Hey guys. I have an Eddystone model of 1917. It has been reworked as a target rifle and is very accurate but I have a question about the barrel. The barrel is 26 inches long, it has a flaming bomb and "JA" stamped at the muzzle end with no date. IT is a 2 groove barrel. Being it's a 26 inch barrel I would think that rules out this is a modified 1903 barrel. Anybody got any thoughts about the origins of this barrel?
Eddystone Model of 1917 barrel question
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daniel (australia)
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"J A" stands for Johnson Automatics, contracted by the US Govt to manufacture replacement barrels as part of a program to refurbish Model 1917s in 1943-44.
glimmerman
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+1 on daniels post. That is the replacement barrel put on when it was rebuilt.
one eye joe
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My Winchester is five groove, left hand twist.
ken grant
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1917 barrels were 5 groove and had .311 bores. They were leftovers from the P14 contracts.
Even after the war Remington made their M30's with these barrels.
Even after the war Remington made their M30's with these barrels.
daniel (australia)
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According to no less an authority than Hatcher's Notebook:
Hatcher goes on to make the point that with the five-groove rifing there's no placce where groove diameter can be measured directly, but that in an overall sense the Enfield barrels were actually
Hatcher goes on to say:
All of the original 1917s were five groove. On refurbishment some were changed to four groove with barrels made by Hi-Standard Manufacturing, and some were changed to 2 groove with the Johnson Automatics barrels.
The Remington Model 30 was a post WWI sporter based on the M17 action - Remington had vast inventory and production capacity for these when WWI ended, so stuck a rather skinny sporter stock on a lightly modified M17 and put them on the market in 1921. They were refined a bit further as time went on, as the Model 30 Express and later 30S and other variants, and the line was finally discontinued about 1941.
Hatcher goes on to make the point that with the five-groove rifing there's no placce where groove diameter can be measured directly, but that in an overall sense the Enfield barrels were actually
Hatcher goes on to say:
All of the original 1917s were five groove. On refurbishment some were changed to four groove with barrels made by Hi-Standard Manufacturing, and some were changed to 2 groove with the Johnson Automatics barrels.
The Remington Model 30 was a post WWI sporter based on the M17 action - Remington had vast inventory and production capacity for these when WWI ended, so stuck a rather skinny sporter stock on a lightly modified M17 and put them on the market in 1921. They were refined a bit further as time went on, as the Model 30 Express and later 30S and other variants, and the line was finally discontinued about 1941.
Roswell 1847
member
Two groove barrels can be highly accurate, depending on how well they were finished.
I had a two grove .303 barreled Savage no4 and the barrel had tool marks where the cherry or spud had chattered.
I lapped the broad lads using a tight fitting leather patch and 1000 grit silicon carbide paper then lapped and polished it bright with "steel chalk".
The gun makes one hole groups at 50 yards , the hole being less than 7/16th diameter.
Thats with a 150 grn .312 Hornady over 43.5 grains of 4320.
I figure than a two groove barrel would continue to be accurate even if the edges of the lands were worn down to nothing. It would effectively become an "Oval Bore" at that point, and might require oversize bullets but still have accuracy potential.
PS
Some .30/06 Mausers are rechambered 7.65X53 guns. These can have bores of .314 at times.
If a .312 Hornady bullet is used in a reload they generally shoot with a great deal better accuracy.
Of course thats an arsenal rechambering job using a looser neck than a tight sporting chamber so theres enough room to seat the larger bullet without inducing higher pressures.
I had a two grove .303 barreled Savage no4 and the barrel had tool marks where the cherry or spud had chattered.
I lapped the broad lads using a tight fitting leather patch and 1000 grit silicon carbide paper then lapped and polished it bright with "steel chalk".
The gun makes one hole groups at 50 yards , the hole being less than 7/16th diameter.
Thats with a 150 grn .312 Hornady over 43.5 grains of 4320.
I figure than a two groove barrel would continue to be accurate even if the edges of the lands were worn down to nothing. It would effectively become an "Oval Bore" at that point, and might require oversize bullets but still have accuracy potential.
PS
Some .30/06 Mausers are rechambered 7.65X53 guns. These can have bores of .314 at times.
If a .312 Hornady bullet is used in a reload they generally shoot with a great deal better accuracy.
Of course thats an arsenal rechambering job using a looser neck than a tight sporting chamber so theres enough room to seat the larger bullet without inducing higher pressures.
Oohrah
Member
Yep, A few two groove barrels were used for whatever reason. They
were first used and coverted from the 1914 in 303., to the 1917 in the
30-06 to supplement the 03s that were starting up and not full production.
Already tooled up for and producing the 1917 was Winchester, Remington,
and Eddystone (Remington Plant also). After 03s in production for awhile,
short cuts with some stamped parts and two groove barrels were a modified
03 called 03As. These two grooved barrels were also very accurate and a
further modification to a sniper version. 03A4 that I think were over 500,000.
Afterwards Remington modified the 1917 rifle for sporting use and designated
it a Remington Model 30. Many 1917s were sporterized and even magnitized
to belted calibers in the 60s. Very hard to find originals with a bright clean
bore as this was still in the days of corrosive primers!
were first used and coverted from the 1914 in 303., to the 1917 in the
30-06 to supplement the 03s that were starting up and not full production.
Already tooled up for and producing the 1917 was Winchester, Remington,
and Eddystone (Remington Plant also). After 03s in production for awhile,
short cuts with some stamped parts and two groove barrels were a modified
03 called 03As. These two grooved barrels were also very accurate and a
further modification to a sniper version. 03A4 that I think were over 500,000.
Afterwards Remington modified the 1917 rifle for sporting use and designated
it a Remington Model 30. Many 1917s were sporterized and even magnitized
to belted calibers in the 60s. Very hard to find originals with a bright clean
bore as this was still in the days of corrosive primers!
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I picked up a 1917 last year that looks very much like the one you have but it has an original Winchester barrel. The barrel is in great shape and I got it for a very good price. They are great rifles and I'm glad I bought it when I did...
nx302stang
Member
Arch, How much did you pick that one up for?
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