1917 Winchester Enfield

[Narragansett]

I have a beautiful 1917 Enfield that I rescued in about 1975 from a LGS. The stocks were black with oil and sweated oil when fired. Handguards were cracked.

So I bought 2 surplus stocks from Ruvel and handguards. I made 1 full military stock, and cut one to be a drop in sporter.

Finished them both with about 25 coats of hand rubbed tung oil. It has not been fired since about 76. The metal is outstanding!

What is it worth?

 

[TJm15.38]

Well, one that is not all original is probably worth less to the serious collector who relishes originality over looks. Having said that, there are too many people out there who just want a 1917 Enfield that they can admire and shoot on occasion. So, really it's worth what some admirer will pay for it. If the rilfe is good mechanically with a good bore and passes a field gauge headspace check, it will be safe to shoot with military M2 ammo.
That makes it more desirable for the "casual collector" and shooter. Take a look on Gunbroker; they are going for anywhere between $500-2000 depending on the condition. If I were you, I would ask $1200 since it is not all original.

 

[Narragansett]

Well, one that is not all original is probably worth less to the serious collector who relishes originality over looks. Having said that, there are too many people out there who just want a 1917 Enfield that they can admire and shoot on occasion. So, really it's worth what some admirer will pay for it. If the rilfe is good mechanically with a good bore and passes a field gauge headspace check, it will be safe to shoot with military M2 ammo.
That makes it more desirable for the "casual collector" and shooter. Take a look on Gunbroker; they are going for anywhere between $500-2000 depending on the condition. If I were you, I would ask $1200 since it is not all original.

Who is to say what is original? These things were field serviced and parts clanged like people changed their underwear.

 

[AJ]

Who is to say what is original? These things were field serviced and parts clanged like people changed their underwear.

There are lots of folks out there would can tell if it is original or not. Most pieces are marked and wear patterns should match. Collectors want original not rebuilds. There are books to tell you what iis correct and what is not. True Collectors tend to turn up their noses at rebuilds. If they have one it is usually a "place holder" until a correct original comes along.

Considering I used weapons out the armory for 24 years, rebuilds are not a big deal to me. I look at them as "As Issued".

 

[Narragansett]

There are lots of folks out there would can tell if it is original or not. Most pieces are marked and wear patterns should match. Collectors want original not rebuilds. There are books to tell you what iis correct and what is not. True Collectors tend to turn up their noses at rebuilds. If they have one it is usually a "place holder" until a correct original comes along.

Considering I used weapons out the armory for 24 years, rebuilds are not a big deal to me. I look at them as "As Issued".

I know so many of these beauties had the ears milled off to make sporters. I was looking at GI, and they are 1200-2500. I guess it is not original, but as far as I know the only non original parts are surplus stocks. The original stock and handguards were shot and falling off the gun

 

[TJm15.38]

I know so many of these beauties had the ears milled off to make sporters. I was looking at GI, and they are 1200-2500. I guess it is not original, but as far as I know the only non original parts are surplus stocks. The original stock and handguards were shot and falling off the gun

You did exactly what I would have done for a rifle that was not surviceable. I did the exact same thing with an Ishapore No. 1 Mk III Enfield. It was sporterized, stock cut down and no where close to an original "look." I found a correct stock and a few parts from an drill rifle, scrubbed the painted drill markings off of it and refinished it with stain and linseed oil. It wasn't original; but it looked like an original when I sold it. You'll get good money out of it; it looks good.

 

[GypsmJim]

IMHO, it's worth $500. It's not in a "collectable" condition, so it's value would be to someone that wants to shoot it.

 

[mauser9]

Does look like an awesome job! It sure looks nice in that fresh condition.

 

[jaguargolf]

Bid on one that went to someone else for north of $800.

 

[AJ]

A friend just bought an Eddystone with a H.S. barrel and had an cartouche on the stock (O.G.E.K. = Ogden Arsenal Elmer Keith) indicating where it was rebuilt.. He also got a WW I Remington bayonet dated 1917. The bayonet is probably about $200-300 item. Price for the whole shooting match was $960 + tax & shipping.

Prices are going up on them.

 

[erikpolcrack]

It being a Winchester, it commands a premium. More desirable than a Remington and much more desirable than an Eddystone. The Brits went through all their shipments of the similar Pattern 14 rifles and pulled out all the Winchesters to test fire to pick out the rifles to be equipped for snipers. Well north of $1K for sure.

