View Full Version : "Manufacturing The M1917 Rifle" (video)
Even though this is from 1918, it looks like a pretty efficient operation. Toward the end, I take it that "slushing" is a preservative treatment?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39wM-lzDWE4
eightmillimeter
12-06-21, 21:46
Yep that’s nice warm cosmoline. In 1918 the vast majority of Enfields were shipped directly overseas, They had to be protected.
I’ve seen that before. The part that gets me is how they just casually screw the barrels into the receivers with a normal action wrench. If you’ve ever tried to take off an Enfield barrel you know why that’s bizarre.
Its a neat video. I would guess "slushing" is cosmoline or similar given the viscosity of the goo they push back into the pit.
Andy
No idea what "slushing" is, but it was fun to watch the video. State of the art manufacturing for the day.
I have a 1917 Eddystone. Still a fine shooting rifle. Can't say that I've ever "really" tried to see what it can do in terms of accuracy. But it's easily a 2 MOA rifle with off the shelf ammo and a casual attempt at iron sight marksmanship. Not bad for a 100 year old sporterised rack grade. It was my dad's deer rifle. Ate a lot of venison when I was a kid, so I suppose it worked well enough.
I have a 1917 Remington and it's pretty amazing. Anything my Springfield can do, it can do.
The barrel straightening process never fails to amaze me, just a guy bending it a bit more straight.
I have a 1917 Remington and it's pretty amazing. Anything my Springfield can do, it can do.
Except blow up. Those receivers are quite strong.
Except blow up. Those receivers are quite strong.
Well yeah, that.
m1a_scoutguy
12-07-21, 00:22
Very cool,,I'll take a crate please,LOL !
Except blow up. Those receivers are quite strong.
Yeah, the actions are popular for dangerous game caliber builds. 375H&H and up.
I have a Winchester that was inspected by Elmer Keith when he was working at the Ogden Arsenal. The kicker is that I got it as a BOGO free deal when I bought my first Garand in 2010. I was the service manager for a John Deere dealer in Texas at the time, and I had a 84 year old customer who previously owned a gun shop in California for 30 years. He told me he'd "sell me the Garand for $650 and throw in the M1917." My money jumped out of my wallet so fast!
What impresses me about my M1917 is the trigger. It's a stock trigger, but it's amazingly smooth and I would easily say that it's superior to the either the Geissele or LaRue triggers in my AR's. I haven't fired any other M1917's, so I don't know if their all as smooth as mine.
Here's a link to some pics of the rifle.
https://imgur.com/a/t36Uckb
m1a_scoutguy
12-07-21, 12:38
I find it interesting that they decided to make a completely different rifle during the war years. I mean they were already making 1903 rifles as fast as they could I'm sure. I'm wondering if the 1917 was an easier/cheaper rifle to build? I own a 1903A3 but not a 1903 or 1917, I have a buddy that has a beautiful 1917 and it is a nice rifle but I like my 1903A3 better, maybe it's a little more refined. I'm always lookin for a nice 1903 but just haven't come across one yet. Ah this explains it,just found it: https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/u-s-rifles-of-wwi-the-m1903-and-m1917/
I find it interesting that they decided to make a completely different rifle during the war years. I mean they were already making 1903 rifles as fast as they could I'm sure. I'm wondering if the 1917 was an easier/cheaper rifle to build? I own a 1903A3 but not a 1903 or 1917, I have a buddy that has a beautiful 1917 and it is a nice rifle but I like my 1903A3 better, maybe it's a little more refined. I'm always lookin for a nice 1903 but just haven't come across one yet.
Springfield Armory was the only manufacturer of the 1903 and couldn't keep up with war production. Dept of the Army initially wanted to sub out production of the 03 to the commercial sector, but Winchester and Remington who were already making the P14 Enfield for the British convinced the Army that it would be cheaper and faster to chamber the P14 in 30-06 and thus the M1917 came into being. In the end, more M1917's were issued than were 1903's.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-u-s-model-of-1917-rifle/
Personally I feel that the 1917 is the superior rifle, especially where the sights, trigger, and cock on close mechanism are concerned.
m1a_scoutguy
12-07-21, 12:58
Springfield Armory was the only manufacturer of the 1903 and couldn't keep up with war production. Dept of the Army initially wanted to sub out production of the 03 to the commercial sector, but Winchester and Remington who were already making the P14 Enfield for the British convinced the Army that it would be cheaper and faster to chamber the P14 in 30-06 and thus the M1917 came into being. In the end, more M1917's were issued than were 1903's.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-u-s-model-of-1917-rifle/
Personally I feel that the 1917 is the superior rifle, especially where the sights, trigger, and cock on close mechanism are concerned.
