[russmerle]

So check out this work of art. I eyed this guy for a few days on gun”make-me”broker.com and finally jumped. Reason I did was it’s a Douglas heavy 30-06 that looked to be installed by Douglas due to the role marks and placement. Also with the beautiful target stock and perfectly milled sight ears; it just looked like a good example of true craftsmanship.

So here it is, what seems to be someone’s beautiful bench-rest Winchester M1917. So maybe some of you can tell me more about this rifle?

- I really can’t place the trigger but it’s certainly a crisp and accurate 3.5 lbs.
- The stock is finely fitted to the receiver and barrel.
- The blueing looks to be professionally done but some cartouches are still deep but a bit more smooth than normal.

 

[russmerle]

More pics

 

[sac troop]

Reminds me more of some of the custom match rifles made on Springfield and P17 Enfield actions. It could be used for a variety of shooting disciplines. I'm thinking it saw sometime on a few High-power courses.

 

[Allen Humphrey]

Clearly built well and intended for accuracy. I'm not a bench rest guy, so I don't know if they would even bother with sling swivels. The lack of iron sights probably means it wasn't built for across the course competition. The scope holes would seem consistent with a vintage target scope such as Unertl, Feckler, or Lyman.

 

[Earthquake]

I bought a couple of Rem P14 receivers years ago to use for whatever, they are marked "DP" for "Drill Purpose" but they were never welded on.
I built one into a .458 Win mag, I left the magazine full depth so it would hold 5 rounds. I cut the ears off of the receiver and filled the hole with a piece of steel that my GS silver soldered in. It looks kind of weird because when my smith barreled it we left the chamber end full diameter about 5" so it would be easy to put scope bases on the barrel so I could mount the scope Scout style it also added some weight for recoil, the barrel is 24" long with a brake my smith designed, it works well, I fit it into a Richards Mircofit stock made for a full length magazine. It looks a little ungainly but it pulls to the shoulder quite well and is very accurate, on the bench it will put 3 rounds of my handloads with 350gn bullets into a 1". I am going to rechamber it one of these days to .458 Lott. Oh and I straightened out the bolt handle and installed a Timney trigger. It ain't pretty but it get the job done!
The other receiver is going to be a .375 H&H I think.

Casey

 

[Louis1332]

Are either of the two rifles above converted to on opening?

 

[russmerle]

Mine is not sir. It’s still kind of tough, not quite the best for a match rifle I suppose...

Russ

Are either of the two rifles above converted to on opening?

 

[Earthquake]

My .458 is still " on Closing", there is nothing wrong with that either.
It makes opening the action easier because you are not fighting the main spring lifting the bolt handle, I think it makes it faster to operate.

Russ
I have a .300 Win mag built on a CZ24 Mauser 98 very slimier to your rifle, It has a 26" full bull barrel [basically a 1 1/4" blank] in a very heavy black and grey laminated stock. It has a Redfield "5 Star" 3-18x scope on it, it weighs 19lbs and it is very accurate. I built it as a toy.

Casey

 

[Earthquake]

Russ
do you have a scope base for it? Redfield made a base for P14/M17's but it was a 1 piece base that used the rear hole that was for the rear sight and you had to drill and tap the receiver ring like yours but it was set up for the rear being flat, the spacing between the rear hole on the ring to the hole on the bridge is approx 4.065", the part number is 511133 but it is a discontinued item, it is also marked on the box "JR Enfield, scope mount base, remodeled Enfield [flat]" so there may have been a remodeled round too but I have never seen one.
Here is a picture of the base sitting on my bare action, it needs a little more machined off to fit right, this I think diffidently need to be a .375 H&H because of the serial #.
P14's are the great for belted mags because the extractor only needs a little reshaping to fit the case head the bolt face is already big enough so it does not need turned in a lathe
I also have a M17 bolt in case I decide to go to a std round. excuse the dust, it has been sitting in a open box for 10 years on a shelf.

Casey

 

[Earthquake]

OK
I just remembered that the Remington model 30 was a commercial model of a reshaped M17 action and you can get bases [#11 front and rear] for it from Weaver.

Casey

 

[russmerle]

This is excellent info and just what I need to look into now. Was gonna ask, but you read my mind. I’m going to measure the mounting holes tonight. I’d love a one piece but would settle for the two-piece if it’s what the receiver was drilled for. I imagine the smith that built this rifle utilized a common or at least standard mount, based on their attention to detail. I also need a new butt plate, as mine is dry-rotted. Won’t stop me from shooting it but still.

I have a few options for scope... should it be a new tactical or at least target? I’ve got a Leupold Mk4 14x. I could keep with the vintage and install a vintage redfield 10X fine duplex or my vintage Leupold Vari-X IIc 3-9...

Thx!

Russ
do you have a scope base for it? Redfield made a base for P14/M17's but it was a 1 piece base that used the rear hole that was for the rear sight and you had to drill and tap the receiver ring like yours but it was set up for the rear being flat, the spacing between the rear hole on the ring to the hole on the bridge is approx 4.065", the part number is 511133 but it is a discontinued item, it is also marked on the box "JR Enfield, scope mount base, remodeled Enfield [flat]" so there may have been a remodeled round too but I have never seen one.
Here is a picture of the base sitting on my bare action, it needs a little more machined off to fit right, this I think diffidently need to be a .375 H&H because of the serial #.
P14's are the great for belted mags because the extractor only needs a little reshaping to fit the case head the bolt face is already big enough so it does not need turned in a lathe
I also have a M17 bolt in case I decide to go to a std round. excuse the dust, it has been sitting in a open box for 10 years on a shelf.

Casey

OK
I just remembered that the Remington model 30 was a commercial model of a reshaped M17 action and you can get bases [#11 front and rear] for it from Weaver.

Casey

 

[Instructor]

Your rifle is apparently drilled and tapped for a Unertl scope w/ a base on front receiver and other on barrel. Obviously the rifle is designed for bench style shooting and addition of a Unertl would only further enhance it's design and purpose. Bases can be sourced from Brownells and Unertl scopes are also available. Such a combination could take the old '06 to it's limits. Nice piece of "kit."

 

[Earthquake]

Russ
You could probably get a Weaver #11 base for cheap to see if the receiver has been contoured to a Rem model 30 profile. it uses the same base front and rear.
I am thinking about getting a piece of Picatinny rail blank and make my own 1 piece base.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/581458/weaver-top-mount-scope-base-11-gloss

Casey

 

[Ranger44]

OK
I just remembered that the Remington model 30 was a commercial model of a reshaped M17 action and you can get bases [#11 front and rear] for it from Weaver.

Casey

Thanks for the info on the bases for the Model 30. I've been looking to get one of these rifles for a while now and would want to put a classic scope on it. Got to handle a Model 30 Express last week with a Lyman peep sight but the owner didn't want to part with it. He damn near had to pry it out of my hands.