I checked it out, very cool to have "a set" of these. In great condition too! I'll keep my eyes open and see what chance brings my way.Quote:
Originally Posted by SAnd
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I checked it out, very cool to have "a set" of these. In great condition too! I'll keep my eyes open and see what chance brings my way.Quote:
Originally Posted by SAnd
Nice one!Quote:
Originally Posted by SAnd
I remember years ago when I lived in NY I would go to Numrich Arms and they had tons of them for cheap,never did get one.I was too busy picking through some of their other goodies..
I just saw a really nice M1917 today, but it wasn't an Eddystone or a Remington, it was a Winchester. Looked exactly like the rifle pictured above, but it was clearly stamped Winchester. The owner said he bought it when he was 18 and working in a hardware store, and they had him cleaning up a couple of big crates full of Eddystone and Remington M1917's all wrapped in cloth and soaked with cosmoline. He said there were two Winchesters, and he bought them both for $19.99 each, kept one and gave the other to his dad. He's had it for 50 years, and it's beautiful.
Anybody else ever heard of a Winchester M1917? It was a new one on me. https://www.google.com/search?q=m191...w=1024&bih=536
Yup,Winchester did make them.Missed out on a pair years ago.One was a P17 and the other was a P14 :(
The Winchester P14 was more uncommon to see than it in a P17.
I have an Eddystone P14 and P17, and a Remington P17. The Eddystone P17 is a nearly-completed restoration that I just got the last hand guard that I needed for it before I left on my current deployment. I wouldn't mind running across a Winchester one of these days to round out the set, but have not seen one in years. Not that I've really looked too hard, Either.
Well, today I had the shop to myself and I stripped it down to parts that could be disassembled without specialized tools and gave it a good scrubbing. I was able to get into the nooks and crannies and remove all the dust, dirt, cosmoline (yes, there was some down deep inside) and some small amount of what appeared to be very light rust (old dirt?) where there were sharp edges and corners. Did nor remove any bluing or true patina, just the dirt. I applied some oil to the stock and it soaked it up so fast on the inside it looked like I didn't put any on. I let it sit for about an hour and reapplied and it just soaked it up again but it looks good at this point. The sling needed some help so I applied some leather conditioner and just like the stock, it sucked it right in, I gave it two applications and will let it set for the night. I found a maker's mark and it is faint, I think it starts with a W and I can see a date - 1944.
Now that I have detail cleaned it, what else? I will take it out to Pawnee in the morning and shoot it, finally. Then clean it up again until the next time. I'm pretty excited to finally shoot it. So far I have been pretty lucky in my vintage battle rifle finds and they have been excellent shooters, I hope this one is too. If anyone else is out there when I am, come and say hello and you will be welcome to take a few shots too.
Glad to hear the ole warhorse is cleaning up nicely.I must have spent days cleaning mine out when I first got it.
Just years of dust and dirt built up on cosmoline that was sitting around for years that was a pain in the but to clean out.
Old cosmoline hardens like concrete and man it took forever.I cleaned it up good enough to shoot and when I did shoot it, it helped loosen it up some more.
All said and done they make for really darn good shooters :)
Yeah, it took me about three hours to strip, clean and reassemble it. I have not gone out and shot it yet, the weather just is not cooperating with on my days off. So, instead, I took my daughter out to get here better equipped: new electronic hearing protectors that she can plug here smart phone into, a cool cammo hoodie that says "Girls and Guns, a pink camo cap (she almost picked the pink Remington cap), new gloves and eye protection. Then we went to Bear Arms and she saw "B" with here pink SR-22 so now I need to find her a purple or raspberry SR-22, she doesn't want to shoot Mom's MKIII anymore. There is a gun show at the Outlets in Loveland this weekend, I'll see if I can't make a good deal for her for a gun and holster. I'm only paying for it, she has to do the paperwork and BGC on her own (a sense of responsibility for her, makes it more real that she owns a gun).
Anyway, I'll get the 1917 out as soon as the weather cooperates.
Well, this morning I went out to the new range in Pawnee and shot my 1917. It was windy so I did not stick around very long. Nice range but kind of small, it would have been nice if the shooting positions were a little more spread out but what the heck, its free.
The 1917 performed flawlessly, shoots straight and because of the weight almost no recoil. I really enjoyed it. I'll have to get it back out on a calm day and try to get some decent groups on paper. Today my groups were about 5 inches at 50 yards leaning on the table and trying to time my shots as the wind swung the rifle around. At least they were on the paper which the wind then removed from my backstop and took it off into the grasslands. I guess I need better tape!