Friends-

I have been toying with the idea of having a rifle made up on a M1917 Enfield Action for some time. After a bit of looking, I finally came up with an action. Good news is that actually some of the work has been started; to include the following:
#1. Front and rear receiver rings have been polished as well as drilled and tapped.
#2. Bottom metal has been either modified and/or replaced to eliminate the "Dog Leg" or "swollen belly" however, you call it.
#3. Bolt face has been opened up to accomodate a .523 cartridge head.

Now for the bad news, well really not so bad, just more things to do such as:
#1. New bolt handle.
#2. Cock on open conversion.
#3. Three position model 70 type safety.
#4. Custom Scope bases - preferably ones to make the action look like a double square bridge.

Pictures of this bad boy are below:












So, now, I go back to my original question who should I have do the remaining metal work and am I missing some important features to the metal work. I have contacted Ed Lapour in Washington State regarding his three position safeties and he is out of stock and will be resuming production in January of '05. Are there other metalsmiths that make Mod 70 style three position safeties?

Jeffeosso, and System98 please give me your thoughts along with other board members.

Thanks in advance.

About 10 years ago, back when demilled P14's were going for about $40, I had Dennis Olson rework an Enfield action for me and I can't say enough good things about his work. He which went much further than just recontouring the rear ring- he also milled the face of the ring back to remove the charger clip, shortened the ejector spring to look more like a Mauser and milled of the protrusion or "ledge" that supported the round pad that the original-length spring sat on. He also converted the floorplate to a hinged design with a M70 type button release. Slick looking is all I can say, and it certainly doesn't look like it's a "sporterized" military action. I sat on this action for the last 10 years, and only recently had him put on a barrel, in 300 H&H. I don't know if Olson still does this work, but you should check with him.

I'd post pictures, but I'm what you might call technology impaired.

I am curious why you're looking at changing the safety- although it's only a 2-position design it is one of my favorite features of the Enfield!

wow, nothing like picking the most expensive mil. action to start with :-) But everybody needs at least a dozen, er, I mean one.

I will say that Thos. Burgess' work on Enfields is undoubtedly the most beautiful I have seen, and he has quite a few tricks up his sleeves. You contacted Ed LaPour, so I am guessing you are not trying to do this on a tight budget (I know that last I heard the price on them safeties was not cheap), so you might consider Burgess bases and rings. He makes a quick detach setup, the bases are matched to the countour he makes of your bridge and ring, then permanently attached (I can't remember for sure but want to say soldered and screwed, then the screw heads peened and the tops ground so they look like they are all one piece to the action). Then he makes a matching set of quick release rings for it. if you do a search for Ultimate Enfield on here you will find pictures that show his ring setup. if not let me know as I am sure I saved them somewhere.

Also, I know that Systeme98 also will change the tang area for you at the rear of the action so that you can have a stock done with a grip shape that is more suitable to shooting.

Personally I agree that the safety is a thing of note with the enfield and given unlimited funds it is the one thing I still wouldn't have changed on the rifle.

I hope that mr. Burgess sees this and corrects me on what I probably missed on the bases and rings.

Red
PS
What manufacture is your enfield? If the duck pond was there and was filled they did a good job of it from the pics.

Dayton Traister makes a speedlock firing pin assembly that converts the 1917's to cock on open but you also have to use their accompanying single stage trigger with it. The triggers are about $50 bucks and the speed lock kit is about $45 bucks.

I don't know of anyone that makes a three position safety ( there may be people I just haven't heard about them) but the Enfield safeties are very well designed and very easy to operate compared to others.

Nice looking action!

Rick

30 Cal, Nice!! Just curious, what caliber are you going
to use in your enfield.

I have two enfields (not as nice as yours), one in 35 Whelen and a 2nd in 06 (original barrel & rear sight) I have been considering rebarreling the o6 but am not sure what caliber...leaning toward the 06 or just maybe a 280, any suggestions anyone?? (I have a 6.5x55)

The sporterizing P-17 was a big thing between the wars.Roy F. Dunlaps book "Gunsmithing" has an excellent chapter on the P-17.For work on the P-14 series,it is highly recommended. The proper way to do a cock-on-opening is do like Remington did on M-30.Mr. Dunlaps has diagrams and measurements in his book.I got a second bolt to try it on.Bolts are supposed to be interchangeable BTW.For the handle the I just ground off the corners and rounded it to make a better looking dog-leg.A common solution was to cut off the knob,straighten the dog-leg and weld the knob back on ,hole in.I think he had a neat latch for it ,too.

