1917 Enfield Barrel

[jmayton]

I have a Remington manfactured 1917 Enfield that has been sporterized.  The barrel is a mess probably due to corrosive ammo and poor cleaning.  I recieved it that way.  I'm look to make a good long-range hunting gun out of it preferably in 25-06.  Is there anyone that sells pre-threaded barrels for the '17 Enfield?  I have a limited budget and I will also be putting a Timney trigger on it once I get it rebarrelled.  What advice can anyone offer?

[chutesnreloads]

Have something similair.1917 enfield sporterized.The -06 barrel is in bad shape.Would like to rebarrel in 35 Whelen.Also a lighter stock....this one's HEAVY.

[jmayton]

I think Advanced Technologies makes a synthetic stock.  35 Whelen would be nice, but I really don't need anything larger than a 30-06 and I already have another in the safe.

[John Traveler]

You are not likely to find a threaded, chambered barrel for your m1917.  The reason is simple: unlike mauser barrels that simply threaded into the receiver and are fitted for headspace, the m1917 requires an extractor clearance cut after the headspace fitting.  It also uses square threads, unlike the mauser's vee threads.

You will need to have a gunsmith thread, fit, and chamber that action for you.

[iiranger]

I had a friend, collects militaries, was trying to figure out how many Mauser rifles had been made. Stopped at 100 million. (Many, many varities, but...) Point is that no other gun has been made in those numbers. SO it is easy to find "Mauser" anything and less likely to find any thing else.

You have to ask. Sure the barrel manufacturers make barrels and no doubt thread/chamber a few for about anything you can name, but find it at K-mart or advertised? NAW!!!

Benchrest.com has the top line barrel makers who choose to advertise there. Email them. They just might have a barrel gathering dust in what you want. Might not. As said, MOST correctly, any blank can be threaded and chambered for your action. (I own/love several P-14s, the original .303 Brit version.) It is a heavy action. Maybe not the strongest with all the improvements since WW I... but very serviceable. Just don't expect FREE.

Buddy, retired gunsmith told me of one that had been rechambered/barreled to .22/250. NO magazine work. If you got excited (in the prairie dog wars) and closed the bolt fast the cartridge would jump over the front ring and out of the gun completely. !! Great piece of history. Weight more suited to heavy magnum rounds, but it is yours. Hit the barrel makers. I would bet they might have something and .25/06 is from that era. But you will have to dig. It is just like finding pontiac parts. Chevy is huge. Parts everywhere. Pontiac, you got to ask. LUCK.

[Brithunter]

OK I cannot help much about the barrel but I have a comment/question that I thought should be aired:-

I have a limited budget and I will also be putting a Timney trigger on it once I get it rebarrelled.  What advice can anyone offer?

    How come most questions that we see about ex military rifles is how do I replace the trigger? When the std Military trigger can fairly easily be worked over to give a clean crisp break of about 3-4lbs in weight. Is a trigger which breaks at 2lbs or less REALLY required for accurate shooting? ........................................... No of course not and I am beginning to think that people are not thinking and just following the crowd and hangs lots of "Go faster bits" on because it's the thing to do.

    The P-14/17 makes a wonderful sporting/hunting rifle if a little heavy and many have been commercially sporterised over the years. Century Arms for one sold them under the Centurion name, I have one in 303 that has a new barrel fitted by century along with a new "Hardwood" stock. The trigger on this has been worked over and polished to give a clean crisp break. It's a god rifle although the quality of the work is not the same as the ones converted between 1948-1953 by BSA at Birmingham however that's not really a fair comparision as the work ethics and company ethics were different back then.

  Here in the UK there are still loads of cheap P-14/17's to be had that were converted for target rifle shooting. They are of course chambered for the 7.62x51 cartridge and have heavy barrels and a P-H target sight fitted to the "Ears" very few have replacement triggers as the std one is as I said fairly easy to work over.

