I have a theory and ?'s on my Model 1917 quirks.

[sakorick]

Good point and I agree for the most part. That said, why did the Brits find it necessary to serial number the bolts? If they thought it was important then why did they allow mismatched ones to be allowed? This is an American rifle and IMHO should have an American Eddystone bolt installed. These are my thoughts......not wrecking history, just trying to restore a rifle as it was made. Not that I won't change my mind, however. I need more input. Perhaps I should shoot it with both bolts.....an independent test, to see which one performs best on the range? Regards, Rick.

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[GUTS]

This is an American rifle

Actually it's a British rifle, they designed it(Pattern 14, or P14) and we manufactured it for them, after the British had enough rifles we rechambered it for 30-06 and produced it for ourselves and named it: US Rifle .30 Model of 1917(some call it the P17 which is a term that is technically incorrect but was a nickname given to it by the Eddystone employees).

[The Wizard]

Vintage Hunter,
You are wrong! The U.S. never (I should not have said never as there are always exception to ever rules but in general for general issue weapons, the US Rifle Caliber .30 Modle of 1917 ibeing one of those) serial numbered any parts other than the receiver. The British proof marks found on Lend Lease M1 rifle and M1911A1 pistol are commerical proof marks applied when the weapons were released from British government ownership in order to be sold on the commerical market.

The British may have applied a serial number to the bolt because the stored the rifles and bolts apart from each other for security reason (as the US Army did with M16 rifles and bolts when I was in the army in the 1970's).

[vintage hunter]

Well excuse me all to Hell. Some U.S. made military rifles did have s/n's on bolt, barrel and receiver but they were on rifles made for foreign governments, the P-14 for instance.

[Calif-Steve]

A M1917 with a serialized bolt can be reasonably assumed to be an ex-British weapon. The Germans and the Brits numbered their bolts. The US Army did not number its bolts. I received a CMP 6 million Garand with a numbered bolt. It was a WWII bolt and was clearly done in the National Guard or perhaps a University ROTC unit. But NOT done at Springfield. You will see Greek return M1903's with serial numbered bolts, again not done at Springfield, but rather done by the Greek Army. So US weapons will be encountered with serial numbered bolts, but a little education goes a long way. If only these things could talk!

[emmagee1917]

Lots of target .22 and 30-06 rifles ( 1922s and 1903s ) had serial numbered bolts which I THINK was done at Springfield Armory as part of the production cycle. Otherwise , any such goings on were done by the using unit or under the contract orders of the country paying for it.
Chris