Whistler, you are obviously a man of good taste as one of mine is in 35 whelen also! If you are trying to match me make the other one a 458 Lott, that is what mine is going to be when all done. I just have the two, there was a time when I wanted to find every extra action I could and hoard them, but realized the price to sporterize and since I don't have the skill and equipment to do it myself changed my plans.

Red

Howdy 30,
Now, this looks like a well executed 1917... In fact, i am jealous.. There's a GS somewhere between SA and Yokum that has been turning then out perdactly the same.. I've stumbled over a couple three of them that look just about the same... including the turned front ring.

You asked for my input, so I'll give it to ya... DO NOT do the 3 pos safety... it's far cheaper to start with a bbk 601 than to "upgrade" to one, or even start with a montana rifleman long (not PH) action. btw, the only 3 pos I know for this also converts it to cock on open.


What caliber are you interested in making? Since it's already a mag boltface, I would assume the rails have been altered as well... if not, well, that's just a bit more work.

this is a natural for a 404 or a 416 rem, even a 470 capstick without a huge amount more work. But it's PERFECT for the 550 Express....

I think i'll be building another enfield or 3, but commerical actions are starting to look more cost/time effective these days.. much as I hate to say it...

Here's what I'd do with this one
1: replace/reshape the bolt handle

2: timney trigger... order directly from them and tell them you want the A2 trigger (a -two, rather than squared) which will be about 3/16 longer than the 6 round

3: stocking... I like some of the GAG stuff... I would order their express rifle pattern, in they CHEAPEST stock they had, fit it perfectly, including whatever changes I made to the mag, and then send it back, bondo and all for a nice one to be cut.

You know, I might offer that as a "service" when I get around to turning stocks... making a crummy grade stock for a fitting pattern, charging "too much" for that part, just to make sure the stock comes back, and then crediting that towards the finished stock.

4: Sight bases... nothing i would build on an enfield would require a scope and enfield sporters are supposed to be ROUND, imho

5: barrel... I would have a bauska with an intregal rear base and recoil lug

6: you can do a mauser/ruger ish converstion of the ejector box... this will nicely dress the action.

7: charging lugs remainder. You'll probably want to mill/dress those out, especically if you scope this.. those, as they sit, are nothing but thumb cuts waiting to happen.

The greatest thing about working with an enfield is you have MILES of room to adjust the mag. geometery

jeffe

DagoRed....Well of course, grew up in Oklahoma, by the way 30Cal, how is it around Baja Oklahoma.....ya know, that area around Dallas....Joking aside, a 458LOTT is way more than I want. I seriously thought about building the 2nd as a 35 Whelen improved like the first, but with 24 inch barrel instead of 22 and a wood stock instead of the polymer....Already have a nice piece of wood that came with it but would require modification since the mag is still a 6 rd. and it would need checkering....

Isn't there a Whelen caliber around 404??

Friends-

That is why I love this site so. Ask for help and you're going to get it.

I want to thank all of you for your comments. Here are some answers and/or responses to your questions and comments.

Dago Red: Well I have had done Mausers, Mod 70's, an 03 Springfield, MRC 1999; it was just time to tackle one of these bad boys. Besides they look like they are stronger than nine acres of crushed garlic.

belaw: Thanks for the reminder on Dennis Olson; he will definitely be on my final three.

jeffeoso: I will definitely give you a call in the next few days. I will say that I have a bit of a "woody" for the three position safety. I have those pictures of System98's Ultimate Enfield to thank for that. I was thinking about the GAG stocks as the way to go, thanks for reinforcing that.

As always, the best of regards for you all!

Not that I would trust it to a duplicator, but that stock on the Ultimate Enfield would be something great to get a pattern off.

IN case you hadn't already planned on spending enough money, adding a guide rib to the bolt is one step closer to 100% reliability. These projects can really get away from us can't they? :-)

Red

Whistler,



there is a 400 whelen, and if I remember correctly the reason there are headspace problems has to do with two different chamber specs for it, the original, using unformed 06 brass necked down had no problems. necking the brass up doesn't work well. Do a search here going back at least a year and you should find the data on that. I am not sure which 40 cal it is though (.406, .409 etc). I doubt it is the same as a 404 Jeff though, which is what, .423?



Red

PS-found it for you 400 Whelen headspace myth, its .411 by the way