Bolt Action Rifles. Wayne Zwoll

Mauser Model 98

       Mauser Models 71 & 71/84

       Mauser Models 92, 93, 94, 95 & 96

       Mauser Smokeless Powder Actions Models 88, 89, 90 & 91

       Mauser—Siamese Mauser

       Russian Mosin-Nagant Rifles

       Springfield Models 1903, 1903A3 & 1903A4

Enfield Rifles FdH

      U.S. Model 1917 Enfield rifle, caliber 30-06. This rifle has a 26” barrel, is 46.3” overall, and weighs about 9.5 pounds. As originally made, the M1917 barrels had five grooves and a left-hand rifling twist of 1:10”. Many 1917s were later fitted with two- and four-groove barrels.

      Part I

      1917 U.S. Enfield

      PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR gunsmiths have long been familiar with the Model 1917 Enfield action. It has been used widely in recent years to build custom sporting rifles in both standard 30-06 head-sized rimless and belted magnum cartridges. A large and rugged action “as issued,” it is also a homely one. Fortunately, however, it is receptive to much alteration and remodeling.

      When the United States entered WWI in 1917, it was short of rifles, and immediate plans had to be made to acquire 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

” wide and

” gas-escape vent hole, in the center of this raised portion, is in line with the extractor hook and extractor cut in the barrel. The barrel threads are square. The barrel breech is coned, with part of this funnel edge milled out for the extractor. The front of the bolt breeches nearly against the barrel when the action is closed.

      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