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Sporterized 1917 Enfield

loborojo338
I have a project that I am working on it is a 1917 enfield. When I got it the rear sight ears were already ground down and it was drilled and tapped for a scope. I would like to finish the job with a custom stock. The problem I am having is trying to find a straightened floorplate. Will any other makes fit such as a Remington or Springfield 03? Or is there anyone who can straighten the original?
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    It gets a lot more complex than that. I believe that the M1917 is unique in having a separate trigger guard & magazine box; most other Mauser-type rifles such as the M1903/M1903A3 have a one-piece trigger guard/magazine box. It's not just changing the shape of the floorpiece: you have to worry about how it will mate with the trigger guard & magazine box.

    I'm not saying it can't be done; however, if you have to pay a highly skilled person to do the work, it's probably not worthwhile. That's why, in the last 30 or so years, so few folks convert old military rifles to sporters. It's just cheaper to go down to the local gun store & buy an inexpensive modern rifle that will be a lot lighter (& prettier).

    Neal
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  • MIKE WISKEY
    WHAT NEAL SAID IS TRUE, BUT IT IS FAIRLY EASY TO CONVERT THE ENFIELD TRIGER GUARD, ALMOST ANY OLDER (+50) GUNSMITH SHOULD HAVE A HOME-MADE JIG TO REWELD THE TRIGGER GUARD AFTER SAWING OFF THE FRONT TANG. YOU MAY HAVE TO SHORTEN THE MAGAZINE BOX BUT THIS IS A HACKSAW & FILE JOB. AFTER THE CHOP JOB I USUALY WELD THE MAG. BOX AND TRIGGER GUARD TOGETHER FOR A ONE PIECE UNIT LIKE THE M-98 MAUSER.
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  • vafranko
    If all else fails I can steer you to one that is in a local paper.

    Franko
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    LOBO....Send me a Mailing address....I'll photo Copy the Pagers out of My Dad's Book for You...Unless You have a Copy Of His Second Book [INTRODUCTION TO MODERN GUNSMITHING]...by H.E. MacFarland....showing You how to make the JIGS to make the Floorplate and Magazine the way You want...anyway, You'll want a Copy...Sorry I can't Scan it here....but having a problem with both Digital Camera and Scanner... its either in the XP program or one of the programs...I'll get it sorted out one of these days......Best....

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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  • mrmike08075
    my father has a superb sporterized pattern 17 enfield rifle in .30-06. the gun is ugly, despite attempts to make its lines cleaner, or more ashtetic. we put a giant, powerful TASCO scope on it, and it prints tight groups. something about the design of this gun seems to magnify the "felt" recoil... it seems to hit the shoulder harder that my other .30 cal rifles.

    overlooked high quality gun...
    best regards, mike.

    What other dungeon is so dark as ones own heart, what jailer so inexorable as ones own mind.
    contact me at the shop at waltsgun@aol.com best regards, mike.
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  • Pinhead
    Call me an old dinosaur if you want too, but I love the old 17. I've owned several and currently have two(one of which is the old Remington Model 30--a civilian version of the 1917). They are not cosmetically as good looking as the 03 or the mausers but if push come to shove I would take the 17 over either of the other two. But that is just my personal preference. AS far as the gunsmithing goes, most of the people who call themselves gunsmiths today are like automobile mechanics, they are parts changers who repair nothing--just put in a new part and go on. The Remington 700 is a marvel of mass production that makes it easy to customize because it was designed to be easy to produce on a production line and to make it easy to change out parts. Give me the old timers who could and would take a sows ear and turn it into a silk purse. The old timers made their own jigs and tools themselves. They were too proud of their workmanship to buy someone else's. I only have one "modern" production rifle left in my house,a Ruger 77 in 6.5x55. The rest are old military rifles that, like me, were ready for the junk pile until someone with skill and patience gave them a new life. And not one of them will shoot over an inch at 100 yards and most have original barrels on them. MacFarland and Dunlop wrote two books that ought to be required reading for any hobbiest gunsmith and on the bench of any professional. Thanks for letting me blow off steam. I hate this so called modern world.
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  • ern98
    As said it is fairly simple to cut and reweld the trigger guard. But if you can find one the Remington model 30 is the factory sporter of that rifle. The model 30 guard is what people were cutting the guards to look like. I'd call Gun Parts/Numerich and see if they have any in stock.
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  • I.Shute
    Ditto on Mike Wiskey's note.
    I can't post a picture here, but I'll email you one of the jig I made and a drawing of the one slanting cut you make. You make one cut, bolt the end piece to the jig and make the weld, just a normal butt weld, no extra metal to add.
    Doesn't change the magazine box at all.
    I'm just one of the dinosaurs.
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  • nykansan
    I have an Eddystone and I bought the
    cock on opening firing pin from numerich.
    Trigger pull and feel inproved 100%.
    sitaa

    If each before his own
    door swept,the whole
    village would be clean.
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    loborojo338...Hold that Hacksaw....You won't need a hacksaw when you get the Plans for the Jig....No Welding required...You'll be glad you waited.....best....

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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