First, please forgive. There is another thread not far down from this, but I wanted to ask some more specific questions.
1. What is the biggest cartridge you can fit into a 1917 action? I've seen folks mention Rigby, etc., but seems like 458 Winchester is the largest?
2. I read, read, and read on heat treatment issues. I didn't find any evidence on the 1917's; only some Springfield 1903's. If someone disagrees, please set me straight.
3. Barrel Removal - yep - read about all the issues. I think the gun I just bought online was rebarreled - so maybe they did it right and I don't have to worry about,
4. I read that you can use gasoline as a good magna-flux alternative, is this so? I do like the idea of getting it x-rayed. Cost?
5. I bought a Winchester 1917 SN# 292901 on Auction arms: http://www.auctionarms.com/Closed/DisplayItem.cfm?ItemNum=8678467.0

Hell, I just might leave it a 30-06 - it looks darn nice.

take a short drive south and visit with tip burns www.burnsgunrepair.com ...tip builds nice rifles, he's done nice things with enfield rifles......

1: 700 DA/HE, but more likely 600 OK .. Saeed's 577 Trex is an enfield. I personally have done 500 jeffe and 500 AR on them.
2: no, the historical heat treat issues are ONLY springfield 1903, not any mod of the 1903a1,, etc, nor any enfields .. though some eddystones are TOO chard
3: barrel removal - easy https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=883107856#883107856

4: no clue, but that winchester is probably not a risk

5: great price, and looks ALOT like they modeled after a model 30.

Contact peyton, in the 416, 458, 470, 500 AR thread in big bores... he's in austin too, and see if ya'll can shoot together.

oh yeah, KEEP THE SAFETY as is

You can build just about anything as long as it's smaller than a 50 BMG sized case. Like Jeffeosso said probably anyhting 600 down makes sence. Re heat treat is never a bad idea, but as a Win it's probably fine.
Never heard about gas as a magnuflux alternative. Sounds a little to shade tree to me.

Thanks for the help! I will get ahold of the folks you mentioned.

Austin Hunter-

Once you get that barrel off, I would be willing to guess that there is a machine shop somewhere in Austin that would magnaflux it for you. Since it is a Winchester, chances are you won't need to have it magnafluxed. Yet again, it is pretty cheap insurance to have one magnafluxed and you can sleep alot better if you build a big boomer.

Good luck!

One more question - I tried PM, but the boards are a bit quirky right now.

When I asked what the largest cartridge for the Enfield, I was thinking along the lines of standard cartridges, even some old timers, that would work. I wanted to see if there was something else that has standard head stamped brass available that I could reload and work with.

I know the 458 Win works nicely, assume the same for the 10.75 x 68 mauser. I'd hate to waste a 1917 on 458 win (though the 300 H&H is tempting, but not a big bore). I can drop these into a standard M98 action - which I'm in the process of acquiring.

I was wondering along the lines of larger standard cartridges like the 450 Rigby, 458 Lott, etc. From my layman understanding, these won't fit - at least not easily. Perhaps I'm wrong.

Austin,
your data is wrong. the enfield will take the gibbs, in terms of length... its just a question of what you want to spend.

the 450 rigby RIMLESS is neither standard or old. It was taken to saami (so, i guesss it really is standard) in 1996 ... all of my kids, most of my pets, and 1 of my cars are older than the 450 rigby.

the 10,75x68 would be wasting an enfield, but its your money.

a 458 lott/watts/ackley is a good choice

a 458 AR is even better!
jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by Austin Hunter:
Hell, I just might leave it a 30-06 - it looks darn nice.

I bought a Winchester Enfield for my 505 Gibbs project but as a 30.06, it shot so well I left it alone. By chance at a swap meet, I bought a Parker Hale 5B rear sight for $AU125 and fitted it as shown.

Made a supurb light range rifle.

I've got a P14 Enfield that has a possible 404 Jeffery marked alongside it, that would be as nice caliber for you, but really, that is a lovely rifle, too good to hack about to my way of thinking, there must be a suitable "bubba-ized" Enfield out there somewhere surely. That rifle of yours is just sweet the way it is.
Steve.

Thanks - it does look nice. I will know more when I get it. I hate to hack into a nice rifle. I'm going to keep looking and see what I find. It might just end up a 300 H&H.

Austin:
I've got three of them, all are Eddystone's.

First one for $15 in 1958 when I was a kid. My first big bore. Shot too many p/dog's with it and wore out the chamber/headspace I was told by an old gunsmith, long dead. He was hired to make it up real nice and rechambered it to .300WIN. I've been tickled with it since the day I bought it.
As long as it'll keep putting them all on a typing page at 300yds, the original barrel will stay on it. Though the rifling is getting hard to see.

The other two were already butchered when I got them. Second one was made into a real nice '06.

Third is in the middle of being made into a .358U/M. IF I'd get off my arse and do the stock, it'd be ready to finish. Just got out of the mood a yr ago March and haven't got to it yet. Lovely wood for it.

Bought a .35 Douglas blank and had it frozen, going to have at least one mercury capsul in it. Since I've had shoulder surgery and back overhauled heavy recoil seems to work me over too much.

IF yours has another barrel on it, then it's not original. In such a position I feel it's up to you how and what's done to it. IF it was all original. Doubt I'd do anything other than maybe clean it up good and shoot it now and then.

Someone else said to leave the safety alone. That's the best safety I know of. That's the reason I prefer these 17's to anything else ever made. Even to my Sako and Browning.
I also very much enjoy the dog leg bolts too. They stay the same on my guns.

Good luck,

quote:

Someone else said to leave the safety alone. That's the best safety I know of. That's the reason I prefer these 17's to anything else ever made.
I also very much enjoy the dog leg bolts too. They stay the same on my guns.

Ditto, on my pair of 30S's.

458 Lott (top), 375 H&H (lower)


Tip Burns, did the build on the 375 H&H.

Keith