I guess it was a good thing that they were making the British rifles and it was easily converted to the US chambering. Would have been a heck of a time getting even more rifles built from the ground up if those British rifles weren't up & running!
john armond
12-07-21, 13:30
Springfield Armory was the only manufacturer of the 1903 and couldn't keep up with war production. Dept of the Army initially wanted to sub out production of the 03 to the commercial sector, but Winchester and Remington who were already making the P14 Enfield for the British convinced the Army that it would be cheaper and faster to chamber the P14 in 30-06 and thus the M1917 came into being. In the end, more M1917's were issued than were 1903's.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-u-s-model-of-1917-rifle/
Personally I feel that the 1917 is the superior rifle, especially where the sights, trigger, and cock on close mechanism are concerned.
I believe approximately 75% of the issued rifles in WWI were 1917s. Alvin York's regiment was issued 1917's (though there is uncertainty as to him using a 1917 or 1903) but York preferred the 1903 sights over the 1917 peep, as that is what he was used to. At the end of the war, due to the more abundant numbers of 1917s the army debated on which rifle to keep as their standard, even designing a six-round charger clip for the 1917. The ability of a 1917 to hold six 30.06 rounds was due to the extra space in the 1917's magazine that was created when it was designed for the rimmed 303 British cartridge. Try loading six 30.06 in a 1917 and you will see it fits, feeds, and fires perfectly.
In the end, American pride (and the 1903) won, and the 1917 was relegated to substitute-standard status.
ETA: I have to agree, the 1917 is the superior rifle for the reasons mentioned above. The action on mine is so much smoother (I believe due to the cock-on-closing) than any of the 1903 variants I have owned. I can shoot mine smoother and faster (accurately) than my 1903s.
I find it interesting that they decided to make a completely different rifle during the war years. I mean they were already making 1903 rifles as fast as they could I'm sure. I'm wondering if the 1917 was an easier/cheaper rifle to build? I own a 1903A3 but not a 1903 or 1917, I have a buddy that has a beautiful 1917 and it is a nice rifle but I like my 1903A3 better, maybe it's a little more refined. I'm always lookin for a nice 1903 but just haven't come across one yet. Ah this explains it,just found it: https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/u-s-rifles-of-wwi-the-m1903-and-m1917/
So before our entry into the war we were making Enfields in .303 for the British, I think it was the P14 pattern. So production was already there.
I guess it was a good thing that they were making the British rifles and it was easily converted to the US chambering. Would have been a heck of a time getting even more rifles built from the ground up if those British rifles weren't up & running!
We could have just adopted french rifles like we did with the chaut chat.
I remember the old saying about WWI infantry rifles; "The Americans had the best target rifle, the German had the best hunting rifle, and the British had the best combat rifle".
Testing the War Weapons by T.J. Mullin had a nice write up of both rifles, he also preferred the 1917. I always admired and wanted a few old-timey bolt rifles but never got around to it. I read that the British method for manipulating the bolt gave their riflemen an advantage in The Great War.
Another good read from the time: A Rifleman Went to War by McBride.
When I watched this video I wondered about my rifle. I hadn't taken it out of the safe in a while and didn't remember the month on the barrel. I knew it was '18 but that was all I could recall.
Well, I took it out of the very back of one of my safe's for annual inspection and cleaning. The barrel was made on 11-18 so it likely went through only months after this was made.
https://hkguns.zenfolio.com/img/s/v-10/p4052456588-5.jpg
eightmillimeter
01-01-22, 11:41
I remember the old saying about WWI infantry rifles; "The Americans had the best target rifle, the German had the best hunting rifle, and the British had the best combat rifle".
This statement is only true when you ignore the existence of the M1917, which is far superior to any SMLE.
Averageman
01-01-22, 14:22
Had one in my hands and stupidly passed on it.
Once I went back and read up, I kicked my own butt for that.
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