US rifle cal.30 M1917 sporter

[longshot7.62x51]

heres the back story About 15 years ago i was given by my grandmother a 1/2 sporterized m1917 sans Stock sights have been removed from receiver and barrel. i have since aquired all parts to make it function - sights. any ideas about what i can biuld with this and can you blue over the park or should it be stripped the blued

thanks in advance

Longshot

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'd scope it and ignore irons.

You cannot blue over parkerization, you have to strip and polish the metal. Probably will cost more than it's worth to do that, though.

 

[cordell]

What Can I Build On A 1917

Hi Longshot,
Anything you want!!!!!!!!... This action has been one of the favorites over the years for building the big bores, why not pick one and start now? Fred Barnes of Barnes Bullets fame built many rifles based on the .300WM or .375H&H case. I still own 2, a .450 Barnes Supreme and a .276 Barnes-Johnson, both are excellent cartridges and both built on the 1917 action. I also have 2 other 1917's in .458WM and standard 30-06.

Are you looking to save the barreled action you have now? If so you are just a few steps away from a complete rifle. I do not like composit or laminated stocks but if you are going to use this as a tool, they are great and most of the time your barreled action will just drop in. Unless this has sentimental value Vern is correct it would be labor intensive to strip off the parkerizing. On the other hand I have seen some nice looking hunting weapons with black stocks and parkerized finishes........... Where exactly do you want to go with this rascal???? Take care and God bless....cordell

 

[Slamfire]

I have a sporterized M1917 and the owner had the gunsmith grind the rear receiver bridge down. They had to remove those rear sight protector ears. This was common and it was expensive.

Maybe there are no drill mounts available now.

You can buy a almost drop in 30-06 barrel for the P17 from the CMP. These Criterion barrels are new and better than any old military barrel. I don't remember it being slotted for a front sight. The barrel was blued.

Be aware, you can sink a lot of money into one of these custom jobs, and the gun will not be worth what you put into it.

 

[BrocLuno]

I'd build a 375 H&H on that action. Make a Bear/Moose/whatever gun out of it and then have fun

 

[longshot7.62x51]

Thanks for all the info im prob going to stay with 30-06 just cause its close 308 that im used to and i already have relaoding dies (Garand eats 30 06) although the .458 WM is an idea what all will i have to change besids the bolt face and barrel and where can i find a bolt face and some walnut (I dont like synth sept for work work) or maybe 375wm

 

[AlexanderA]

Once somebody grinds the "ears" off a '17 Enfield, it becomes totally worthless to a collector. Beyond restoration. Cryin' shame so many were ruined. OK, you might end up with a second-rate sporter. Again, practically worthless -- or rather, you'll never get back what you put into it to make it a sporter.

 

[db_tanker]

hmmm....sounds to me like fertile ground for a 35 Whelen.

 

[longshot7.62x51]

what goes into a rifle is time and money but im of a mind once i have a rifle it dosent leave the collection to live with some one else (this has posed problems) since safe space is limited and i move every 2 to 4 years i have to make yearly trips home my folks place to store them until i have a place where i can have 2 or 3 safes. so the cost making operational again is that it wont leave the collection since i wont sell it/trade it.

 

[skyhorse]

I disagree with alexander's comment that a sporterized M1917 is totally worthless, a cryin' shame, ruined or in any way second rate.

By the way, it is not an Enfield, the correct nomenclature was posted at the begining of the thread.

I love mine and I am proud of it! I am not a curator of a milsurp museum, I'm a marksman and a hunter.

Longshot's rifle is a gift from his family and may indeed be priceless to him. I say congratulations on owning one of my favorite rifles.

LS-I have seen a few original stocks on ebay and gunbroker.com. Williams and Marbles both made will-fit sights. I would call williams as I understand they still do machine work.

If Grandpa still has the elephant ears,volley sight and the last 4" of the barrel sitting on his workbench, I would like to have them to make a livingroom lamp!

 

[doubleh]

I sporterized one many years ago when they were worth very little and no one imagined they ever would be. I did all the work myself and it is not a "second rate" sporter. It has always shot Remington factory ammo into 1" or less groups at 100 yards. It's no slouch in looks either.

They were looked down on compared to Springfields in the military rifle sporterizing days but personally I think they make a better looking rifle than the Springfields when done right. It was just a hell of a lot more work to do them right than the Springfields.

 

[longshot7.62x51]

skyhorse alas my grand father is no longer counted among the living but when i return state side in july i will look in my box o parts and see if i have any of thouse im pretty sure i still have the volley sight. ill hit you up when i get back if you like

 

[cordell]

longshot,
It can be costly to do it right but why not do it a little bit at a time? I wrote up the story behind building .416 Remingtons with my brother in law. We started out with the P-14 and ended up with (IMHO) beautiful rifles. The P-14 was what the 1917 was based on, one was in .303 Brit and of course the other was 30-06. I am attaching pictures of the two rifles to show you what can be done to the 1917. Because of the fact you have opted to stay with the 30-06 you have eliminated one of the major costs.

The two items that you may want to consider is having the ears ground off and the trigger guard straightened. Then you can opt to go with or without sights..... The top rifle pictured is my BIL's and is without sights, the lower one sports 4 leaf express sights. I will also try to find the picture of my .458WM that I built on a 1917 action.

Since this is going to be a labor of love, you do not have to worry about making a profit on your project, and there isn't a time limit so you can start or end anytime you wish.

doubleh, you wouldn't happen to have a picture of your rifle that you could share with longshot would you? And as a matter of fact anyone else who has done a P14 or 1917 please post a few pictures so that longshot can get an idea of what an old warhorse can look like. Take care and God bless.. cordell

 

[earlthegoat2]

any ideas about what i can biuld with this

Anything you want!!!!!!!!...

