P 1917 Rifle Conversation

jimmyj · Dec 22, 2009

Hi:
In a "By Gone" era Military Model 1917 .30cal Rifles were sportified into hunting rifle. Sporter stocks, rear sight ears taken off, etc. If I recall some were rechambered to .300 Winchester??.
The ones I recall were real classics.
Are any of these still around?
Jimmy

pete-driver · Dec 22, 2009

I love the 1917. I have a few. My first, a Remington was already customized when I bought it. I put a Leupold scope on it and then found the barrel was bad. I then tried to melt my credit card and put a medium heavy custom match barrel on it. It is now my main deer rifle and will shoot a half minute if I do my part.

I also have two Eddystone's in original unaltered condition. I have shot these in the CMP matches. I do okay with them but the barrels aren't in the best of shape. Here is a picture of my bolt guns, a Eddystone at the top also with a barreled receiver I have yet to restore.

Centenniel · Dec 22, 2009

Several years ago I traded into a P14 action. It is the same basic action as the P17, but was chambered for the 303 British cartridge. I also got a Bishop stock in the deal. A couple years ago, I has a local gunsmith make it up into a 450 Marlin. The rifle turned out very nice and it feeds and functions smoothly. The accuracy is excellent.

rburg · Dec 22, 2009

I've got a Winchester in my safe. My dad bought it from the DCM long ago. I remember as a kid in the 1950s helping my dad in the basement. Yes, he ruined it by today's standards. Many hours of filing and sanding and polishing. He bought a stock from a mail order house from an ad in the American Rifleman. More sanding and fitting.

I think I'll give it away to one of my sons. He needs it more than I do. The other son got his other grandfathers guns, and he'll soon be getting the family 45-70. I have way too many guns. Giving them away will reduce that overage.

Dad was a Winchester man. I have no idea how he managed to get a Winchester instead of the less desireable Eddystone. He spent hours reading about why the Winchesters were the best. Back in the day, almost every sporting magazine like Sports Afield, Outdoor life, and others had mandatory articles on sporterizing each of the models of surplus rifles. Dad carried a 1917 in WWII, so he loved the gun. He could shoot it as fast as most can fire a semi-auto. They'd taught him to roll, cycle the bolt, and come back on target.

Jim in Wisconsin · Dec 22, 2009

Some years ago (like 50+) I was in Iowa when a local fellow took me under his wing (small town-not a lot to do!). He showed me a '17 that was converted to .22 Varminter. Now, the .22-250. Looked like the proverbial sledge hammer to drive a tack.
First time I ever saw anything 'vaporized'.
IIRC he had a Fecker scope on it?

Vulcan Bob · Dec 23, 2009

Oh yeah, I do like the US Rifle Model of 1917! Like an idiot I sold off two of mine to help finance a new Harley ten years ago. I did pick up a nice Winchester two years ago, I was lucky as its all there and just dropped into a Bishop's sporter stock. All I need is the wood to bring it back. Man it's a shooter, does real well even with that Greek surplus ammo.

2152hq · Dec 23, 2009

A 1917 Enfield was my first hi-powered rifle. Bought it while in HS from another class mate. $25 and we made the exchange at school & I walked 2mi home with it. Try that today.

Have had several and sold them all through the years. A real nice DCM Remington is the one I should have kept. An OGCA buy for $160 at the last IX Center show.
I've sporterized a few and they made great if somewhat heavy rifles.

A sporter 1917 w/a 6X Weaver was my 'chuck gun for quite a while.
Cheap 30-06 milsurp ammo @ $3/100 or there abouts was much better on the wallet than the commercial ammo. That stuff cost $3 or $4 /per 20!
There are alot of bigbore rifles built on the 1917 and the P14. Their strength, mag box size and the P14's bolt head size makes them a good choice. There's even a 2 and 3 position side swing safety bolt shroud available for them.
They were good w/cast bullets too. Light to midrange loads and the rear site up for elevation could print some nice groups at 100yrds

I passed on a nice Remington Express 30S in 30-06 last gunshow. Keep wondering if I did the right move. An earlier 30A (?) in 35 Remington was available too but in worn,sad condition and the guy only wanted $900!!

PALADIN85020 · Dec 23, 2009

Just a minor point - there never was a "P 1917." There was, in fact, a "P.14" or Pattern 14 "Enfield," in .303 British caliber. The American arm was officially the "U.S. Rifle, Model of 1917" and was in .30/06 caliber. Since we were already tooled up for the P.14 which we had manufactured for the British, it was easy to convert the three plants that made that arm to tool up for a .30/06 near-twin. The three plants were Remington, in Ilion NY, Winchester in New Haven CT, and the Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company in Eddystone, PA. Eddystone made the most, Remington next, and Winchester the fewest. Hence Winchesters are more sought after today as collectors items. More troops in WWI were armed with the Model of 1917 than were equipped with the Model of 1903 Springfield.

The rifle below, belonging to me, was made at Winchester and left the factory in September, 1918.

Although many were sporterized, this is now regarded as a sin and only the full-military versions are considered valuable today. Still, Model 1917 sporters proved to be exceptionally strong, and many were chambered/barreled for higher-pressure magnum calibers with generally no bad results. Remington's Model 30 was based on the 1917 action and was their premier sporting rifle in the period 1921 - 1940.

Rule 303 · Dec 23, 2009

I have a Winchester 1917 Military Rifle.
Nice Gun.
I bouht it in 1965.
Still looks new.

Rule 303

Barnacle Bill · Dec 23, 2009

I picked up a 1917 way back in the 60`s, and had it sporterized and re-chambered to 300 H & H.Don`t shoot it as often as I used to,but still have it. It is quite heavy (Has a scope on it.) but I am grateful for that
extra weight every time I pull that trigger. Have had a number of rifles over the years, but this one is still one of my favorites.

Wyo · Dec 23, 2009

The first centerfire rifle I ever used was a 1917 that my Granddad remodeled. It was very nicely done and was a joy to shoot, but the old 3/4" Weaver scope he had on top of it wasn't so good. Couldn't see the crosshairs at all, so you kind of looked through it like a window and hoped for the best. I also had a friend that had a 7mm Mag. built on a 1917 action. It had a bull barrel and a thumbhole stock and weighed about 14 pounds scoped and loaded. It was a bear to carry but I watched him kill a big bull elk with it one time. He shot prone over a pack rested on a downed log and that elk had to have been well over 700 yards away. He said he was holding about 3' over his antlers, and the rifle was zeroed at 400 yds. Longest shot I ever saw on big game. I have a lot of fond memories of the old 1917.

P 1917 Rifle Conversation

jimmyj

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pete-driver

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Centenniel

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rburg

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Jim in Wisconsin

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Vulcan Bob

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2152hq

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PALADIN85020

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Rule 303

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Barnacle Bill

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Wyo

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