more. In 1913 British Ordnance developed a new Mauser-type turnbolt action for a 276-caliber rimless cartridge. When England became involved in the war, development work on this cartridge was dropped and the action was modified to handle their standard military round, the 303 British rimmed cartridge. Rather than begin production of this rifle (which was designated the Pattern 1914) in 1914, the British gave contracts to three firms in the United States to make them.
These firms were Winchester, Remington and Eddystone. When the British found that they could produce enough of the older Lee-Enfield rifles, they canceled the contracts in 1916. Thus, at the time the United States entered the war there were three large plants tooled up to make a military rifle. With this in mind, someone (it is believed that Remington initiated this conversion) got busy and redesigned the Pattern 1914 action to handle the 30-06 cartridge. In 1917 new contracts were awarded to these three firms to make the new rifle, officially called the “U.S. Rifle, Cal. .30, Model 1917.”
Production Figures
Production of this rifle ended in these plants in November, 1918. According to reliable sources, Winchester produced 545,511, Remington about 545,541 and about 1,181,908 were made at Eddystone, all at an average cost to the government of $26 each. Of the total, perhaps some 80,000 were unassembled rifles to be used for spare parts. These figures reveal that Eddystone made more than Remington and Winchester combined, which accounts for the predominance of the Eddystone.
Markings and Serial Numbers
The model designation, manufacturer’s name and serial number were stamped on the receiver ring in four lines as follows:
U.S.
MODEL OF 1917
EDDYSTONE (Or Winchester or Remington)
(serial number)
The receiver is the only part serial numbered. Winchester M1917 Enfields were serial numbered from number 1 on, and it is believed this practice was also followed by Remington and Eddystone.
Action Construction
For a military action, the 1917 Enfield was exceptionally well made and finished. Few machine marks can be found under the Parkerized finish. The bolt is made unusually smooth and even, the result a slick-operating action.
The receiver and bolt are machined from 3½ percent nickel steel forgings, a very strong alloy similar in composition to the nickel steel used in many 1903 Springfield actions.
Most of the receiver bottom is flat. The recoil lug, located at the front of the flat bottom, is about 1
The rear part of the receiver, normally called the bridge, is made to house and protect the folding aperture rear sight. Integral “ears” or “wings” project upward on either side to protect the folding sight components. Although without windage adjustment, this sight was considered one of the best military sights designed up to that time.
The front of the bridge has grooves, these forming a guide for loading the magazine via Springfield five-shot stripper clips. The bolt has two large front locking lugs. The right (bottom) lug is solid; the left (top) lug is divided by a narrow slit for the ejector to pass through when the action is opened. The bolt face is partially recessed, surrounding about two-thirds of the cartridge rim. When the bolt is closed, the open, unrecessed segment is toward the left, exactly opposite the gas vent.
The bolt handle has a double bend backward, which positions the hollowed grasping ball about ¾” back of the base of the bolt. The bolt handle, of the “low” type, need never be altered if the action is to be fitted with a low-mounted scope. When the bolt is closed the heavy base of the bolt handle fits into a deep notch in the receiver, acting as a safety lug. The rear of the bolt handle base does not touch the receiver (which is as it should be), making it a safety lug rather than a third locking lug.
The upper or left end of the bolt handle base is tapered to the rear. When the bolt is opened, it contacts a matching surface inside the receiver bridge, providing positive primary extraction camming power.
The extractor is a long Mauser type attached to the bolt body by a collar in a recess in the body. A narrow lip in the front of the extractor engages a groove cut into the head of the bolt to force the extractor to move longitudinally with it. The extractor is designed to snap over a cartridge rim whether it is chambered via the magazine or singly loaded. Some extractors have a small hole in the hook recess to match the gas escape hole.
The bolt-stop follows M98 Mauser design and is positioned on the left rear of the receiver. It is securely held there by a screw through the rear end of the bolt-stop and through an integral stud on the receiver. A heavy spring, fitted lengthwise in the bolt-stop and rearward over a separate rest, keeps the bolt-stop against the receiver. Fitted inside the bolt-stop, and held there by the bolt-stop screw, is the ejector. The ejector is made with an integral spring leaf, which provides the tension to move its front end to the right when the bolt is opened. Backward travel of the bolt is halted when its left locking lug comes in contact with that part of the bolt-stop which projects through a hole in the receiver. A grasping lip on the front of the bolt-stop lets it be swung out for bolt removal.
The simple striker mechanism consists of a bolt sleeve threaded into the rear of the bolt, a coil mainspring, a striker (firing pin), and a cocking piece. The cocking piece is held to the striker by double interrupted rings engaging the two parts. Ordnance specifications called for a firing pin protrusion of not over .068”, and not under .058” minimum, and a firing-pin hole no larger than .085”.
U.S. Model 1917 Enfield action.
Two gas-escape holes in the front of the bolt direct escaping gases into the left side locking raceway.
Primary striker cocking occurs on raising the bolt handle, when the forward end of the cocking piece engages a shallow cam in the rear of the bolt. Full cocking takes place on the forward travel and closing of the bolt, after it has been fully opened. The shallow cam and the short initial rearward movement given to the striker when the bolt handle is raised are safety features which prevent the action from firing a cartridge unless the bolt is locked sufficiently to hold it closed. The cocking piece is engaged when the bolt is open, and also positions and prevents rotation of the bolt sleeve.
The rugged rotary safety, just to the rear of the bolt handle, is built into the tang of the receiver. With the action closed and cocked, tipping the safety lever back locks the striker and bolt. The striker is locked back, and pulled back off the sear, by the end of the safety system engaging a notch cut into the side of the cocking piece. The bolt is locked closed by a pin pushed forward by the safety into a hole in the base of the bolt handle.
The trigger is a common double-stage military type. The long first stage of the pull moves
