Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Other Firearms
Post Reply
User avatar
butlersrangers
Posts: 9823
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by butlersrangers »

I found another 'rehabbing Bubba project' (hole) to pour money into.
(Dang ... ugly, 'cut-down,' basket-case rifles and parts are getting expensive)!
I was seduced by a Remington action with a minty barrel from January 1919.

I just got the 'sportered' Remington out of layaway from the local gun shop.
While making my monthly payments, I've been slowly collecting parts to make a complete 'Rifle Model of 1917' shooter.

Originally, my intent was to assemble an all-Remington, 'WW1 looking' service rifle. :)

After the sticker shock of seeing what 1917 stocks and Remington 'marked' parts command, I rethought my options. :o

What I bought appears to be a WW2 'mixmaster' rebuild: (Remington action, barrel, trigger-guard, sear, and sights), (Winchester bolt), (Eddystone small parts, including the ones I am assembling).
The stock appears to be a WW2 replacement, which I decided to salvage and 'stretch' with a Pattern 1914 forearm.

Today, I laid out the parts and started the project. Multiple times, I pulled the bolt and eyeballed that pristine bore, just to encourage myself to proceed in this insanity!

I've owned a couple of nice model of 1917 rifles before and a very good Eddystone Pattern 1914. I never really bonded to them. They eventually were sold or traded.
Maybe, I will get more attached to this rouge.
(I blame Sgt. Alvin York. I blundered into his neighborhood last year, on the way to Florida. Got to feeling that I had to give the bastard rifle another try)!
Attachments
IMG_1735.JPG
IMG_1735.JPG (220.82 KiB) Viewed 1195 times
IMG_1736.JPG
IMG_1736.JPG (102.28 KiB) Viewed 1195 times
IMG_1740.JPG
IMG_1740.JPG (158.5 KiB) Viewed 1195 times
IMG_1742.JPG
IMG_1742.JPG (154.01 KiB) Viewed 1195 times
IMG_1743.JPG
IMG_1743.JPG (478.05 KiB) Viewed 1195 times

User avatar
butlersrangers
Posts: 9823
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by butlersrangers »

Rough Draft - with the light waning.

Next step pin and glue stock together, some stock repair and play with wood finish.

(New photos added today with better lighting).
Attachments
IMG_1747.JPG
IMG_1747.JPG (510.63 KiB) Viewed 1180 times
IMG_1749.JPG
IMG_1749.JPG (908.22 KiB) Viewed 1180 times
IMG_1750.JPG
IMG_1750.JPG (271.89 KiB) Viewed 1180 times
Last edited by butlersrangers on Wed Jan 25, 2023 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by FredC »

I inherited one from my dad and bought a really bubbued sporter for $89.00 when I was caretaking a ranch in Kerrville. Thanks for posting the photo of what an unmolested 1917 Enfield might look like. I am pretty sure my dad sporterized his stock, the alterations to the firing pin and the cocking piece were probably done by his gunsmith friend. On mine I found 3 broken drill bits in the sporter stock. The guy that did that was good! Another thing that Bubba did was braze the left sight protecting wing back on after it was broken off. No clue why he did not break the right one off and file it so it looked sort of good.

Those mods to the cocking piece along with the heavier spring shorten the firing pin travel to less than 1/4 inch. The lock time is very fast.

User avatar
butlersrangers
Posts: 9823
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by butlersrangers »

'FredC' - Does your model 1917 sporter's Bolt 'cock-on-opening', now?

Back in the 1960's, I believe Numrich Arms offered a conversion kit, that replaced the issue striker-assembly, to make the 1917 function that way and also speed up the 'lock-time'.

I prefer the original 'cock-on-closing' with the model 1917.
Although the model 1917 has some virtues, I am happier with the weight and ergonomics of the Krag and 1903 & 1903A3 Springfield rifles.

According to the serial number tables in Bruce N. Canfield's book, ("U.S. Military Bolt Action Rifles"), this rifle action served during WW1.
It seems that my '1919 Remington barrel' must have been put on during a post WW1 'overhaul'.
The [3 GM-K] stock marking is a common 'overhaul' mark that has not yet been documented to a specific facility.

I was wise to purchase thrift parts and not pay a premium for "R" marked parts. This is simply an 'overhauled' mixed parts rifle.

That's OK, my goal is to have a decent looking 'shooter', not a 'safe queen'. "Parts is parts".

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by FredC »

Yes, it does cock on opening.

Nowhere near as smooth, case head is unsupported. It does hold 6 rounds in the magazine though. I could load it up and kill a pig in the moonlight and do that a few times without reloading. Then you get out there and forget how many rounds are left after a couple of weeks. Whoops!

Old time gunsmith that wrote a book and recommended doing a safety breech on these old military rifles. I did it on my dad's and no issues with it feeding.

MooseNugget
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:22 pm

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by MooseNugget »

Well done and good job as always BR!

Spent lots of time and money refurbishing old 1917's using matching manufactures' parts.

Now I'm of the thought process that believes a legit, been through the trenches 1917 will normally be a mix-master of parts.

Have fun with the restoration!!!

User avatar
P0H0
Posts: 243
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2022 9:52 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by P0H0 »

Hi BR -

I just converted a close relative of your rifle back to military configuration last weekend — only mine was equipped with a Johnson Automatics barrel from WW II. I have had a reproduction Italian walnut stock for about a year and decided recently to bring back a sporterized M1917 to military configuration. I sent the rifle off for rebluing yesterday (mix of parts didn’t match) as I am going to keep it as a shooter — the barrel has a 1 ME.

Remington Serial 155464

Photo Links:

Sporterized Photos

Returned to Military Configuration

User avatar
butlersrangers
Posts: 9823
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by butlersrangers »

Nice restoration!
Our model 1917 Remington rifles are practically siblings. (Less than 4,000 digits apart, they may have been built the same day).

Both rifles underwent WW2 'overhaul'.
They received nearly identical post war 'Bubba Sporter' treatment.

Both are now in the kind hands of swell guys!

User avatar
P0H0
Posts: 243
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2022 9:52 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio

Re: Remedywinstoner Model of 1917

Post by P0H0 »

I love the color of the stock your working on.

The stock I bought from Numerich came very blonde and had a varnish on it. I stripped, sanded, and stained it when I fit it to the rifle. However the wood really didn’t take stain well (I did use conditioner) — the front wood is lighter and the right side of the stock appears to have some heartwood marks (not a fan of the look in this case). I may sand strip it down again and try another stain.

Stock photos

Post Reply