Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire WWI question

I was at a local Walmart today and saw a Time Life magazine on World War One. I noticed that in the photos of US soldiers they are all carrying Krag Jorgensen rifles. I thought in WWI that the US used Springfield 03s and Enfield 1917s and Krags were pretty much out of the picture. Any input? Regards Jericho

Many state units still were using Krag's and even Trapdoor springfields. The NG unit that was sent to quell the mail strike of 1917 in Washington were using Trapdoors!

However the Krags that did make it to France were quickly replaced by M1903's or M1917's. There are no records of them seeing action that I have found.

kaywoodie - is it true that more 1917's were used than '03's?

I have heard that 1917s saw more use than 03s also. I didnt know the US entered WWI til 1917 until about a year ago.

It is my understanding that about 3/4 of total US battle rifles used in WWI were M-1917 Enfields. I believe all Marines carried M-1903 Springfields. A LOT of the Enfields were later sold to the Chinese and the Philippines.

True! More 1917's than 03's. And true for Marines with 03's. The 1917's were
Basically given to the Chinese and the Philippine army and there were still literally 1000's left over to outfit free French colonial troops with after ththe Treaty of Anfa in 1943.

Édit!

The 1917's is what the majority of the Philippine army was using in '42 right along side US troops before the fall.

A '17 was what Sgt. York was carrying during the action that won him the Medal of Honor.

A lot of custom rifles were built from 1917's.

I have an '06 made from a '17. The stock is okay, but the barrel looks like it was cut using a hacksaw, and then crowned with a mill file. The ears look like they were ground/milled free hand.

Even though is looks like it was butchered it still shoots sub moa groups all day long.

Haha! Thats great.

That too, is wrapped with its own little controversy. As if it makes any difference. He, as well as other family members, stated in interviews he used a 1903. So who knows? Like I said as if it makes any difference.

From what York said, he preferred the 03, so he managed to trade for one once he got to France even though his unit mostly had 1917s. I suspect that was fairly common and there may have been units with mixed rifles all over. They used the same cartridge and the same strippers so there wasn't any obstacle to mixing them.

On a slight tangent -- My dad and his brothers knew Alvin C., and hung out with his boys some in school. Alvin C's boys were about the only kids who had their own cars.

And the 1917 also had a bad habit of eating ejector springs.

Well that's pretty damn cool!

York's son said that his dad didn't like the receiver sight on the 1917. He had trouble leading targets with it.

Somebody had the bright idea of making it the ejector spring a leaf spring, and a very thin, narrow leaf spring at that.

When mine broke I cut a small notch in the ejector body. I then cut a small length of spring off of a ballpoint pen, and pushed it over the nub created by the notch. It is still working 30 years later.

They do have some honking big ears around the sight.

Old gunsmith trick! Done it many times!

My Dad shot Expert in Basic with the 03 and said he always preferred it to the Garand. Of course, that's a different World War, but just saying.