Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Gunsmithing the 1917 Enfield

I have an US Model of 1917 Winchester action that I am working on . I have opened out the rails to suit the 416 Rigby Cartridge. As I live in Australia there is difficulty in obtaining the necessary parts I have a Dakota 3 Pos Mod 70 safety on my 98 DWM mauser in 30/06 and I like it. hard to get much for the M17 as we call them in Aust. Can anyone confirm if the model 70 Bolt sleeve with the square threads will screw into a M17 Enfield bolt. To order anything from the US we have had to pay a 250 licence fee to the US State department. can you confirm if this law still exists . I understand that it was being wound back some

Thank you,
Stephen Gunthorpe
Plainland
Australia

If you are going to screw around with projects like this I think that you need Stuart Ottenson's books titled "Bolt Action Rifles."

There are two volumes. I think that the Enfield is in the first. The outfit that prints the "Rifle," and the "Handloader" sold both on a CD at one time. I sent my CD version to a budding smith in Arkansaw, Tim Macolm. A young friend an advisee and advisor for some years.

That would be the easiest and cheapest way for you to have info like this on hand. My advice to you as an old basement gunsmith. I have both volumes, and they are priceless to me.

Good luck. Never rely on others to give you reliable info is my motto. Social media is not the AP. You need a fact checker.

A better posting would have been to tell us what the threads "are" i.e. diameter and pitch that you presently have.Thread forms 60 degree, Whitworth, square, acme, are all over. What do "you" need? Maybe a learned person could give you a good suggestion for your problem.

The question is why change the 17 Enfield safety when most people consider it one of the best.

You have a great foundation for your project, I love the '17 for many reasons. Now, bolt sleeve threads... yes, Win 70 pre-64 shroud assy will screw into 1917 bolt....what I don't know is stuff like striker length and compatability, model 70 striker and cocking piece fitment is radically different from Mauser style of the '17...but I'd remark that the '17 safety as issued is one of the best IMO. You are ' trying to improve something that IMO doesn't need improving. Just one old guy's opinion. The argument for the half safe position of the Win 70 style for reasons of unloading the magazine box fall a little flat when you can dump the mag safely on any CRF rifle without closing the bolt into battery...by just stroking the bolt fore and aft. Perfectly safe and quite fast. In the interests of harmonious relationships betwixt cousins...I am not a gunsmith, I work on a lot of guns, I am best described as a blacksmith with a machine shop.

My M17 in 416 Rigby was built by James Anderson, chicosdplains.com, pictures are on his website and on the back cover of a few year old American Custom Gunmaker magazine. Nick Hughes, nhughesjsvalve, did a lot of work on the receiver.
Pictures may be found with a search on this forum also.