Help with a dewat p-14?

[zasxcd]

Hello to everyone. I just purchased a dewat Pattern14 Enfield, and have a couple of questions that I hope that someone can help me with.

My rifle has the DP marking, I am told that this is "Drill Purpose". Does anyone know if this was bestowed on rifles that were found (somehow) to be unsafe to fire, or was it simply to alert whoever needed to know that there was a plug in the chamber? I have heard it from credible sources both ways, don't know which one to believe. Although it does seem fishy that the "DP" mark was stamped into the trigger guard as well as the bolt and receiver, making me lean towards the latter explanation.

Does anyone know of a barrel maker that makes a reproduction barrel to fit this rifle, that is available in the original .303 British? Yes, I know about Numrich and their p-17 barrels, but I want a barrel in .303. I have a good .303 barrel, but it has been shortened, and so I will not be able to restore the rifle to original military with it, although it would make a good shooter.

Please help!!

[S.S.]

is the receiver drilled also at the chamber? most were that I have seen.

[zasxcd]

There were no modifications at all to the receiver or bolt, it is entirely functional, except for the hole through the chamber end of the barrel. Again, no holes were drilled in the receiver.

[Brithunter]

The problem is that Drill Purpose rifles were chosen for that task locally and if no poor condition or damaged rifles were available then serviceable rifles were used and marked DP.

As for a proper P-14 barrel there are some about. I know that Fred the Armourer at the NRA Bisley Camp in England had some. However these are priced at British prices which Americans find excessive. Once your sure that the action is OK the  there must be some barrels about. Century adapted a lot of P-14's to sporters so they had a supply. A call to them might prove productive.

[iiranger]

Who made it. (Mine are Winchesters... at $25.- each, plus ship'... Those were the days). It is the "start" story of the M17's in .30/'06. Rems and Wins, very good. Eddystone (subdivision of Remington in Eddystone PA) receivers tend to be brittle and crack if not rebarrelled with greatest of care... Magnaflux or other crack check not a bad idea.

This was a pre WW I effort that kinda "went wrong." Brits reverted to the SMLEs and Uncle Sam got stuck with M17s for the war and unloaded them quickly thereafter to avoid conflict with main arm, Springfield '03... You might find barrels AND might not, in surplus sources. Shotgunnews hard copy is a good place to look. Shotgunnews.com is more complicated. SARCO, NJ, Tom Forrest, CA; Gun Parts/Numrich is always a try, but expensive... This would be original and preserve rifle's collector value if any... 303british.com has links to Canadian parts sources and gunsmiths and blogs and boards...

The bolt face is correct for the "magnum" case (as in .300 H&H Magnum) if you desire a different chamber...

OR any gunsmith can fit a commercial barrel in whatever caliber/chamber you care to order... turn it to original shape if you so desire. I think Mr. Weatherby developed his cartridges in the 1917 action... So the options are only limited by your budget... HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Happy trails.

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

    Actually the Le Enfield proved itself to be a better battle rifle. The P-14 proved to be a better target rifle, not surprising when it was developed by "the Bisley School" target shooters one and all.

This was a pre WW I effort that kinda "went wrong." Brits reverted to the SMLEs and Uncle Sam got stuck with M17s for the war and unloaded them quickly thereafter to avoid conflict with main arm, Springfield '03...

    As to this bit, as I understood it America fought "The Great War" with the US Rifle of 1917 as they had the capability to make them quicker than the Springfield and consideration after the war to adoptign it over the Springfield. however the "Not made here" sydrome prevailed even though they were made in America they were not of American design.

[Hunter78]

+ 1
the P14/ P17 were and still are great rifles.  Mine is much more accurate then my springfield.  Mine came from my grandfather who got it for $5.50 delivered.  They didn't unload them though, when the US entered WWI the manufactures were tooled up for p14 production, but the brits kept the smle and a quick conversion to producing them in 30-06 led to more p17 rifles used in wwi then springfields. Also durring WWII many were sent to Britain for home guard use or refurbished for home use here in the US.  Some went for honorguard rifles like the ones that cmp had and were shot out.