Winchester 1917 way off

[Gunns]

What would cause it to hit high and to the left even with the sight drifted all the way to the left.

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[rcathey]

The stock could be warped putting pressure on the barrel.
How’s the stock look with the action taken out?

[Gunns]

The stock could be warped putting pressure on the barrel.
How’s the stock look with the action taken out?

We've tried it in two different stocks it still does the same not my rifle it's a friend's we also switched out barrels on it still the same I'm thinking something to do with the receiver

[fjruple]

Without seeing pictures of the muzzle, I would think slightly bent barrel at muzzle from rough play with bayonet or muzzle wear from excessive cleaning with steel cleaning rod. I have seen this situation more often which if not too bad can be corrected with a slight counter bore at the muzzle. I have restored about five M1917 barrels that way.

[ssgross]

excessive cleaning with steel cleaning rod

A very likely culprit, especially seen on garands for the obvious reason. If this is the case, the fix might be a simple as just "cleaning" up the crown to even up the termination points of the lands. Manson makes a no-lathe crowning tool - here is a link to them at brownells
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-prod7718.aspx
They also sell a "military crowning kit" same kit, 1 cutter, for milsurp style crowns, half the price.

[Gunns]

Without seeing pictures of the muzzle, I would think slightly bent barrel at muzzle from rough play with bayonet or muzzle wear from excessive cleaning with steel cleaning rod. I have seen this situation more often which if not too bad can be corrected with a slight counter bore at the muzzle. I have restored about five M1917 barrels that way.

thanks right now I can't get to it as the guy that's helping me with it is heading out on vacation but another thing is that it rocks in the stock with no action series installed where the forward lug is and both of mine do not

[browningautorifle]

I would think slightly bent barrel

I had to make a couple of straightness gauges along the way to check this...and it was worth having them around later. It could easily be a bend.

[ssgross]

I had to make a couple of straightness gauges

Jim, can you tell us how you made your gauges? I assume you didn't just roll the barrel down the table to check I've seen videos of Springfield factory, they used some fancy overhead wheel to inspect and straighten if needed.

[browningautorifle]

how you made your gauges

Another good use for a lathe...just turned down a piece of decent steel rod until it JUST fit the barrel. Drilled and tapped for a rifle rod to push it through or you CAN just drop it through. If you start doctoring a bend, you need a rod. I did one for .30, 44 magnum and have one for .22.

[Doco overboard]

Sometimes a bend can be easy to see in the right light. If the error is that much at say 25 yards that it cannot be corrected by drifting the F/s nearly off its base its more than likely bent pretty well.
Look through it at a strong light and the bend can be seen directly opposite by the shadow it makes inside the bore. Once you see the shadow that's cast off, rotate back and forth to pare the affected area down.
I just went through the very same thing with a take off no4 barrel.
Next step is to do what BAR says so I can try to save it for something else and learn.....