help identify a 1917 enfield

[willysjeep134]

Ok, here's the story. My uncle just gave me his deer rifle. it is definantly a M1917 30-06 rifle, with the dogleg bolt and enfield typ safety. The thing is somebody went through an awful lot of effort to customize it. For all I know it could even be a commercial Remington 30, but I found some ordinance marks in the steel hidden by wood so I'm pretty sure it's a millsurp 1917.

The stock has been replaced with a "White Line" raised cheek walnut sporter stock. The muzzle has been cut and crowned. The whole thing polished and re-blued. The bolt engine turned and polished, and a set of high rise rings and Bushnell scope installed. My only problem is that the scope mount is screwed on right over where the manufacturer name would have been stamped. I can barely make out the serial number peeking out from under the mount. It all looks astonishingly professional. I almost wonder if it wasn't commercially done by some store.

Anyways, now I would really like to find out who the heck manufactured it. I know it was either Remingotn or Winchester or one other company that just tooled up for WW1. Is there any diference in rifling, stamp marks, anything from the three manufacturers that might help me identify who made it? The scope mounts are loc-tited on so I really don't want to take the scope off. Any cluse?

PS: The rifle is a great shooter too. Bore just like a mirror.

[dogngun]

willysjeep134 :
 This was a very popular rifle to "sporterize"from the 1930's through the 1950's, and there were many custom accesories made for it. Many of there rifles were re-worked by good gunsmiths, and were excellent rifles to start with. They can be great shooters and nearly indestructable hunting rifles.
After all the rework, the only way I know to check the manufacturer is to remove the scope mount and check the reciever.

Remington made "sporter" versions of the P-17  beginning in the 1920's, but they are marked on the barrel.

If I had one passed through the family, I would treat it very well and enjoy it.

Mark    

[Shorty]

Almost all parts of these rifles were stamped; R (Remington, W (Winchester), or E (Eddystone, a subsidiary of Remington).  If your rifle has a preponderance of parts marked with only one of those, it is probably that manufacturer.  If there is a mix of stamps, you're back to dogngun's suggestion.

[willysjeep134]

I'm up at college right now so I don't have the rifle handy. I do remember the safety lever being stamped with an E though. I thought it could have been because of the Enfield patent or somthing, but Eddystone makes more sense. When I get home I'll take the stock off and see if I find any W's or R's or E's anywhere else. Thanks!