Good bit of info there seafire. I love the m1917's. However, I started out with one when I was 12, so I'm a little partial. One of my buddies has a Winchester m1917 and he is hard on it. He will shoot one right after the other until the oil starts coming out of the stock. When he's done, his hands are brown and the right side of his face is too. His rifle is nearly shot out but we still manage 3" (10 shot) groups at 100 yards with the factory/military sights. I have a lot of respect for these rifles as they always function perfectly and they can take a lot of abuse. When I'm at a new gunshop, I always stop to look at the m1917's. Sporterized or in original drab, makes no difference to me..
