When America prepared to enter WWI, the military found itself faced with the problem of arming an incredible expeditionary force with durable rifles that could stand up to the dirt and grime of the European trenches. While the M1903 Springfield had been adopted as America's standard infantry rifle for over a decade, it soon became clear that Springfield's production alone would not be adequate to meet the Army's demand for rifles.
The answer to this dilemma was resolved by Winchester, Remington, and Eddystone Arsenal ( a subsidiary of Remington). These three firms had been producing the British Pattern 1914 Enfield rifle during the first few years of the war, and the Ordnance Dept. quickly realized that while these arms manufacturers could tool up to produce the M1903, the time required to do so would be cost prohibitive. Instead, it was determined that the existing tooling could be used to create an "American Enfield" chambered in .30-06. The new arm was dubbed the U.S. Model 1917 Service Rifle.
The 1917 proved to be robust and reliable and was well liked by the troops. Remington, Winchester, and Eddystone produced almost 2.2 million M1917; a figure that more than doubled the total production of military's "official" service weapon; the M1903. In fact, M1917s made up 75% of the total service weapons issued to the AEF during WW1.
Most famously, Sergaent Alvin York, the famed Medal of Honor recipient, carried an Eddystone M1917 and a Colt M1911 during his time in France.
I wasn't sure whether to classify this rifle as a British P1914 or an American M1917. The reason is that it's technically both. This rifle was originally produced by Remington as a Pattern 1914 Enfield rifle under contract for the British prior to America's entry in the Great War. After serving with British Tommys in the trenches, this P14, like so many others, was deactivated by the English government for use as a parade rifle. A proper deactivation required the gun to be made inoperable; and the Brits acommplished by removing the firing pin from the bolt and welding up the bolt face. They also drove a steel plug in the barrel and welded it place (some deactivated Enfield rifles also had holes drilled in their receivers, but thankfully this was not the case in the instance of this rifle). Once the gun was deactivated, it was marked with a very faint "DP" (Drill Purpose) marking on the receiver and was presumably used for, training, drilling and marching likely by cadet forces.
Sometime after the deactivated rifle was retired from service, it was shipped to America and purchased by a collector who desired to make it functional once again. In order to acomplish this, the original deactivated bolt and barrel were removed, and replaced with an original Remington-made Model 1917 bolt and a Winchester Model 1917 .30-06 barrel made in February, 1919. That's right - this deactivated Pattern 1914 Enfield is now fully functional and chambered in .30-06!
It is obvious that the installation of the "new" barrel and bolt were done by a professional gunsmith, as I checked the gun for both functiona and headspace and found both to be excellent - this rifle would be a great shooter.
Apart from the barrel and bolt, this gun retains all of its original P14 parts, including the stock which is in great shape, but shows a few minor arsenal repairs (see photos). These repairs are all cosmetic and don't impact the stocks structural integrity.
The bolt locks up tight and the action is smooth. The metal parts retain most or their original arsenal bluing.
The bore is good - a little dark but with strong lands and grooves.
This rifle is the perfect addition to any U.S. rifle collection, or WW1 display.
*This weapon was made after 1899 and MUST be shipped to Federal Firearms License holder for transfer. Never bought a gun through an FFL before? Give us a call at (262) 473-5444 and we'd be glad to walk you through this simple process!
