Just purchased a Remington M1917

[lkgmadmax]

I just sealed a deal on a M1917, with bayonet and scabbard yesterday and they should be here late next week.

Please let me know your thoughts about this M1917 and suggested things I might need to check out about the rifle, she comes with a 3-day inspection period. I do have the following pictures for now, it appears the rifle is in its original state and has not been refinished, to be 96 years old the old girl looks good to me.

Any suggestions on cleaning solvents , looks like she needs a little TLC.

https://plus.google.com/photos/11044...JGqw4GgmI-foQE

Thanks for your comments, -David

Information

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[carwashchris]

Thanks for the pictures, I'm no expert, but I like what I see so far. I just bought a remmingtom myself about 4 months ago, it's been reworked with a new barrel and some other parts. Since the weather broke Ive had it out twice and it was a great time.

Best

[lkgmadmax]

Thanks for the comments, glad to hear you are enjoying yours. I'll be taking it apart and checking out the markings once it comes in and cleaning it up a bit. Looks like it's been stored away over the years and forgotten about, this is such cool piece of history.

[lkgmadmax]

Well based on the inspection stamp on the stock, this was inspected by Elmer Keith at the Ogden Arsenal in WWII so now I am not sure about the history on this piece. Could this have been possibly turned into the Arsenal after WWI for possible use in WWII? Could it have spent it’s remaining years sitting in the Arsenal no longer to be used and later disposed of after WWII? Any experts out there please feel free to comment with your speculations.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Any suggestions on cleaning solvents , looks like she needs a little TLC.

NO cleaning solvents !!!

That looks like a rifle in un-messed-about condition. All the woodwork needs is to be wiped down with natural turpentine - repeat natural turpentine, not "turpentine substitute"- to remove mineral oils and grime, and then oiled with linseed oil. Start off with a lint-free rag well moistened with natural turpentine, and when you have washed of the grime, do it all again, but adding some linseed oil (the turpentine helps the linseed oil to penetrate into the wood) and finally finish with pure linseed oil. 3 separate sessions over several days. Followed by occasional sessions with a few drops of linseed oil for ever after! At no stage should the oil be "swimming" on the surface. If you want to get a good finish, retaining what is already present, then it is is not something you can gallop through in a couple of hours. You need patience, not wood-destroying chemicals.

And please to don't forget to clean and oil the INSIDE, i.e. the barrel channel and receiver cut-out. You want to preserve the wood, not just make it look superficially pretty. Barrel channels and receiver cut-outs are often bone-dry, never having been oiled since the rifle was assembled in the factory. Putting some oil back here restores the inside/outside balance of the wood - i.e. reduces the stresses in the wood than may cause warping and cracking.

As it appears to have been re-arsenalled at some time, probably in WWII according to the OGEK in a surround (see C. S. Ferris's book) it may well be in excellent condition internally.

Make the usual safety checks for safety-off fire and slam fire, then the tension of the system screws (which may have loosened over decades as the wood has dried out), then muzzle crown and visible bore damage. Do not let yourself be talked into a panic by those who want to convince you that you need headspace gauges, throat erosion gauges etc. It is an old rifle, it is as it is, and you can't do anything about these last two factors, except to check that the head clearance is not dangerously excessive and to use neck-sized cases with bullets seated to match the throat - as far as is possible. All the underlined aspects have been described in these forums on more than one occasion, so I will not repeat it all, just recommend that you enter the keywords and search them out.

Finally, there is no reason why, unless there is a serious hidden defect, you should not have a rifle that keeps its original appearance, but is in good operational condition and is a good shooter. It certainly looks good to me!

[Patrick Chadwick]

... Could it have spent it’s remaining years sitting in the Arsenal no longer to be used and later disposed of after WWII? ...

- Quite possibly. Hence my speculation that it may be in good internal condition, possibly a good shooter.

[lkgmadmax]

Patrick, that's the kind of information I was looking for thank you for sharing!
Once I get it cleaned up I will post some new pictures. Thanks again!

[lkgmadmax]

Will I be looking for "boiled" or "refined" linseed oil, not sure of the difference?

[mtoms]

Just spent a couple of hours fine tuning the sight adjustment on my Remington. Used JB weld and a small drill bit to make the rear aperture a little smaller. Mine has a WW2 JA 2 groove barrel that shines like a mirror. Just about ready for next months vintage match.

Last 3 shot group at 200 yds all in the 9 ring
Attachment 52274Attachment 52275Attachment 52276

[jamie5070]

I believe that boiled and refined linseed oil are the same. They have additives (dryers) that help it cure faster. Raw linseed oil does not have them.
john