I recently came into ownership of a 1917 in very good condition, but it has been sporterized. As it has no colector value I have been considering it for a big bore build up. After reading the forum it seems that there are two contradicting thoughts on this process. It seems to me that many of the regulars recomend just using a modern action like the PGW and not bothering with all the trouble of converting the old action. While others seem to prefer the old action and say it would be cheaper to build on it. I would like to keep the budget under $3000 if I can. And as I would like to build a 505 gibbs I believe there are a limited choice in possible actions. What would be the best way to go? Also if I am to build on the old action, who is a well respected gunsmith to have do the work?

Wow. I am sure others will chime in here, guys who have big boys on the 1917. I have a 458win on a 1917, which is no stretch for the big action.

I am one that has recommended using a new action, IF the 1917 is in original. That is because it does take a good amount of work to sporterize and make good looking. you didn't say which 1917 you had, I hear that the Eddystone's are brittle and not suitable.

For 3000 you should be able to get a very nice rifle, that's about 3 times what I normally can spend. :-)

I recommend you put a post on the gunsmithing forum, let them know what you want to do with the action, give them some of your desires, and most definitely do a search for "ultimate enfield" and look at the pictures of the one that Tom Burgess worked on, talk about awesome.

Have fun, they are a great action IMO.

Red

Pyro,
If you are dead set on building it off an enfield, you can build anything.. BUT.. as i've now built 2 monsters off enfields, I'll tell you it's not worth the $$$ difference thant o have started with a CZ or winchester.

On cart selection, let me suggest you use the 510well/500 asquare which are 50x460 weatherby.. the cases are MUCH cheaper and the dies will cost you the same from ch4d.

second, start with a cz550 in 416 rigby,(620) and do a rebarrel. pacnor can do this for you, with bluing, for $450... add $200 for iron sights, , you are now at 1270... add a stock www.gunstocks.com to see what they would charge you to do it for you, including checkering and crossbolts, with the stock fitted to you.. call it 600, and add the mod 70 safety (150 hardware, 50 install) and you are at a total of 2070...

if you do the wells/a2 your feeding resolution should be minor, you should have nice sights (necg barrel and front and rear?) and have a KNOWN level base for scope mounting, if you like.

infact, you MIGHT be able to forego the stock (if you are 5'10-6'1) and just have it "built up" in bedding and bolts. call it 200 rather than 600, and be under 2k.

if i build another 500 jeffe, it's going to be a montana or cz

jeffe

Dennis Olson of Plains, MT can do it. But he has a huge backlog because he is good. $3K is a workable budget but tight.

Ryan Breeding of Palmdale, CA can also build up a beautiful Enfield. For a complete rifle from Ryan, budget $8,000 to $10,000, but it will be worth it.

Thanks for the fast response. I just looked at the action and it is an Eddy so I guess I should just toss it in the closet. At least it was an almost nothing involved trade(cz52 pistol for it).

Sounds like the new action will be the way to go. Maby find a nice cz or just go ahead and get PGW to build a complete rifle. Just thought it would be nice to build on the old classic.

I know there are much cheaper cartriges to build up, but this is a cartrige I have always wanted. Probably never be able to afford a double, but a Gibbs would give me the right emotional connection.

my first 500 jeffe action was an eddy... held up for ~300 rounds, then the STOCK broke.

jeffe

It depends on what year the Eddystone was made. There was a war-time problem with proper heat treatment on the receivers that went from batch to batch. Let a bonafide gunsmith look at it and if this doesn't pan out, trade it off. We got to remember that rifles were hurriedly put on the battlefield as this country was pacifistic during that period before our involvement with European affairs.

Tossing this in for constructive comment, seems relevant. If its been covered before, apologies.

A knowledgeable local gunsmith mate has led me to believe that (many) Eddystone actions are indeed very hard, but failures only occur because the reciever-rings develop a crack. He insists that they crack only when the old .30-cal barrels are removed, because they were screwed in so incredibly tight (square threads).

