Christmas eve Model 17

I got this one a couple months ago. What caught my eye was the information scrawled on the receiver. Seems this rifle was once assigned to a VFW in UT. Post #49.
Wood looks all original. Nice tight 5-18 barrel with a great bore. I've considered contacting the post(if it's still around) to see if they are interested in the rifle. Otherwise, I will keep it. I haven't even taken it to the range yet. I have one other M17 that is a favorite of mine. It has red paint on the wood, but is mis-matched. Still pretty cool. Here you go.
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Looks like they kept it clean. Nice looking rifle. Let us know what you find out.

Depending on what you want out of the gun........

To assess as a shooter vs a wall hangar (and there is nothing wrong with that)

I would get a Throat Erosion gauge (TE) or see if someone has one in your area.

Any gauge for a 1903 works, its not dead on but they are very close.

If its been used as a ceremonial gun and fired blanks, that will eat a throat out. If so you will have a reading of 5+ (up to no throat at all). Front and rest will look good, I have worked with or know of at least 4 that would keyhole a shot.

Boroscope would show you that as well.

I’d shoot it and see what you got. The rifle was well cared for on the outside. Thanks for the pics.

It may not be as accurate as a TE gauge, but you can use a bare 30-06 bullet, a dummy 30-06 cartridge and a 1/4 inch wood dowel rod to get an idea how much of the rifling in the throat has been eroded over time. Remove the bolt and insert the dummy round (set or measured at the proper overall length) and hold it firmly in place. Gently insert the dowel rod into the muzzle and push it down the bore until it makes contact with the tip of the cartridge bullet. Mark the dowel at a point even with the tip of the muzzle. Remove the cartridge and repeat the process with the bare bullet. The difference between the two marks on the dowel rod represents the amount of rifling that has been lost to erosion. It's important to set the dummy cartridge to the correct overall length and use the same type bullet for both measurements.

The dowel marks on my M1917 and 03-A3 are minimally spaced indicating almost no rifling has been lost. Both are excellent shooters. Here's where it gets interesting. The spacing on my Savage built 1944 Enfield No. 4 Mk 1* is close to 1/4". Worn, yes, but it still shoots well. The spacing on my M1916 Spanish Mauser is almost 1/2". That means that the 7 mm Mauser 7x57 bullet likely goes airborne inside the throat for an instant when fired before it encounters any rifling. The M1916 does not shoot well.

-rifling in the throat-

Sounds complicated(at least at this time of the night) but I will look at it.

Re: The spacing on my M1916 Spanish Mauser is almost 1/2". That means that the 7 mm Mauser 7x57 bullet likely goes airborne inside the throat for an instant when fired before it encounters any rifling. The M1916 does not shoot well. Just a thought. The military 7mm Mauser load used a long heavy round nosed bullet. If you are shooting more normal pointed spitzer bullets of moderate weight, it would very well affect on target results. If you have not, do try some longer heavier round nosed bullets. It may very well improve your down range performance. Sincerely. bruce.

There are a couple of simpler ways around it, or you can contact Steven Mathews and get his TE/MW gauge

1. If you don't reload, get a kinetic bullet puller and take a factory round, mart the place where the bullet and neck meet, then move it way out.
Pull the firing pin and then gently feed the bullet into the chamber.
If the throat is ok, it will hit the lands, you just put the bullet a bit deeper until its no longer contact them.
You may have to tap it out.

2. Horandy makes a tool that you put a fake case on. Put a 30 caliber bullet in it, push it in and then tap the rod until it conact the lands.
Lock it down, pull it out, you mya hve to tap the bullet back out with a wooden dowe.
Measure the cartgie length.

Best done with a known bullet and I can get you the correct dimensions. Preferably Hornady or Sierra as I have be=st data on them.

Some places offer small bullet try packs.

Reality if the throat is really gone the bullet will fall out the end of the case.

A gun smith could determine it quickly

Shooting it if its bad gone you will have the bullet tumble and go through the target side ways.

Best done at 25 yards to start as it can get wild and be way off.

Hi. I tried Merc's experiment. I used a dummy 30-06(the one's with the bent in flutes in the case). Closed the bolt and marked the dowel. I used a flat based 150gr bullet for the test. I used a short cleaning rod to keep the bullet pushed forward. Looks like there is a different of about 1/16 to less than and 1/8th difference. I could go the whole route and make up a dummy reload and then use the same exact bullet for the standard. I'll take the rifle out this week and try it out. I have a M17 that I already like a lot, so if this one falls a little off the mark that's OK. I bought it for the history. Thanks for the tips.

Let me know what brad of bullet. I may be able to match up and see what a known good one works out to.

With a 1917 I would use a resized but no powder and no need for a primer.

You will need to pull the firing pin out to get the right feel.

To do so, you open the bolt, pull the safety all the way back, the close the bolt.

That will create a gap in the striker area at the rear. Slip in a plastic bread clip (cut to match).

Then open up the bolt. The gap will try to close, the bread clip holds it open though under tensions.

The firing pin just unscrews. Simplest one of all the mil guns and any other one I know of.

Screw it back in, close the bolt, gap opens, pull the bread clip, open bolt, put safety forward .

Any U shaped object will do, I have washers I have cut for that but the plastic clips are easy to make (and recycle friendly)