Winchester 1917 question.

[bentonville]

Model 1917 Winchester ?
A friend of mine just found a rifle ( along with a couple of pistols) in the attic of his recently deceased father. He brought them to me to clean them up a little and tell him what they are.
One is a Luger S/37 I believe. I will get more info. on that later. The rifle really interested me. It states on the receiver Model of 1917 Wincester 121118. There is a W on the barrel with a proof mark and 1-18.
The bolt has no wear whatsoever on it and when released, it almost opens and closes itself. It is amazingly smooth. The finish is the greenish parkerization I have seen on my M1 from 1943. I tried to look down the barrel with a light and I couldn't see a thing. I pushed a patch down and it is clogged with grease, cosmoline, I presume. The stock is immaculate. There is a GM-1 or I and that's it for markings on the stock. It is walnut and very dirty.
He wants it cleaned up but I don't know if I have the time or patience to clean that barrel up. I also don't have any experience taking it apart. I am guessing it is like the Eddystone but I don't really know what to call it.
Any information and help would be appreciated.

Information

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[jamie5070]

You have a 1917 enfield with an early winchester receiver. It is taken apart just like the eddystones and remingtons. With the green park finish it would be a WWII rebuild.
john

[bentonville]

Thanks. What kind of finish would the rifle have if original? Is the stock a Winchester?

[Chuckindenver]

original finish would have been blued.

[Promo]

Check the foreend of the stock, if it's Winchester made, there should be a W.

[bentonville]

Thank you for the information. This friend wants me to clean up his rifle. The barrel is packed with the blackest/brownish grease I have ever seen. It's worse than any SKS I have cleaned in the past. What is the best way to take care of this mess.
Where can I find instructions for disassembly?
Can you give me a ball park value to tell him? He asked about insuring it and I don't have a clue.
Thank you again.

[jamie5070]

Some of the value will depend on the condition of the bore. If the bore is good I would think $450-600. If the bore is bad, a new barrel can set you back $2-300 to replace. A lot can depend on your area. I've seen very worn mix-masters sell in the $600 range in Tucson. There is a web site that has a lot of info on different milsurps, vizsshooters????.I don't remember the exact name. Some will know.

john

[bentonville]

Today a local gunsmith who knows military rifles appraised this rifle. He hasn't gotten inside of it yet but he rates the finish as 90%. The receiver and barrel have a matte blue finish and green colored parkerized parts on the floor plate, extractor, front barrel band and front sight assembly. It appears the bore is nice. The stock is definitely not a Winchester and is probably a WW2 replacement stock. The gun is estimated to be worth around 900 dollars. This is supposing the metal parts are W, I think. Is this in the ball park in your area?
How will acetone affect the stock appearance if rubbed with linseed oil after the cosmoline is removed from the stock? Thanks for the input.

[Mohawk]

I would use mineral spirits or Murphys Oil soap to clean the stock. Acetone is a bit harsh and can damage the wood by drying it out. Murphy's will take of the gunk and leave most of the finish in place. A coat or two of boiled linseed oil to follow will keep her looking great. Nice find...

[Chuckindenver]

900.00???dayum, i better dig out my 17,s and start selling....did he actually offer you that , or grab an amount out of the sky?
the last correct Winchester with nice Blue finish that i had with a nice bore, fetched 750.00 less then a year ago...
id say the value of said rifle, rebuild, with a nasty bore, is closer to 400.00. worth the some of the parts minus the barrel.
if the barrel checks out. maybe 550.00 600.00 tops.