The contention is that making a relief-cut right around the barrel, a few thou ahead of the front of the reciever-ring, will relieve the pressure on the shoulder and they can be screwed out easily, sometimes by hand. My gunsmith mate maintains that a good many Eddystones crack if this is not done, and if one should pass undetected into a custom big-bore, it can be a time-bomb. However my mate insists that none will crack if the relief-cut is made.

A new barrel can then be installed, sensibly tightened (not over-tightened) and the action, although hard, will give the same service as any other bolt-gun.

He offers as supporting evidence the fact that many British express bolt-rifles were made on P-14 actions without regard for original manufacture, even by the London trade.

He laments the fact that many potentially fine actions were ruined by 'small-town' ignorant 'gunsmiths' who laboured under the notion that a stout smack with a slogging-hammer was the proper way to 'test' a P14/M17 action prior to commencing any custom work!

Opinions, gentlemen?

The action shows a date of 1918, but I do not know if there is any way to tell month. I pulled the action out of the stock last night and it looks almost unused. There is very little wear on the bolt and lugs, and the barrel is bright with strong rifling.Just from looking at it I would think it to be post war that sat in storage untill the DCM sold it in the 60's. But just the same to me, if there is even the potential for a dramatic falure I would rather leave it as is and purchase a new action. I prefer not to take a chance.

i'll give ya 75 bucks for it

jeffe

I picked up a 1917 Eddystone a while back that had been sporerized. What threw me was it had a 26" two groove barrel. A friend of mine who is a real old timer said that during WW-2, Remington rebarreled a lot of the 1917 Enfields with two groove barrels. The barrel on this on has been pretty well screwed up by corrosive priming and not properly cleaned up. Damn thing won't shoot jacketed worth a damn, but for some reason, groups real good with cast bullet. If I understand things correctly, if an Eddystone has been rebarreled without problems, then it should be OK.
You might check out Sterling Davenport in Tucson Arizona. He makes a nice rifle at a reasonable price. I belive he'll use your action if you want, (He said he'd do one on my military Mauser action) but if he doesn't have the reamer for the cartridge you want, you'll have to furnish one yourself.
FWIW, he has a reasonable price. He makes the rifle for $3,000. The wood is very nice, and the rifles I've seen that he's done all look great.He test fires and sights them in at the range where I shoot. He's been making a lot of .375 H&H and .416 Rigby's lately so he is familiar with the hard kickers.
He has the idea that everyone should have at least one fine custom rifle at a reasonable price. I don't know what the waiting period is for delivery, but as soon as I get the money saved up, I'm giving him an order.
Paul B.

Pyro--I'll give ya a hunderd bucks.But you really shouldn't sell it.Just have barrel shoulder cut
away with lathe, and it will be fine.Barrel will come out without cracking reciever.They use them for A-Sq monster cases just fine.I've got two,
one a wildcat 458HE and what was 510HE soon to be
a 550HE...Ed.

Although the action is good for any of the projects mentioned, I shudder when a classic rifle is cannabalized for something else.

I ended up with a 1917 Enfield, made in 1918 by Winchester. It has the original barrel on it, but has been sporterized. However this barrel will shoot groups that rival a fine custom barrel. That on top of being 80 something years old, makes me even prouder and lucky feeling that I have one of these old gals.

I'd vote for the CZ route, and leave the Enfield in its current shape and be glad you are fortunate enough to own a piece of history.

I paid $100.00 for mine and would not take the $3,000 budget for your project rifle for it.
Nostalgia and history can't have a price tag on it at my house.

If I wanted a top notch big bore in 505 or whatever, I would use an Enfield action and make a first class rifle out of it, in that caliber with that action it will always be worth more than it cost to build, if done right...

No big bore in 505 is in demand more than a properly done Enfield or Mauser Mod 20, complete with drop box, and all the trim, in a nice piece of Turkish or French.