[jmayton]

I think the issue of the trigger has to do with the individual rifle, shooter, and intended use.  As for mine, I want a long range hunting rifle so I want a crisp trigger.  When I look at what I've got now: a trigger that breaks at 4.5lbs but with a LOT of take-up, creep, and overtravel and what I would pay....or the time I would spend to take care of those issues, I would be better getting the $40 Timney.  It's a matter of convenience for me.  Also, I have a M44 Mosin Nagant that is my truck rifle and it loves to shoot hogs.  I mounted a scout scope on it (on the rear sight bracket so I can return it to original if I want).  It has a great trigger...just under 3 lbs with some take-up but no creep and just a bit of overtravel.  I honed the sear and made it a bit smoother.  So for this rifle, my preference, and my intended use, this trigger with just a bit of modification works great.  That is not the case with my Enfield.

[chutesnreloads]

Must admit I've gotten spoiled on light crisp triggers.No it's not needed most of the time.When I'm shooting at a gopher or at paper at 200+ yards though,I like to have everything right and just think shoot as it seems and send the round down range.Would I have a trigger like that on my every day hunting rifle?Absolutely not.They are handy for precision  shooting though.

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

   If this is the case:-

When I look at what I've got now: a trigger that breaks at 4.5lbs but with a LOT of take-up, creep, and overtravel and what I would pay....or the time I would spend to take care of those issues

   then there are simple issues relating to the contact angle of the sear and cocking piece. Also I suspect someone has played with th two lumps on the trigger. But hey it's your rifle and money. personnaly I would clean up the one you have becasue once it's doen it will be very reliable and consistant and will only take a little time and elbow grease.

[jmayton]

Not to be rude, Brit, but when did you sneak into my house break into my safe and check the feel of my trigger?  I understand your point and if this was an all original rifle we wouldn't be having this discussion about the trigger.  I wouldn't consider replacing the trigger on an unmodified rifle.  This one is sporterized, the barrel has been cut down, the rear sight ears ground off and it's been drilled and tapped for a scope.  The barrel is junk and I can't stand to see a good action just sitting there.  I prefer triggers around 3lbs and I suppose I could work this one to get it there without replacing it and I've done that to my Nagant, AR, Rem 41, and Savage.  I just don't have as good of a system to work with on this rifle.  Again this seems to be the best solution for my intended use.

[chutesnreloads]

Ditto.I wasn't talking about an origional military rifle.

[Brithunter]

Actually I care not if it's original or sporterised. The point is that as I said I can see no need to spend out on a replacement trigger when the one fitted is easy to work on and when done so is reliable. The P-14/17 has one of the best safeties ever, easy to use and very effective. Another benefit of using the original trigger is that the in-letting does not have to be altered as it would with a Timmney.

Oh one thing which helps the P-14/17 triggers is to remove one coil from the sear spring!

[jmayton]

So how do I deal with the take-up and overtravel?  And believe me, I'm not one to go out and buy new triggers for any gun I get.  I like to find out how much the factory trigger can be worked before I go spending extra money on it.  But when I'm talking less money than my gunsmith would charge me to do a trigger job....I'm thinking the Timney seems like a good deal when it will do everything I want it to and all I have to do is remove a little wood from the stock.

[Brithunter]

Overtravel is the most difficult to deal with if it's a problem but I have not noticed it being so. Now take up? I am assuming you mean the first stage? if the face of the sear is polished and smooth (strokes need to go up and down the face in the direction of movement. I use a fine oil stone to do this. See how much engagement there is between the sear and cocking piece, if this it too great it will mean mode effort to pull the trigger and this can be reduced by polishing the bottom of the cocking piced (Firing Pin nut) to reduce it's height. The spot on the action where the sear pivots needs to be smooth and lightly greased ( Petroleum Jelly works well as does vaseline) and as I said the sear's coil spring can be reduced in length as well to reduce the weight of pull. The Ribbs on the trigger need to be smooth as well as they cam the  the sear lever and their contact pp9nts need to be smooth. it's pretty basic and I suggest you take the stock off and put the trigger guard  and magazine back to gether and study the relationship of the parts and work it slowly noticing what happens and when. You can see what needs to be smoothed. it's a great learning priocess and should you go to far new parts to start again are cheap so don't be afraid.