Nice, it looks like you're seeing some improvement on paper. I imagine those sights are not super easy to work with, either. Nice work with that 1917, too...I'm currently in the process of building my milsurp collection, and that's the next one on my list, unless my son succeeds in distracting me with Swedish Mausers. I've never shot a 1917, but I hear good things.

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Originally posted by MikeinNC:

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Interesting old gun! I think I read that when they became obsolete, many were converted into shotguns and used as riot control guns.

You are thinking of the SMLE that was converted to 410 and issued to Indian Police for crowd control. They bored out the rifling to .41 and you have to use cases made from .303 brass because they didn’t ream out the chamber further than it was already.

I think he’s referring to the Egyptian(?) Greener shotguns with the three prong firing pins.

(ETA: looking at this again, not typing as I was literally running out the door, I do recall some of the Nepalese guns were made into smooth bores)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cas,

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Nice, it looks like you're seeing some improvement on paper. I imagine those sights are not super easy to work with, either. Nice work with that 1917, too...I'm currently in the process of building my milsurp collection, and that's the next one on my list, unless my son succeeds in distracting me with Swedish Mausers. I've never shot a 1917, but I hear good things.

‘17’s are a great battle bolt rifle. However, if want an accurate American bolt military rifle… the ‘03. And yes get yourself a nice Swede M96.

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Originally posted by 357fuzz:

‘17’s are a great battle bolt rifle. However, if want an accurate American bolt military rifle… the ‘03. And yes get yourself a nice Swede M96.

I've been kinda busy since we last talked . I just finished un-bubba-ing a Remington '03A3 that I got off gunbroker. I was a little worried at first because it arrived with a dent/gouge on the outside of the barrel, and in the sporter stock it was shooting way left. It did however have the original 1943 2-groove barrel, and the bore looked good. I got a beat up Mil-Spec straight stock and some other parts from Sarco to put it back into what at least looks like original configuration (some of the parts are repro, not GI), and now it's shooting 3" groups at 200 yards to point of aim. I'm tremendously pleased with that rifle, especially considering what I gave for it.

We also just picked up a Swede M96/38 short rifle for my son. It just got here this week about the same time as the Krag, so we're still working on developing loads for that one, but it's an absolutely beautiful rifle with a shiny bore and all the numbers match except the barrel bands and the rear sight. The Swedes knew what they were about when they put those things together. Having seen and handled it, now I kinda want one of my own. In a few years he's going to move out, and that'll leave me without a Swede. The kid's not helping, either...he keeps finding deals on gunbroker and showing them to me.

My real goal, though, has become to collect an affordable example of each of the US Military rifle actions, at least since 1900 (although a trapdoor would be pretty cool, too, and I'm already loading .45-70). I'm not looking for perfect numbers matching examples, or even necessarily 100% faithful restorations, but I want shooters that provide a similar experience to the original. I've now got the Krag, the '03, a couple of Garands, and ARs...the 1917 and an M1A are the only two I'm still missing. I've shot M14s before, but the 1917 I only know from what I've read and watched.

92fstech,


I have an '03A3 from the CMP, I prefer shooting the 1917. I like the 1917 so much, I bought a P14 Remington.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kz1000,

Very nice! What do you prefer about the 1917 over the '03?

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Originally posted by PCWyoming:
Thread drift:
Originally posted by 92fstech:

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I'm already loading .45-70

What powder are you using for your .45-70 (I assume cast bullets)?

PC

Affirmative on the cast bullets...405gr is my preferred weight. I used to buy them from Missouri Bullet Co, but recently acquired a Lee mold, so I'm going down the casting rabbit hole for that caliber as well.

Currently I just have a Marlin Guide Gun. I use Trailboss for the plinking loads (probably what I'd use for the trapdoor, too) and 4198 for more potent stuff.

For the .303 I'm using 4227 with cast bullets.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 92fstech,

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Very nice! What do you prefer about the 1917 over the '03?

Handles better, better sight.

"Perfectly safe with smokeless. The Martini action can handle it."

Even if that's 100% accurate, you're still talking about a 136 year old action and all that goes with it. They were made for black powder rounds. Converted to cordite rounds.

That would be worth starting to reload for. Some nice lower pressure "gentle" rounds to ensure a long safe life for you and it. (rather than HXP made to work in Bren guns and Vickers machine-guns)

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Originally posted by cas:
"Perfectly safe with smokeless. The Martini action can handle it."

Even if that's 100% accurate, you're still talking about a 136 year old action and all that goes with it. They were made for black powder rounds. Converted to cordite rounds.

That would be worth starting to reload for. Some nice lower pressure "gentle" rounds to ensure a long safe life for you and it. (rather than HXP made to work in Bren guns and Vickers machine-guns)

HXP was also used safely in a whole bunch of Lee Enfield rifles the Brits gave to the Greeks after WWII. It wasn’t just specifically designed for machine guns. The .303 Brit is a lower pressure round anyway. It was then it is now. Just don’t do stupid shit with a bunch of powder and it will be fine.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:]

Affirmative on the cast bullets...405gr is my preferred weight. I used to buy them from Missouri Bullet Co, but recently acquired a Lee mold, so I'm going down the casting rabbit hole for that caliber as well.

Well, sir, I have three Lee moulds for .45-70 Govt flat-nose bullets. All bought from my old friend at The Gun Works in Springfield OR.

The 300gr mould casts a 320gr lead bullet.

The 405gr mould casts a 425gr bullet, and

The 500gr mould casts a 530gr bullet.

Just so's you'd know.

Hehe.. there's a reason I have that cordite picture and could have taken hundreds more, and it's wasn't because I liked pulling bullets or because things were "alright".

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Originally posted by cas:
Hehe.. there's a reason I have that cordite picture and could have taken hundreds more, and it's wasn't because I liked pulling bullets or because things were "alright".

Yup! We just got done doing that with a bunch of .303 surplus ammo that I got from a buddy. Two attempts to shoot some of the better looking rounds resulted in one dud and one "click...bang". After that I put my son to work with the bullet puller.

We saved the projectiles. Most of the cases were Berdan primed, so those got scrapped. The Boxer ones got reloaded. The cordite...well, the kids were studying Pompeii and made model volcanos and little towns for a school project to go along with that. We filled my son's with cordite and lit it on fire...history in action .