Thank You,
WyoJoe

open bolt face
open rails
tune rails for feeding
tune ramp for feeding
open bottom of receiver for length
build new magazine box and follower for magnum length
straighten floor plate (cut & re-weld)
hone trigger
convert to cock on opening
grind ears off
drill & tap
cut off bolt handle and weld a straight one on (the dogleg handle will probably hit your knuckles under heavy recoil)
take off barrel (this can be a big deal on an Enfield)
thread new barrel
ream new barrel
set headspace
test fire

Unfortunately, the labor for this is a lot more than just buying a CZ550 in 458 win mag and reaming it out. But the end result is nicer.

Good luck
Steve

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Every man dies, but not every man really lives!!

Turn the shoulder off the barrel using a lathe and unscrew the barrel by hand.

: )

I guess taking off a lug nut could be a big deal if I did not know which direction to turn it. Thanks for the info.

:-)

500 grs seems to have covered all that is involved. The lott I had was poorly converted, I had to do some rail work to get reliable feeding. Mine had the cock on closing, and I never considered changing it. I had a timney trigger.

I agree that getting a new CZ-550 458 win mag and having it re-chambered is a better way to go. If you add up the costs of the action work, new barrel, iron sights, and bluing, you are looking at $1k, or more for the barreled action.

Honestly, with the availability of the CZ 550, I see no reason to use a P-14 or P-17 to build a big bore on. Perhaps for the 505 Gibbs, but 416 Rigby on down, just go CZ. Well, there is the other reason, you have a machine shop and want to do the work yourself. Having a big bore compatently built on a milsurp action is much more exspensive then buying new.

WyoJoe

If you still need to open up the bolt face, open the rails, change the feed ramp, build a magazine box, etc., then what work was already done on your P17?

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

quote:

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Originally posted by WyoJoe:
Paul,
I hear what you are saying but my P-17 already has a lot of the work done on it. It was that way when I got it. About all I have to do is have it barreled, bolt face opened up, feed rails worked, and if I do it as a .458 Lott have the magazine opened or replaced. The guy who had it before me did a lot of the work and then I think he had to trade it in. It even has a brand new walnut stock that has never been used. Not too bad of a deal for $260 + tax.

WyoJoe

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You must not be familier with what all is entailed in what you listed as still needing to be done. Barreling is $350-500, do you want irons, if so $100 minimum, bolt face, and extractor $50 minimum,

feed rails, hard one to estimate, absolutely what seperates the men from the boys, and what differentiates a DGR vs a rifle chambered for a large bore round, I'd say $100 min, but if it runs $300, pay it. There are probably a dozen people in the country that should be entrusted with this work, and 100's that should never even be allowed to touch a gun, let allow take a dremel to it.

You not only need the magazene opened, but the action has to be milled to allow for the longer ammo, and you can't just open the magazene, you need a new follower and spring, so figure $200 minimum, if you go with new bottom metal, $400.

So what are we up to? $800 to well over $1000. I highly, highly, highly recomend against going this route, if it is done on the cheap, it'll still be an exspensive project, and if it isn't done by a compentent smith, which is almost guranteed if done by a local or on the cheap, it'll be a poor rifle. There are very few competent gunsmiths in this country, and fewer still that understand what is required to build a gun to hold up to the 458 lott. It doesn't have to cost a fortune, but it does have to be done right.

I know, because I went down the same exact path. I came across a P-14 already barreled as a 458 lott, with a cracked stock, and a thin contour 21 1/2" barrel for $400. I fabricated a second recoil lug for the barrel, and repaired the stock. It didn't feed well, so I did some work on the rails. Still wasn't right because it had the standard magazene follower.

I thought about rebarrelling, as I wanted a heavier and slightly longer barrel, but then figured I had $400 into the action, which wasn't worth it. I sold the gun with dies, brass and bullets to a buddy for $500. The stock cracked again, and he had a custom glass stock made for $700. It still has the fundamental issues with the magazene. He likes the barrel as is, and its a good enough gun.

When folks say start with the CZ, they've either gone down the same road I did, or realized the wisdom in others advice and avoided making the same mistakes.

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DaggaRon
RAB

The Enfield is one of the nicest big bore actions around when done right and full blown, and yes its expensive, but if done right any 505 Gibbs will bring about $5000. minimum and up to $10,000 or more. The 458 Lott will bring a Lott less money...

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com