 

[LVSteve]

It being a Winchester, it commands a premium. More desirable than a Remington and much more desirable than an Eddystone. The Brits went through all their shipments of the similar Pattern 14 rifles and pulled out all the Winchesters to test fire to pick out the rifles to be equipped for snipers. Well north of $1K for sure.

The Brits did that more because the Winchester factory was incapable of building their P14s to the same pattern as Remington and ERA. Winchester had a bad habit of modifying stuff without permission or reference to the other manufacturers. They always thought they knew better. It's well know not to bother trying to fit Winchester parts in the other makers' rifles.

 

[biku324]

Here's what that rifle looked like in March 1918.

 

[Gene L]

congratulations on a fine looking rifle. I would like to see it with all the shine gone from the stock. Originally, the bare wood was dipped in a large vat of either linseed oil or tung oil and drip dried. It didn't shine. I used non-boiled (raw) linseed oil on mine. looks good.

 

[Rpg]

You’ve done a great job creating an attractive rifle.

As others have observed, collectors are unlikely to be interested in it. Nevertheless, as an attractive rifle, you will find some potential buyers that love it for what it is.

I’d be unlikely to offer more than $800 for it, just to have it.

 

[erikpolcrack]

The Brits did that more because the Winchester factory was incapable of building their P14s to the same pattern as Remington and ERA. Winchester had a bad habit of modifying stuff without permission or reference to the other manufacturers. They always thought they knew better. It's well know not to bother trying to fit Winchester parts in the other files.

I always heard that was an early problem mostly because Remington developed the rifle and Eddystone was not a problem following closely because it was owned by Remington. I know for a fact the Brits favored Winchesters for their sniper rifles. I also have had two custom magnum sporters made from P14 actions, and the gunsmith making them searched for Winchester actions and paid a premium for them. If you follow their sales on GunBroker, there is a steady price gap in Winchester's favor in both Pattern 14 and M1917 rifles and sporters.

 

[BB57]

A couple thoughts.

First, the only thing I have done differently is finish the stock with pure tung oil, which results in a military correct flat to slightly satin finish as the pores are completely filled, unlike polymerized tung oils or boiled linseed oil which produce a gloss finish.

That said, in military service, at least in the US, both pure tung oil and boiled linseed oil were commonly used at the unit level. I can’t speak to British practices.


Second, particularly during the inter war years, it was very common for soldiers and Marines in garrison to spend a significant amount of time cleaning their rifle and paying particular attention to hand rubbing the stock with pure tung oil or as an alternate boiled linseed oil.

I recall in the late 1980s, when very good to excellent condition, never exported, often older DCM, M1903A1 and M1917 Enfields were common at prices around $200 for the ‘03s and around $125 for the less desired M1917s, collectors were extremely picky. In part because the selection to choose from was ample.

I picked up the nicest 1903A1 I ever owned at a bargain price and it was in a little used, excellent, never arsenal rebuilt condition. However, it was looked down upon by collectors because the stock had a beautiful hand rubbed pure tung oil finish on it. All the cartouches were intact and it had clearly never been refinished. It had most likely had been issued to one or more soldiers or marines in a between the wars in a unit, where a nice looking stock on their issue rifle was a point of personal honor and unit pride for those professional military soldiers and Marines

Even if had been hand rubbed with pure tung oil by a post military civilian, probably veteran, owner, the finish was still consistent with a 1903A1 in service in the 1920s and 30s. If not in “as issued” then in a still correct “as used” condition.

And yet as it lacked the look of a factory dipped stock subsequently stored for decades in cosmoline it was viewed by collectors as being far less collectible.

I felt the opposite as it reflected its likely history and had a story to tell.

 

[Donn]

Picked up a Remington 1917 Enfield a few years back. Primo condition, all I needed to do was clean it. Bore was in excellent shape and it's a good shooter, but it had been awhile since it had a patch run down the bore. Didn't think it would ever come clean.

 

[Old_Cop]

Just like my Grandpa carried.

 

[AJ]

About 15 years ago, I was in a small gun shop in western Pa and saw a sporterized M1917. Was going to buy it for $175.00. The owner had some rifles hung on the rafters. He asked me a question about the rifle and I told him I was going to restore it, as the metal was all good and it just needed a new stock He directed my attention to the rafters and there hung a unmolested M1917. The price was $350.00, so I put back the sporterized one and bought the unmolested one. After I finished the deal, I turned around to talk to my friend. He had the sporterized one in his hands. He told me he could restore it the same as I could and bought it.