This is true. Google .577 Tyrannasaur. Dont look at videos. Read about A-Squared Hannibal rifles.

 

[AlexanderA]

The U.S. M1917 (.30-06) was based on the British Pattern 14, which used the .303 British rimmed cartridge. However, the Pattern 14 was in turn based on the experimental Pattern 13, which used a .276 rimless cartridge. So, in adapting to the .30-06 U.S. rimless round, the design came full circle. That may be one reason why the conversion worked out so successfully.

 

[BrocLuno]

Both of my P17's are in a state of disassembly as they advance toward hunting. They both had the ears ground off by others before me. My BIL has his fathers issued P17 (coastal watch - WWII) that was overlooked by some robbers back in the day. So if we have a hankering for an all original, it's there to be shot. Mine will be sporters, just nicer than the bubba jobs they came to me as.

cordell, those are truly lovely rifles.

One of my better friends shoots (hunts) a P17 sporter and it's his favorite brush gun with peeps.

Worthless, I don't think so - they make excellent projects and good hunters. What's wrong with that?

 

[JShirley]

Not worthless at all. I have 2 1917, and 2 P14 sporters. One of the 17s was bubba'd, but one ain't.

 

[Bob58]

"Worthless, I don't think so - they make excellent projects and good hunters. What's wrong with that? "

Amen, Brother BrocLuno

I love Remington model 30's and nicely done 1917 sporters.

 

[longshot7.62x51]

cor: your challange has been exceped i see now what must be done im calling my brother (keeper of my collection while deployed) and he is taking it to our fam gunsmith for step one
cause i donet feel like striping and polishing when i get back then blueing.

cor did you have your bolts released jewled or am i mistaken and are the bolts jeweled?????? i think this will offer nice contrast

 

[mljdeckard]

I did find a no-drill/tap mount, my dad put it on my grandfather's old one. I googled it, I have no idea where it came from.

 

[cordell]

longshot,
Both the bolt release and bolt are jeweled, along with the follower. I am posting 4 rather bad pictures of my .458WM, and will dig out my .450 Barnes Supreme (that was one of Fred Barnes personal guns) and post it also.

The .458 has a way to go with it's no frills bolt, but it may just stay the way it is while it is in my custody. It fits me, and has a peep sight that lines up perfectly when I throw it up to my shoulder.

BrocLuno, thank you for the kind words, both rifles have taken Russian boar and the lower one was made for Africa, but never made the trip. I opted for plains game instead and used a .270......

longshot, thank you for serving, we owe a great deal of gratitude to the men and women we have placed in harms way, our prayers are with you. Take care and God bless....cordell

 

[doubleh]

Cordell, those are beautiful rifles. I don't have a picture of mine. It looks a great deal like the top one in your first post. The rear of the receiver was ground to accept a Win. Mod. 70 scope base and the floor plate was straightened and the trigger guard reshaped. The bolt handle was straightened, shortened and polished. Bolt is jeweled. I polished and blued the rifle using Herter's (remember them?) Belgian Blue. The stock is a norther black walnut blank from Herter's. It wears a black fore end tip and grip cap and I checkered it with a traditional diamond pattern. Pachmayr recoil pad. 1"detachable sling swivels. Full length glass bedding was the thing back then and it was done with Accraglas. I added a Timney trigger and it wears a 2X7 scope. I did the entire project except for drilling and tapping for the scope bases and I didn't have the tools to do that when I built the rifle. The stock is also straight grained as I didn't have the money for anything fancier. A wife and two little kids took about everything I could rustle up.

It's my oldest grandson's now. He fell in love with it the first time I let him take it deer hunting. I can't imagine a better owner for it.

 

[skyhorse]

Longshot, Let me thank you also for your service to our Country. I am glad to hear you
have the project underway and I will check in to hear how the progress is coming along.
Please do drop me a line when you get out this way.

Cordell has some awesome rifles and shows just how far you can go to build a one of a
kind rifle. The value of anything is what we place on it.Weather it be our friends & family,
our homes, our liberties or an old rifle.

My rifles are from a working lot. They are not pretty but they work flawlessly and are put
to work. I take care of them and am proud of them. When I choose to give someone the
‘gun tour’ I include the history of the rifle. Not just the manufacturing, but why it was an
important for that nation. The M1917 is a piece of history that can be held while learning
about WW1 and WW2. My Dad was issued a M1917 as a Navy See Bee during WW2.

Here is a picture of our bolt action larger game rifles. The top one is my Wife’s 1943
Enfield Mk.4 No.1 .303 Brit.with a bantam stock. It resembles the ‘jungle carbine’ and it’s
a joy to shoot.

The bottom rifle is my 1918 Remington U.S. Rifle Cal .30 M1917. It has the original
stock with some ergonomic revisions. The bolt has been plated and polished. It has
Marbles sights and is drilled and tapped for a model 700 short. This rifle also is a joy to
shoot.

We appreciate both of these rifles very much.

 

[BrocLuno]

Yup, wonderful ...

Cordell, those are beautiful rifles. ...

It's my oldest grandson's now. He fell in love with it the first time I let him take it deer hunting. I can't imagine a better owner for it.

I agree - there is nothing better than a family heir loom and one built by the previous generation (or two). Even if the youngster decides to modify it in some way, it just adds to the story and the family connections. I'll bet there are lot of P17's out there doing just that?

 

[dirtyjim]

This is true. Google .577 Tyrannasaur. Dont look at videos. Read about A-Squared Hannibal rifles.

a-square was to lazy to have the 577 trex classified as a sporting round by the atf so any rifle built for it must be registered as a destructive device.

i've been thinking about a doing a 416 rigby or a 500 accrell on a 1917 for a while & yes i know i could buy a remchester in 416 remington for much cheaper