Barrel replacement comments (Win. / Criterion)

[Dave in NGA]

My Winchester 1917 came with a barrel in poor condition. I could throw rocks with more accuracy. I replaced the original W barrel with a new JA barrel which produced good groups. Later I purchased a new replacement W barrel dated 1/19 and replaced the JA barrel. After selling the original W barrel with the bad bore and the like new JA barrel I broke even on the cost. Now my Winchester 1917 rifle has a Winchester barrel and shoots just fine. Like you, Dave, I only like rifles with barrels in good condition. Over the past twenty years I've replaced a couple dozen barrels on 1903's, 1917's, carbines and M1's because they wouldn't shoot as good as I thought they should.

Some people like to admire their rifles and others like to shoot them. If they don't shoot well, I correct the problem or get rid of them.

[oldtirediron]

I have been very lucky over the years to buy many Winchester and Remington 1917 Enfields that were in near new condition but some one cut the rear ears off and put it in a cheap sporter stock- usually asking the person that did it, they usually had the original stock rear sight and metal parts--They seem to hve dried up lately, but i just saw a cheap Eddystone sporter with a great barrel if anyone needs the barrel-- It just seems to be a big shame that the minty guns got hacked up into $149.00 sporters !

[RC20]

I know this is late to post but will throw in my 2 cents worth.

While many of the rifles are not rarere and people want to shoot them, in this case Danish Reuttrns are not common. Not exacly rare but not common.

I think its worth keeping as is. If you aren't going to shoot it a nice bore makes no difference. Find one that is non collector and put the barrel on that one.

Also, most of those Danish Reutnrs came into Vermnotn and were marked SVT (or some such) CCI would be more rare., I don't know if that adds anyting.

Mine is actually not too bad with a 3 on each TE and MW, Shoots ok. Have not tried to devlope loads for it. Stock matchs the receiver SN, bolt does not so the usualy mix and match.


I don't buy that a gun smith can't change a barrel without being an mfg. Its done all the time.

What I suspect is he got cold feet.

That is good news as you do need the right tools to do the job (see Chuck in Denver.)

As the barrel needs to be cut (or should be) to keep from wracking receiver, that of course wrecks the barrel.

He is at Warbirds (Warpath?) posts a lot. He may do it differently than I remember, I do remember he uses a pipe wrench to put barrel on, he can remove the marks.

[FCPDAVE]

I hadn't thought about the "bbl. cutting". You may have something concerning the PT gunsmith also. That changes things because I was planning to some day provide the next owner with the W bbl. and it's bolt, as well as the rifle with the Criterion bbl. and it's bolt. Not much of a plan if the orig. bbl. is cut. This shows the folly of accumulating lots of rifles instead of concentrating on a few and getting to know them really well. I think I'll sell the Criterion bbl. and bolt I picked up for it. What was I thinking, trying to "buy my way around the world" with C&R's and CMP's?

Most of my "gun time" now is is with the VFW M1's and '03's that I take care of.

[RC20]

Well everyone should have a couple of 1917s in the closet.

You might email Chuck and see what his thoughts are.

I haven't' see a Danish Return since I got mine so I don't know what their value is if any extra.

they certainly are an interesting sub set of the 1917s and a round about Journey they did make.

Mine was a vague and awful picture but I saw enough of the red band to figure it was worth the 450 I spent on it.

[Richard H Brown Jr]

Re Barrel Markings:

Part number, Drawing number, contractor ID, Steel Lot identification, Mfr contract, date manufactured. The possibles list goes on and on.

R Brown