"1917 Eddystone" ?????

TGS · August 23, 2002, 04:08 PM

I was asked if I had ever heard of one and something in the back of my mind

says a WWI Infrantry maybe?
Can anyone shed light on this gun
Thanks
Tom

Pampers · August 23, 2002, 04:16 PM

Some of the 1917 Enfields made by the Eddystone Arsenal had a bad heat treat on the receiver and could crack through the rails. They can be avoided by purchasing either a Winchester or Remington manufactured 1917, or they can be re-heat treated. They should be checked for cracks if you already have one.

MrMurphy · August 23, 2002, 05:07 PM

What he said. Bolt-action, .30-06, the "Pattern 1917" Mauser type action. What Sergeant York used when he got his Medal of Honor (I don't know who made his, but it was an Enfield).

Dfariswheel · August 23, 2002, 05:39 PM

The original design was a British project to develope a possible replacement for the Lee Enfield rifle. It was known as the P-14 and was originally to be in a new .276??? caliber.
The rifle had problems related to the ammo, and when WW1 started they redesigned it to use the standard .303 round.

Since they didn't have enough production capacity, the Brits contracted with the American firms of Winchester, Remington, and Eddystone, to produce the rifles for them.
Instead of trying to issue a new rifle in the midst of a war, the Brits decided to use the new rifle only as a limited issue sniper rifle.

When the US entered the war, we didn't have enough production capacity at the government arsenals to supply enough 1903 Springfield rifles. So, the US reworked the P-14 to handle the US 30-06 round, and issued the rifle as the US 1917. Also known as the 1917 American Enfield.

During production Remington took over over the Eddystone factory.

Since Remington had huge amounts of parts and the tooling, they produced a commercial version during the 30's known as the Remington Model 30.

The 1917 was reissued in WWII, because of shortages of 1903 and M1 rifles. Most of these were used as defense plant guard guns. Few, if any were used in combat.

James K · August 24, 2002, 01:12 AM

Hi, guys,

The cracking of Eddystone receivers has been greatly exaggerated and was not due to bad heat treatment. It was apparently due to Eddystone installing barrels by machine and really cranking them down. This resulted in some seasoning cracking and in cracking when gunsmiths tried to remove the extra-tight barrels. But those problems would have happened to almost any receiver given that treatment.

The original round for the Pattern 1913 rifle was the .276 Enfield, a round that had a very large diameter and a rebated rim. With the approach of war, the rifle was renamed the Pattern 1914, and changed to .303 British, a rimmed cartridge, which worked OK because of the large diameter of the original .276 round. Then when the rifle was again renamed the U.S. Model 1917 and changed to .30-'06, the big magazine allowed it to hold 6 rounds, though the U.S. Army always referred to it as a 5-shot rifle.

Jim

Jim

Jim Watson · August 24, 2002, 06:59 AM

Because of the huge production capacity at Remington, Winchester, and Eddystone, there were more US '17 Enfields issued than '03 Springfields. Sgt York carried one, Gary Cooper's movie '03 to the contrary.

August 23, 2002, 04:08 PM	#1
TGS Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 1999 Location: Woodbury TN Posts: 138	"1917 Eddystone" ????? I was asked if I had ever heard of one and something in the back of my mind says a WWI Infrantry maybe? Can anyone shed light on this gun Thanks Tom

August 23, 2002, 04:16 PM	#2
Pampers Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2000 Location: In the Lost State of Franklin Posts: 482	Bad Heat Treat Some of the 1917 Enfields made by the Eddystone Arsenal had a bad heat treat on the receiver and could crack through the rails. They can be avoided by purchasing either a Winchester or Remington manufactured 1917, or they can be re-heat treated. They should be checked for cracks if you already have one. __________________ Your Most Humble & Obedient Servant Fred J. Drumheller NRA Life NRA Golden Eagle

August 23, 2002, 05:07 PM	#3
MrMurphy Member Join Date: August 13, 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 92	What he said. Bolt-action, .30-06, the "Pattern 1917" Mauser type action. What Sergeant York used when he got his Medal of Honor (I don't know who made his, but it was an Enfield). __________________ Every Man Dies. Not Every Man Truly Lives.

August 23, 2002, 05:39 PM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	The original design was a British project to develope a possible replacement for the Lee Enfield rifle. It was known as the P-14 and was originally to be in a new .276??? caliber. The rifle had problems related to the ammo, and when WW1 started they redesigned it to use the standard .303 round. Since they didn't have enough production capacity, the Brits contracted with the American firms of Winchester, Remington, and Eddystone, to produce the rifles for them. Instead of trying to issue a new rifle in the midst of a war, the Brits decided to use the new rifle only as a limited issue sniper rifle. When the US entered the war, we didn't have enough production capacity at the government arsenals to supply enough 1903 Springfield rifles. So, the US reworked the P-14 to handle the US 30-06 round, and issued the rifle as the US 1917. Also known as the 1917 American Enfield. During production Remington took over over the Eddystone factory. Since Remington had huge amounts of parts and the tooling, they produced a commercial version during the 30's known as the Remington Model 30. The 1917 was reissued in WWII, because of shortages of 1903 and M1 rifles. Most of these were used as defense plant guard guns. Few, if any were used in combat.

August 24, 2002, 01:12 AM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Hi, guys, The cracking of Eddystone receivers has been greatly exaggerated and was not due to bad heat treatment. It was apparently due to Eddystone installing barrels by machine and really cranking them down. This resulted in some seasoning cracking and in cracking when gunsmiths tried to remove the extra-tight barrels. But those problems would have happened to almost any receiver given that treatment. The original round for the Pattern 1913 rifle was the .276 Enfield, a round that had a very large diameter and a rebated rim. With the approach of war, the rifle was renamed the Pattern 1914, and changed to .303 British, a rimmed cartridge, which worked OK because of the large diameter of the original .276 round. Then when the rifle was again renamed the U.S. Model 1917 and changed to .30-'06, the big magazine allowed it to hold 6 rounds, though the U.S. Army always referred to it as a 5-shot rifle. Jim Jim

August 24, 2002, 06:59 AM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Because of the huge production capacity at Remington, Winchester, and Eddystone, there were more US '17 Enfields issued than '03 Springfields. Sgt York carried one, Gary Cooper's movie '03 to the contrary.