Bolt on Eddystone 1917 wont chamber a round?

[goessb170677]

I bought an Eddystone 1917 last week. After taking it home and cleaning it a bit, I decided to drop a snap cap into the mag and work the rifle. (The snap caps Im using are A Zoom, 30-06.). From what I can tell, the barrel "looks" original, meaning that the date of manufacture is still visible. Mine's 7 - 18.

The bolt wouldn't close with a snap cap. However, it would close on an empty chamber.

I wasn't sure what was wrong, so I started looking over the bolt. I found that the cocking piece was an after-market cock on opening piece. (That cocking piece and bolt sleeve were a different color than the rest of the bolt). I replaced that with a normal cock on closing piece. After installing that, I tried to chamber another snap cap, and it still wouldn't chamber.

I took another look over the bolt and thought maybe there could be an extractor issue? Well, I looked over the internet at pictures of 1917 extractors and found that mine didn't have a hole in the forward area where the claw is. Pictures to help describe below.

This is what I believe the extractor should look like. Almost every picture I found were like these.



And here's a picture of my extractor.



There's no hole in mine. Also, the left red arrow shows that the cutout there is much more curved than those in the picture above this one.

I have an extra extractor in the mail, which should be here soon.

Finally, I began to look closer at the chamber. I took out the bolt and dropped a 30-06 snap cap into the chamber. It doesn't seat all the way. The back of the case sticks out maybe 1/5 of an inch.

Here's a picture.



I also have some .303 snap caps and dropped one of them in and they go all the way in. I began thinking I may have a .303 barrel. After looking around some more, Im pretty sure I have a 30-06 barrel. Mine's the cone shape with a straight cut-out. Using CBI barrels as a better picture, here's what mine looks like.

http://criterionbarrels.com/M1917-Enfield-Barrel



If I understand correctly, .303/ p14 barrels don't have the cone shape, and have a slant cutout.

Im at a point to where I really have no idea what to do next. With the original date and looking at other barrels, I really think this is an original 30-06 barrel. Maybe the snap caps im using are not made to the correct dimensions?

Edit - Some more information which may be relevant - My bolt is not for .303. Also, when I take the bolt out of the rifle and place a 30-06 snap cap onto it, it very loosely hangs on, and can fall off with just the slightest shake.

Information

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[Randy A]

Well, I wouldn't recommend modifying your rifle based on feedback from a snap cap. As far as the cartridge protruding from the chamber a bit, they do slightly. I would try to cycle some factory ammo through it before messing with everything.
As far as the extractor, might be wrong one, did you feed the cartridge in from the mag or just drop it in and chamber it. If the extractor is wrong it may be hard to cam over the rim of the cartridge. try feeding from magazine.

[CINDERS]

Being a controlled round feed and from my own Parker Hale 22/250 experiences you have to place the round in the mag and then cycle the bolt as it is almost impossible to get the claw over the round by trying to force it to close on a round already in the chamber you may do this once or twice but then again you may snap the claw from the extractor and there you go!

[goessb170677]

I've fed the snap caps from the magazine and also dropping one in the chamber and then trying to chamber it. They both end up the same way. The picture was just to show how far the snap cap sits out.

[Randy A]

I'd still try a factory round, and don't be surprised the entire case head will be outside the chamber. That's the way they are.

[goessb170677]

I went ahead and ran to the local gun store and picked up a box of 30-06. I put a few in the magazine and tried to cycle them, but had the same problem. The bolt wont close. Here's a better quality picture of how they look and how far they stick out.



On the bright side, factory cases are held on much tighter by the extractor, and don't fall off with the slightest wiggle the way the snap caps do.

[browningautorifle]

What do the marks on your barrel tell you? Who made it and for what? It should be marked. It also sort of looks like a separated case may have lodged in the chamber. Just the front part...just a little of it.

[goessb170677]

What do the marks on your barrel tell you? Who made it and for what? It should be marked. It also sort of looks like a separated case may have lodged in the chamber. Just the front part...just a little of it.

Here's pictures of all the symbols on the barrel.

Top view showing the model on the receiver + beginning of the barrel.


All I can see is the flaming bomb mark, and the picture below this one shows an "X8" or "X6", with an eagle stamp to the left.



Then on the opposite side (turning the barrel upside down), there's a "V5" stamp.



The forward end of the barrel has the number 7 - 18.



If I understand correctly, 7-18 means the date of manufacture, and the flaming bomb marks mean Eddystone. The "X8" and V5" marks have me clueless though. I cant find anything about them.

[browningautorifle]

Well, maybe that takes us back to the separated casing idea...

[goessb170677]

It's possible. I don't really see anything abnormal in the chamber though. Im thinking about leaving a good amount of something like Break Free in the barrel overnight to see if it breaks up anything still left on the inside.

I took a picture while looking down the barrel, if this helps in any way.