parts replacement rather than a full arsenal overhaul and refinish.

Secondly, many of the M1917s were poorly stored and were damaged/rusted, etc in storage, leading to another refurbishment a few years later.

Finally, WWII lead to a clean, repair, issue situation, with many rifles going to our allies overseas.

Perhaps Winchester did have a Post WWI repair contract - or maybe all makers had their spare parts sold to the government, who used them or issued them to US Arsenals and/or other subcontractors to do the work. The fact that my 15,xxx Eddystone has no visible arsenal marks, yet is rebuilt and has a Winchester barrel and bolt and mixed small parts and has a light coat of cosmolene would argue that someone other than the US government did the rebuild, right after WWI. Otherwise it would have arsenal stamps, right? Chime in here if you have any thoughts or info. CC

[krinko]

My Remington, No. 2788, has a Remington marked barrel dated 1/19----wouldn't that prove the existence of a post-war rebuild program at Remington?
(I had another Remington---one of the notched receiver rifles imported in the early 1990s---it also had a 1/19 Remington barrel, so that makes two.)
-----krinko

[Col. Colt]

Krinko,
Does your Remington exhibit any armory or inspectors marks at all? My rebuilt Eddystone was obviously done at an armory of some sort - it was blasted and black parkerized, and a Winchester bolt, Winchester 1919 barrel and mixed small parts all tend to point to a regular rebuild facility of some kind. Mixed parts to me means they stripped all of the weapons down completely and then reassembled them with refurbished parts out of bins without reference to Manufacturer's marks. Where necessary, new parts, like barrels or bolts, were added. My Eddystone (15,xxx Serial) still has quite a bit of cosmolene on it in spots, as well. But why no "rebuild" inspection marks. If it had been done in the US Arsenal system, it would have been marked, right? CC

[krinko]

Sorry---my previous post was poorly thought out. The 1/19 Remington barrels only prove Remington supplied barrels for the post-WW1 rebuild program, not that the rebuild was actually done at Remington.

Col. Colt---
The mark on this Remington is the "3 GM-K" in a rectangle.

I am going to go kick the dog now.
-----krinko