Scope mount for M1917

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wcoats

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I recently picked up a sporterized Remington M1917 from a local gun shop. It has been shortened by about 2 inches, and the sights have been completely removed. The ears have been grouned down, and there is a drilled and tapped hole in the center of the receiver, and another one directly about where the bolt closes. I've had a few people tell me it looks like it might be able to take a redfield one piece scope base, but they weren't sure, and i wasn't sure which one would fit it. I took it to a gunsmith and they said they could make a custom mount for it, but i would prefer not to resort to that. I found an S&K "no-drill, no-tap" mount for it online, but i'm not sure if this will work since the ears have been ground off. What does the S&K mount attach to, and will it work with my rifle?

Thanks for any help!
 
just to clarify, this is a M1917 enfield, they were made by Remington, Winchester and Eddystone in 1917 and 1918 since there weren't enough 03springfields to go around.
 
Post a picture of the receiver. Sporterized 1917 were done many different ways. If your was drilled in the past for a base the best bet is to match it.
As for making "custom mounts"
There are (or were) fairly standard mounting systems that gunsmith milled the receiver to fit. If you get "custom mount made and some happens to them, you will have to have custom ones made again.($$$$ugh)
1917 are great rifles, I was hunting with a loaner one this weekend, It was an old sporterized job with a Bishop stock and 4X32 Jana scope still in 3006. Shot good,
 
thanks, i'll try and get some pics up tomorrow. i'm not sure how to go about matching it with a mount, and don't want to end up ordering several mounts that don't fit.
 
ok, here is a pic of the receiver
wcoats1


now from the side
wcoats1
 
It looks like someone might already have mounted a scope, but I have no idea what kind of bases/ring would fit.

The built up platform with a tapped hole on the rear of the receiver is not "normal" for a bubbaed M1917.

Post more pics of the top of the action.

I used a side mounted scope base when I bubbaed a M1917 in 1974. Im so ashamed.

"A 14 year old boy, a primo M1917, an old bench mounted grinder, a copy of Williams "Converting Military Rifles", and Old Man Murphy watching on in horror as the receiver glowed red under the grinding wheel"
 
There were two usual ways to grind a 1917's sight ears off. To the same radius as the receiver ring and to the lower contour of a Model 700. Yours looks like it was cut for the latter, and then a pad added so it would take a scope base for the former. But I do not know of a scope mount with only two screws. A Redfield JR could probably be made to fit, but it might take drilling another hole or two and maybe modifying the base, which would bring it into the custom category the gunsmith talked about.

The S&K Instamount is made to attach to the factory rear sight base and will not likely work on your altered gun.
 
Since I haven't been able to figure out which mount it needs yet, I think I may have to get a custom mount made. A local gunsmith said he could make me a custom mount for about $100, does that seem like a reasonalbe price?
 
Not sure this helps but here is a 1917 that I scoped a few years back. I used two piece weaver bases and offset rings. P1140622.gif
 
Measure the holes distance and diameter/thread pitch and call Brownells. I hope that receiver ring hole is OK to be that far back :/.
 
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I would suggest finding a gunsmith who isn't set on making a custom mount for your rifle. A Weaver #11 base, intended for a Shilen DGA action (or other flat receivers), should be doable for the rear mount. You'll have to determine what Weaver base most closely fits the receiver ring - I'd suggest contacting Brownells Tech Line on that one. Have your gunsmith drill and tap the appropriate holes, shim the mounts appropriately, and you're in business.

All this should cost you significantly less than $100, provided you do the leg work.
 
thanks, for the help. i'll get on google to look up Brownells number. how do i measure the thread pitch?
 
Does anyone know if any of the Redfield JR 1-peice bases would fit? They look like they would work, if i could get one that would have the holed the proper distance apart, and match the curviture of the receiver ring. ps. the two drilled and tapped holes are about 10.6cm apart.
 
A few old pics of mine. Been this way longer than I can remember.
I can take more pics later when I can get in the safe without waking up the wife if ya want.

P1000260.jpg

P1000262.jpg

P1000259.jpg
 
"I put a generic weaver one piece on a 1914, which is the same as a 1917."
what modification did you have to do to the deneric weaver on piece to get it to fit your receiver ring?

Also, powermad, I like the look of the stock in your pics. What kind of Stock is that?
 
Also, powermad, I like the look of the stock in your pics. What kind of Stock is that?

Wood?
I really don't know who made it. I remember my grandmother shooting it when I was a little boy, I'm 40 now.
 
Wow, things have changed. I did a 1914 in 1988 with an actual Weaver made 1 piece base. I cannot find a 1 piece base for a 1917 or P14.

First, once you cut the ears off of a 1917, the after market bases for milsurps are out. That means finding a set for a Remington Model 30 (Civilian version of the 1917) without ears. The only ones I can find are 2 piece bases and from your picture, you only have a single hole in the receiver, so you need a one piece base.

I think we are back to taking it to a gunsmith you trust and have them modify and/shim a base to fit.

Or, you may want to think about a receiver sight and a nice ramp and front sight.
 
Thanks for the help so far. Do you guys think it would be cheaper to get two more holes drilled and tapped so i could use that 2 piece base for a Model 30 Remington, or to get a custome 1 peice base made?
 
Assuming the holes you have are sound (deep enough with good strong threads), I think getting a generic aluminum 1 piece mount drilled and fitted is the way to go pricewise.

Find (call around, check with friends or local ranges) a gunsmith with enough grey hair that a 1917 won't be a total unknown, and get an estimate or two. I think a 1917 based sporter is heavy enough, that a two screw 1 piece base will hold, as long as you do not put some 2+ pound uber scope on it.

It is time to let someone who can put hands on it, eyeball and measure to determine the relative height of the two mounting surfaces, the soundness of the holes, and give a thumbs up (or down) and put a dollar amount to the project.

I have a drill press and a few smithing tools, taps, dies, but have only made muzzleloader barrels (touch holes, breech plugs, crowns, liners, sight dovetails). Modern firearms are too hard, especially on the outside surface of milsurps, to tempt me to even try. I had a tried and true feller in downtown Louisville to do my Mauser drilling and tapping. He died about 10 years back.
 
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