Im in too deep, make me an offer

BTP-KennethWRoyce said:

The M1917 action is alluring due to its strength (the bolt handle acts like a third locking lug).
It was originally a British P14 action for their .303 (hence the "Enfield" moniker), but we made many of them in .30-06 for WWI.

The favored mfg. is Winchester, followed by Remington. The Eddystone can have cracking issues. I like the action if competently sporterized. I have a few of them, one in .35 Whelen A.I.

Here's what I had to say about the M1917 in 2002:

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illini said:

I have a 1917 project Im giving up on. Make me an offer. Im In too deep on this project, time to cut bait And move to the next.

I had a gunsmith install dayton trace trigger and cock on open. Works great

I Had him drill and tap custom talley bases. He did not get the height exact and one is higher than the other. A little file work and I think it could be fixed.

I added a boyds stock.

I still have a wood stock but it has cracks at the butt section.

There is now way I financially recover from this. So make me an offer. It is at a good starting point for a 9.3 or 500 Jeffery project. Shoot me a dm if intrested.

I did talk to the gunsmith on the height of the talleys and he said he would fix it. Problem is its 5 hours and I haven't had time to get it back up there. Might be Thanksgiving before I get it back to him. I did have a scope on it and it does shoot but, its way off when you put a straight edge or a scope kit on it.

The adjustable rifle stock would be great for a kid or small frame lady. It gets very short.

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Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

The thing about the Eddystone M17s cracking is a load of poppy cock and balderdash (aka bullshit)
The cracking is caused by hamfisted Muppets that don't know how to work on Enfield actions.
The barrels on these rifles regardless of maker are put on using a hydraulic wrench. Sometimes the are very very tight. Attempt to use brute for will ruin the action the same as any other action that you use brute force on.
The secret is putting a relief cut in the barrel right at the receiver barrel junction. This relieves the pressure and the barrel can be unscrewed with very little effort.
Bob

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Eddystone Arsenal is the manufacturer most frequently associated with receiver cracking in M1917 rifles.

The "infamy" stems from a combination of metallurgical factors and poor maintenance practices during the rifles' later lives. There are two primary reasons cited for this issue:

1. Brittle Heat Treatment
Historical accounts and firearms literature, including reports from American Rifleman, have noted that Eddystone Arsenal used a different heat-treatment process than Winchester or Remington. This process reportedly left the steel more brittle, making the receiver rings more susceptible to hairline fractures under stress.

2. Improper Barrel Removal
The most common cause of actual cracking was not the firing of the rifle, but the process of re-barreling. M1917 barrels were installed extremely tight—sometimes described as being "cranked on." When later gunsmiths attempted to remove these barrels to replace them or sporterize the rifle, they often used excessive force, such as large pipe wrenches and "cheater bars," while the action was clamped in a vise. Because the Eddystone receivers were more brittle, this torque frequently caused the receiver ring to crack.

Experienced gunsmiths mitigate this by using a lathe to cut a relief groove into the barrel just in front of the receiver ring, which releases the tension and allows the barrel to be removed without stressing the receiver.

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Although Winchester and Remington receivers have been found with cracks, the Eddystone-made receivers are by far the worst offenders. It is believed that many of these receivers were given a faulty heat-treatment, the metal thereby becoming too hard and brittle. (Frank de Haas, Bolt Action Rifles, 3rd Edition, page 12)

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Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

I have a beautiful M17 in 35 Whelen AI completely speced out with custom mount, Timney trigger and Boyd's stock that I can't even give away for $1,000AUD here in Australia and that's complete with dies and 60 fireformed cases.

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illini said:

I live in central IL. Im well over a grand into this with the gunsmithing and stock. I know it's not gonna touch that. My biggest mistake was not getting a quote on the gunsmithing before I started. I jad him do work on another 1917 and I felt he was reasonable. Guess I got a lesson. Honestly I was hoping to see 850 out of it and lick my wounds

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Ray B said:

one of the factors was that the metal was heated in appearance to a red glow- based on observation. If the observation was on a cloudy day the red glow was achieved at a lower temperature than on a bright sunny day. the result was more metal was over heated on bright days than on cloudy days.

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BTP-KennethWRoyce said:

AI agrees (in part) with you:


From my library:

de Haas concurs somewhat on the barrel removal cause, but it does beg the question:
Did the hamfisted Muppets gravitate to Eddystone actions?

Winchester and Remington M1917s don't seem to have that issue.
So, I'll stick with my 2002 book remarks on the M1917 Eddystone cracking reputation, and some of them have cracked receivers with the original barrel (i.e., no rebarreling took place).

This reputation is widely reflected in USA gun show pricing of the different mfg. of Enfields.
Winchester is the most favored, then Remington.
Those trying to sell an Eddy must significantly drop their price in comparison.

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Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

The ones that were cracked from the [Eddystone] factory were from over tension of the barrel.

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