How to tell a caliber of 1917 eddystone?

[Brass pitcher]

Hey guys first post here, been eyeing a 1917 30-06 for a while and found one for $150 here a few days ago, sporterized stock and apparently converted caliber only know this because a 30-06 bullet will not fit in the chamber. My first thought was .308 but other than taking it to a gunsmith im not sure how to tell for sure. Any ideas? Preferably with experience but, ill take anything.

Thanks a lot yall

[F. Guffey]

I would start with determining the diameter of the bore.

If a 30/06 round will not chamber i would suggest you start with a 25/06 case/no bullet. If the 25/06 case will allow the bolt to close move up to the 270 Winchester case.

If the family of 30/06 cases fail to chamber because they are too long, start with a 243 W case and go up from there meaning the 308 W will not chamber in a 243 chamber, the 243/308 W case is larger in diameter at the shoulder than the 30/06 chamber at the case body/shoulder juncture of the case. 308 W rounds have been fired in 25/06 chambers with disastrous results.

Then there is the cerosafe low temperature melt metal. Read the instructions and cautions first, most that recommend using cerosafe have never used the stuff, my opinion, cerosafe is a bad habit, it is better/safer to talk about it than us it.

I have blind end micrometers and gages, then there is always the old transfers.Then there are forming dies.

Examine the barrel for a stamp indicating the chamber, many barrels are stamped on the barrel face, for the M1917 that could be a problem with the cone face. remove the action from the stock, there are times the chamber stamp does not index on top.

F. Guffey

[James K]

Maybe make sure it is actually a Model 1917 and not a Pattern 1914 in .303 British.

Jim

[4V50 Gary]

The gunsmith doesn't have go or no-go gauges?

[F. Guffey]

The M1917 receiver will have Eddystone stamped on the top of the front receiver ring. The P14 will have an oval with an E stamped inside the oval with a R and an A like ERA

The bolt face for the P14 will be flat, the M1917 will have a cone faced barrel.


F. Guffey

“The gunsmith doesn't have go or no-go gauges?”

“My first thought was .308 but other than taking it to a gunsmith I'm not sure how to tell for sure. Any ideas?”

Yes, I am sure the gunsmith has a head space gage, some have to order the gage when demand presents itself.

[Pahoo]

A few years back, there was an article in the American Rifleman that stated that many of these were factory rebarrels for various calibers. Many for south american counties that had an abundance of 7mm and 8mm. I also recal seeing .243. Also, somewhere, in my files, I have a letter from the NRA explaining this. I personally have seen one of these conversions, in 7mm. The barrel is stamped; Remington. ...

Be Safe !!!

[James K]

Remington actually made rifles in 7x57, called the Remington Model 1934, based on the Model 1917 for export sales as military rifles. The general appearance was similar to the Mauser, but the action was the Model 1917. (Some reports say it was the Model 30 action, but there were no Model 30 or 30S actions - they were all surplus M1917 actions). The venture was generally not very successful, but IIRC some 2500 were sold to Nicaragua.

FWIW, I am aware of the different markings of the U.S. and British Eddystones, but the OP simply said the rifle was an Eddystone - he didn't say what it was marked.

Jim

[Brass pitcher]

Thank everybody, It apears to be a .30 cal diameter, it is printed eddystone model of 1917, no marking pertaining to caliber exept 30-06 original marking.

[Brass pitcher]

Ok, so have had the idea...havent thought it through yet so forgive me, If I pluged the barrel to the chamber and sprayed cilicone or somthing like it into the chamber, then removed it after it had hardened and measured it verses a .308 demension and or other calibers, would that be a possibility?

Thanks again

[Doyle]

Pitcher, what you are talking about is "slugging the chamber". That is how a gunsmith will determine what the actual chambering is. They use a special metal that has an extremely low melting point (kind of like a metalic wax). You can buy it online and do it yourself if you want.

[Brass pitcher]

Right, what I am mainly wondering is can I just use a (less expensive) foam or sillicone as a substitute, I know firearms isnt the best place to cheap out on but I am naturally drawn to do so anyway.

[DnPRK]

Is there a portion of a 30-06 case stuck in the chamber? Maybe as a result of a head seperation?

[kraigwy]

A chamber cast is the proper way. You can order the material from Brownells and do it or take it to your gunsmith.

If your gun smith can't do it, or doesn't have the gages, find another gunsmith.

[James K]

Hi, Brass pitcher,

You wrote: "no marking pertaining to caliber exept 30-06 original marking."

Do you mean the rifle is marked ".30-06"? If so, that marking is not original; the Model of 1917 has no caliber marking at all, not even the "Caliber .30" as on the M1 rifle.

Jim

[Brass pitcher]

Sorry james I must have had a brain fart, it reads as follows

U.S.
model of 1917
Eddystone

Serial number

So far im planning on tryin to cast the chamber

[Brass pitcher]

Oh and to the casing idea, hadnt thought about till you meantioned but no there is not, and the gunsmith post, so far with the exeption of sending a walther pistol back I have been my own.

[Doyle]

There are a couple of good videos on Youtube on how to cast a chamber.

[Brass pitcher]

Ok, so tried to chamber .243 win and it (almost) chambered, I see that the case length is just barely longer than .308 so I am now 99.9% certain. .308 is my man, but im doing a casting just for good measure.

[F. Guffey]

Brass Pitcher,
“Ok, so tried to chamber .243 win and it (almost) chambered, I see that the case length is just barely longer than .308 so I am now 99.9% certain. .308 is my man, but I'm doing a casting just for good measure”

Basically and actually are two words I avoid, if the chamber was a 308 W, the 243 W would chamber. Both have the same case dimensions with the exception of the neck, it could be said the 243 is a necked down 308W.

Then there is the feed system, many shooters with a lot of experience feed rounds from anywhere, I only feed from the magazine box. If the rifle has a claw I treat the rifle like it was control feed (Mauser design), if there is a chance your are chambering rounds into the chamber and then closing the bolt like the rifle was a push feed design the extractor could be wadding and not allowing the bolt to close.

Wadding up as in the extractor claw can not jump the case head extractor groove.

The chamber, just because I can not reach ‘it’ dies not mean I can not measure it, but if I had to I would use silicon, lube the chamber, plug the bore at the beginning of the rifling then fill the chamber with an extended tube.

F. Guffey

[Brass pitcher]

That is exactly what I have done, letting it set now. I was under the impression that the slightly longer .243 casing prevented it to be chambered in .308?

And looking back, I pushed the 30-06 into the magazine then closed the bolt, however I pushed the .243 win into the chamber then tried to close the bolt.

[Brass pitcher]

Well .308 will not fit, .243 will not fit, 7.62x39 fits but it pushes forward farther than the bolt will catch it if I push it in manually

More and more im thinking I need to go ahead and either find a smith or order some cerosafe.

Any ideas on what I can expect to put out for a smith?

Ok, I have decided that, I want it to be right before I would sell it, but I dont want it in any caliber but a .308 or -06 so any ideas about how much it might cost to rechamber? I would neeever do it to an original but its already done so no reason not to.

Again thanks for putting up with my ignorance yall, and for the information.

[El Bango]

I personally charge $20.00 but I am probably a little low in most areas of the country.