1917 Enfield

[BillCh]

Greeting all,

I've got a Model 1917 Enfield that has been sporterized (butchered) and
I want some advice as to wether its worth fixing up.

As it sits now, it would probably make a decent fence post. The stock its in looks like it was carved with an axe. The barrel looks to be shot out and has some rust in it at the muzzle end. It still shoots, and relatively well for its poor condition. Originally a Marvel, the front sight post is mashed pretty good and is leaning over to the left. The receiver was drilled and fitted with an old, worn out Lyman adjustable peep rear sight. The ways are worn out ant the adjustment screws a bent and inoperable. In its day I'm sure it was the cats meow.

My question is, is it salvageable?

Really, the only thing that is possibly worth messing with is the action itself. For the money that it would cost for a barrel and a stock and shop fee's I could easily replace it with any old 30-06, but that's not the point. The biggest reason for me to build off of this action is that its close to 100 years old.

Thanks

B

 

[NCsmitty]

It might be salvageable.

NCsmitty

 

[Durby]

Mine was butchered, although not quite as bad. I opened the bolt face to a magnum and turned it into a 375 Ruger. its a good gun for big cartridges. I put it in a MPI synthetic stock and put a Leupold 2.5-8 on it. Collector value on these guns is only if the rear sight "wings" are on there, mine were already filed off so i didn't mind modifying the gun. I could have bought a new rifle for what i have into it, but it is unique.

 

[Jim K]

The days of surplus Enfield barrels for $5 each are just a bit in the past. In fact I can't locate pre-threaded barrels for that rifle at all, so one would have to be made from a blank. For the cost of that "little" job, consult your local gunsmith. It ain't like sticking a barrel on a Mauser 98, believe me.

There was talk about CMP having some barrels made, but I haven't heard further and I can't find anything on their web site about barrels.

I think that the barrel work alone would run close to $1000 but, like I say, consult your gunsmith.

You can Google "barrel Model 1917 Enfield" for some more info and names of gunsmiths.

Jim

 

[Big Az Al]

As someone has said you will probably end up with the cost of a new gun by the time you get it built to look good and hopefully shoot better.

Pick the barrel of your choice, the cost installation (depends on the smith) add 50 to 100 dollares to the usual 150 dollar charge for installing a barrel, so the cost of the Barrel plus another 200 or 250 dollars.

Then the cost of the new stock, the cost of fitting the stock to barreled action, the cost or your effort to finish the new stock. OH and the butplate or recoil pad.

Stay with the standard cartridge head calipers or open the bolt face to a magnum an extra cost.

Was the trigger guard modified to take the step away, an ugly set up or do that, an extra cost.

Stay with the military trigger or the extra cost of a sporter trigger

the sighting system

the metal finish

The end result is you will save money buying a rifle off the shelf,

But you end up with, when done right a rifle that is truly yours (NO extra value there)

that can turn all your friends green with envy PRICELESS!

Many good smiths got their start doing what you are asking if it can be done!

The really great one charge a LOT!

 

[velocette]

I'm a little past the half way point on a '17 Emfield that I purchased in a condition similar to yours. My barrel had been replaced by the military many years ago and is in very good shape, but overall, like you, I started with just a barreled action that needed a lot of TLC.
At this point, the ears are gone & the back of the receiver has been rounded and re-shaped. The magazine floorplate / triggerguard has been straigtened.
A straight grained sporter style stock was sourced from the internet at a reasonable price. The stock has taken a lot of work to fit the action & barrel. More than I had thought. A Dayton Traister trigger & cock on opening set has been installed, the bolt handle has been straitened & shortened too. The barreled action is now at a gunsmith to have its barrel shortened enough to eliminate the front sight mounts, to have a target crown machined & finally to be drilled & tapped for Weaver mounts. I estimate that I will be finished with the work in about two more months. (don't hold your breath on that estimate) I will then have a custom built rifle that fits me perfectly and that few folks will ever have. I will also have spent more money than it would cost for a low to mid level new rifle and more man hours than it would take to earn the money to buy said rifle.
However, the many hours of labor invested have kept me out of the bars and away from the many south Florida floozies.
When it's done, I'll post pictures here.

Roger

 

[e3mrk]

At the cost of Parts anymore maybe You would be better off buying another Rifle in nice condition.
I paid around $250.00 for this one a couple of years ago.
.
I also restored a #4 MK-1 for a winter project that was fun to do but not cost effective.

 

[velocette]

e3mrk;
What you have is a Lee Enfield SMLE in .303 Brit. A fine British battle rifle.
What we are discussing is a US Rifle 1917 Enfield, chambered in US Caliber .30 of 1906, aka 30-06, Model P14.
The US rifle was made in the US by Remington at several locations and used in WW I and II. There were many more P 14s issued to our doughboys than '03 Springfields. It's action is a copy of the German Mauser and was viewed then and now as being extremely strong. It was also the basic action that Remington used in their commercial model 30.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu71.htm

Roger

 

[BillCh]

Thanks for all the replies, but I'm not encouraged.

I did find new replacement barrels from CMP. The price was pretty reasonable at about $200. I'm not sure if I really want to stay with 30-06. For some reason I'd like to try something smaller. .270 doesn't appeal to me, maybe 25-06. Any suggestion as to a varmint caliber that's doable? I realize I'd have to have a barrel made. I don't think that the smithing charges would be that much more to install a custom barrel than a standard '17 CMP barrel.

I also got a line on aftermarket wooden sporter stocks, nothing fancy but far better than what I have now. I'd have to make a phone call or two to see what stock profiles they can inlet for the '17.

I don't know exactly what trigger or bottom metal this thing has now, but I can tell you its ugly. It matches the rest of the rifle perfectly.

I can see how a guy could get a lot of money wrapped up in a project like this.

Thanks again for all of the input.

 

[Jim K]

There is a problem with installing an M1917 or M1903 barrel that does not happen with something like the Mauser 98.

That is that the extractor cut in the barrel breech has to be in the right place, and it can't be cut after the barrel is in place. In the old days, the barrel was threaded before the extractor cut or sight bases were machined, and a gauge used to put a reference mark (some call it a witness mark or draw line) on the barrel. That mark became the reference point for cutting the extractor slot and machining the sight bases.

But new barrels don't have that mark. That means that the barrel has to be fully installed, the extractor cut position marked, the barrel removed, the extractor cut made, and the barrel re-installed. All of which is a PITA and increases the time and cost of installing the barrel.

Jim

 

[Rancho Relaxo]

Well the good news is that an upgraded trigger is very cheap from Timney. I think I paid $50 or so for mine. I was given an Eddystone '17 that was reblued and had a 22-250 heavy contour barrel installed. A new trigger, new stock and some scope bases and I was on my way. I have another '17 barreled action in '06 with a Lyman rear sight. I'm a .270 guy so I don't really have a use for it though.

 

[Three44s]

I lucked out ........ I found a bubbaed M1917 that was done tastefully!

Mine is a Remington that wears a Winchester barrel and is still an '06. It has a good sporter stock and a Redfield appeture sight.

The gunsmith that did the sportsterizing must of also helped the original trigger. No kicks on it either!

Life is good!

Three 44s

 

[mbonner]

That Lee-Enfield is a No1 MkIII.
The US made Enfields are the Pattern 14 in 303, and the Pattern 1917, in 30-06
Mike

 

[Harley Quinn]

BillCh,
Care to share a pic, of this beater you have

Regards