Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing 1917 Eddystones for builds

The ejector leaf spring is always been an issue,has been since they were built. If you are buying a Timmey trigger from Numrich get one ejector kit,then you can do the other rifle with a Dremmel and coil spring.

With Eddystones,the barrels were installed with a machine super tight. Sometimes the receivers were cracked,more often when the barrels were removed without a relief cut.So check for cracks.Dye,magnaflux,gasoline,X-ray.

The barrels have square threads,so the gunsmith has to have some machinist skills to rebarrel.

Downwind, I decided to see how the junker would clean up before settling on a rebarrel. Because the other one is already sporterized, I thought it might be nice to restore this to battle rifle status. This junker has a Winchester barrel on a Eddystone receiver. does that mean it was a re-issue during WWII? Can you explain what you are talking about as far as looking for cracks? It's Greek to me.

I put a cork on the muzzle and filled with Hoppe's and let it sit for a couple hours. Then I scrubbed with a brass brush and dry patched. It's now filled up with Hoppe's again. I expect I will need to do this 1/2 a dozen times. The first run was solid rust.

One more thing - I went looking for a replacement stock. I tried that Numrich, but IMO their website sucks. I had 2 people tell me I could find a stock there but I'll be dammed if I can figure out how, and I work in IT so it's not my first rodeo. I understand they have a parts catolog but it seems to be sold out. I'm also going to be looking for a front barrel band so if anyone has a lead on either I would appreciate a PM.

One thing, don't put a knurled boltknob on it if you leave it the way it came.
It will wear a hole in the palm of your hand,if you do a lot of fast shooting.

to look for cracks set the action in gasoline for a lil while, take it out and watch it evaporate closely, if there are cracks those spots will take alot longer to evaporate than the other areas around it due to the cracks holding the gas a lil longer than the normal metal surface.....

Between the wars, to keep the armorers busy,they rebuilt M-17s,so finding one with matching parts is very rare. But because they were built to tolerances for parts interchangablity,they were Americian built after all,it didn't cause any problems.

Cracks,your local engine rebuilder should have the equipment. The simplest one uses a dye that penetrates the crack,then it's developed,and shows up under black light.Gasoline penetrates then bleeds back,but isn't all that reliable. Magnaflux uses magnatism,the iron filings stick at the crack.

Boyd's has military wood,I think.Check Springfield Sporters,too.They are nice to deal with.They had the SMLE MK #1 front posts for my P-14 so I could adjust height for the 200yd rear battle sight.P-14s and M-17s are almost the same.

Wipe-Out cleaner saves all that scrubbing.

The iron sights are fun to use,but the steel butt plate isn't.So shooting a full military dress is a pain.

Model 1917s were all originally blued in WWI but many (most) were refurbished for issue in WWII. This refurbishing included parts switching and parkerizing. Hope this might help. By the way, $150 for them is a steal. For rebarreling, you can fit just about the biggest round you can think of in one. A-Square used these actions to build their rifles. Great for big magnum rounds.

I dimly remember reading a treatise a long time ago concerning the the utility of the 1917's made by the different manufacturers: Remington, Winchester and Eddystone. The claim was that there were issues concerning the heat treatment of the Eddystones, that they weren't as desirable from a strength/safety standpoint as the Remingtons and Winchesters. Anybody remember that? I seem to recall it being a kind of known fact among aficianados back in the day. I do remember for a fact that the Eddystones were always priced way below the others in the gun ads back in the 60's, presumably because of that.

Remington set up the manufacturing facility in Eddystone, Pa., but it was run as a separate entity. Remington had the manufacturing experience because of the Pattern '14 contracts they filled for Britain.

Eddystones are Remington, yes?
Butch

From what I understand, two different plants, but both owned by Remington.

http://www.lowescertifiedguns.com/browseproducts/Eddystone-1917.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1917_Enfield

They were making 6,000 M1917s a day at Eddystone plant,so it's possible that some were not perfect. But the heat treatment problems are a M1903 Springfield thing. There is nothing in Hatcher's Notes on the Enfield and heat treatment,there is a great deal on the Springfield. He considered the Enfield as the best rifle of WWI. But Eddystone recievers have cracked because of the machine over tight barrels. The Pattern rifles used nickel-steel receivers like pre-war M-70s and the real high number M1903s.There are questions about some pre-war M-70 heat treatments,too.

I had Dan Petersen re-bore my 1917 Eddystone to 9.3x62. The only problem was getting it to feed right. (it wouldn't feed round nose 06 before the re-bore) Sitka Deer helped me with the feed rails and it now feeds slick. Holds six in the magazine and shoots mostly under an inch. I did do a new trigger and cock on opening, but probably wouldn't if I had it to do over. I personally like the dog leg bolt handle as it puts the bolt handle back far enough it helps with the working speed when worked from the shoulder. With a Fajen classic stock, 1x4 Leupold, and Williams open sights it weighs 8.5lbs on the money. Just about right for a 9.3. --- Mel

the heat treatment wasnt the problem.....the issue with Eddystones comes when yah rebarrel them, the original barrels are screwed on WAY to tight but it doesnt cause an issue until you go to rebarrel one.....if your not careful about it the power it takes to unscrew that barrel can torque and crack the receiver weakening it....im told you can make relief cuts in the old barrel that will make cracking unlikely but i have only heard this from one source so am not sure of its accuracy....the barrels on the Remington and Winchester ones dont generally have this problem....

If you don't want to keep them for $150 send them my way!

$150 for the pair is a steal. I paid $100 for an Eddystone action alone.
I have a Win '17 Enfield in 375 H&H AI and am completing an Eddystone in 300 RUM.
IMO go with a big cal as the action is big and strong. If you want a 243/308 trade your action for a Mauser action. A Yugo 98 would be best for a short round like a 243 or 250-3000.