Can folks suggest a good shop reference? Dunlop has good but limited information. There must be a high quality manual out there....

Thanks!

The MacFarland gunsmithing book (who's name escapes me right now) is packed with information on sporterizing Enfields. These have been out of print for several decades but the information is still good. Look around online; you find them cheap. I found mine on abebooks.com for $4.

Introduction to Modern Gunsmithing by Harold MacFarland that Jason notes devotes just about a whole chapter to the 1917 Enfield. Also the NRA put out pamphlets on sporterizing the surplus rifles and they are reprinted in The NRA Gunsmithing Guide with the Enfield and '03 included. Pacific Gun Sight put out a 25pg. booklet on How to convert the U.S. Rifle Model 1917 into a sporter or target rifle. Cost of the 1917 Enfield to NRA members from Gov't was $7.50. (Such a Deal).
Root around the used booksellers online and you should find plenty of printed material. I had mine "sporterized by Paul Jaeger in Pa. in the 60's and with a basic piece of Fr. Walnut and metal work and bluing too boot ,I don't think it came to more than a $100.
Good Luck they make nice sporters.
Bob

There is a short chapter in the Williams Gun Sight Company book "How to Convert Military Rifles" on the P-17. Book is $13.95 from Brownells.

LD

I just bought MacFarland's Book and the NRA Gunsmithing Guide from ABE Books in about five minutes. Awesome.

Thanks guys. I just spent a whole $8 on Harold MacFarland's book from ABE. Sounds like what I was looking for.

Instead of buying a book I would try to look at a couple of rifles done by two masters at customizing the 1917. these two would be Thomas Burgess and Ted Blackburn. both have done unvelieveable things with that action.

Tom's Third Ultimate Enfield 416 is one of the reason's I'm so excited about working with these. Absolutely perfect. Although there is no way I could hope to end up with at rifle of that quality, its inspiring. I need the book for some of the "nuts and bolts" modification specs and techniques.

See if you can locate an August 1990 issue of Guns magazine. On page 50 is a photo of a 1917 that was completely reworked by Ted Blackburn, stocked by Bob Emmons and engraved by Guiseppi Forte. That Rifle is absolutely magnificent. it is plain to see that Ted cut off the rear tang completely and welded a a new one on to match the style of a mauser. And of course, the Blackburn Bottom metal and new three position safety didn't hurt it a bit either.

You can also see more photos of it in the December 1988 issue of Guns magazine.

And you could research the 1988 American Custom Gunmakers Raffle Rifle, which was called the .416 rigby Elephant Rifle, and was made almost exactly the same, except that it was engraved by Sam Welch. One was called the Elephant Rifle (the Guild one) and the other one was called the Cape Buffalo Rifle.

According to the article, 18 separate machining operations were completed, including extending and reshaping the rear tang, machining the rear bridge to square bridge style, altering the bolt handle, making a sleeve for the front of the action that had a square bridge on it, modified Blackburn Trigger with slanted trigger shoe, new bolt stop housing, extractor lengthened, altered rails to accept .416 Rigby, new follower and spring, special Blackburn bottom metal, new three position model 70 type safety, modification to cock on opening, firing pin adjusted to fall .312 inch and opening around bolt stop housing welded and remachined to elminate gaps.

See if you can find photos. Its magnificent.