Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats sporterized Eddystone

Since no one else is going to answer your magnum question, you need to open up the bolt face, refit the extractor so it grips the bigger case, mag box needs to be lengthened for the longer magnums like 300 WBY and 8mm rem mag. The 338 win mag will function in the standard enfield mag box. A lot of guys wanting magnums on an enfield action just used the P14's because the bolt face was already opened up for the 303 British. Whatever you decide to do, take your time and do it right. I might also suggest having it cerakoted instead of blued. It may cost you less and protect the metal better than a good bluing job. Here's my 338 win mag I had cerakoted midnight blue:





I look forward to seeing pics of your enfield...

Yes, your bolt handle looks good.

The military dog leg bolt handle is ugly, IMO.

Of course, I like the Oberndorf looking handle, like Tom Burgess built.

If I was building on an Enfield, that's the look I'd want.

I have a 98 FN Mauser with that type handle and I like it a lot.

DF

That's a beauty. One thing I have to comment on about the dog leg bolt handle is I've heard it can smack the shooters trigger finger upon firing the rifle. However, I've never had this happen since I shoot left handed.

Yes,but the bolt stem locks into the reciever for added safety. Look at the pic BSA has up above. See how it locks into the receiver in front of the safety.

I have one that one day will be finished its on a Winchester 1917 with a douglas barrel in a 300 Weatherby mag. Who ever ground the ears off they took to much metal so the rifle is at Dean Zollingers and get surfaced ground by my buddy under Dean supervision :)I bought some of the last 1917 bottom metal that Duane Wiebe made or was making. I got ahold Ed Lapour couple days ago asking about 3 position safety unfortunately he said he wont have any until next summer

J, I had a custom built m1917 chambered in 300 WBY and it was a sweet shooter!!! Rifle was pretty heavy so recoil was minimized. I truly enjoyed shooting the rifle. 84gr's of 7828 got those 180's to moving pretty well...

The lug stays. Cut the old bolt handle and weld the new one to the lug with no loss of action strength or alteration to the backup locking lug set up.

DF

Ok gotcha.

Not sure with the M-70 set up or how the Enfield safety is hooked to the frame. It looks like the metal behind the bolt handle lug isn't there with the M-70 safety modification.

I've handled Enfields, just never took one apart to see how the safety works.

Would appreciate info from someone who has done that.

DF

This is a pic of my 1917 with the Burgess bolt handle.

I used one of Duane's first pieces of bottom metal. Didn't know that he was quitting.

I have a 1917 made by Winchester that was converted to .300 H&H. I found it in a gun shop in Colorado Springs a few years back. The asking price was $99 + tax, when I looked at it the bolt face, feed rails, and bottom metal had been worked over, the original military barrel was rechambered, received was D&T, and a speed lock kit had been installed. So the price they were asking I thought it was a no brained.the hardest thing was finding the proper base to fit the screw spacing.

Here is how it pretty much looked like when I bought it.


I spent about $900 total including purchase, restocking, bedding, Timney trigger, and a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X36. It was a fun project, but the rifle is a little on the heavy side, but it didn't turn out terrible.

Looks good.

Tough ole guns, for sure.

DF

I like that one too. Even with its dog leg bolt handle...

I'll have to agree with you on that...

DF

Well the dog leg isn't my favorite nor the laminated stock, but I was trying to do this as cheaply as possible. Wound up getting into it for more money than I wanted as the stock was inleted so poorly I took it to Kevin Weaver to be massaged into shape and had him bed it. That was about $350 of the total money spent on the rifle.

15 years ago I watched my brother buy a 1917 30-06 in the parking lot of a gun show for $35.

The barrel wants a 303 bullet.

MacFarland's gunsmithing book devotes all 35 pages about sporterizing to the 1917:
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-modern-gunsmithing-Harold-MacFarland/dp/0064634264

That is because the 1917 requires everything and more that other surplus rifles require for sporterizing.


This is my 50th year of sporterizing Mausers.
It is never worth it.
You have to want to do it.

I found another Burgess Enfield photo in my Photobucket Library.

DF

Some beautiful rifles here. My P-14 was a relatively easy conversion to .375 H&H. Biggest problem was feeding properly, but all in price was under $800, so l can't kick. Heavy, but with that round, l don't mind.

DF, That is one fine piece right there. I ran across an original Weatherby that Roy put together on an enfield action. It was almost as nice as that one. I wish I would have bought it!!!!!