Johnson Automatic replacement barrels

[milboltnut]

where do you get your info? I'd like to read up on it.

[Tuna]

It was standard knowledge when Century imported them from Denmark years ago. I bought an Eddystone for the sum of $99 at a local dealer. Nice shape with a perfect bore and it would shoot an inch or less at 100 yards with almost anything that was shot in it. It was 100% Eddystone too.

[fjruple]

fjruple...




So any 17's that are RIA, HS, or JA that are in surplus here were exclusively used for U.S. Army Training? Not all, initially there was a critical shortage of .30-06 rifles at America's entry into WWII having given a large number to the Brits in 1940. America really was not looking at getting WWII but as we known the Japanese had other ideas. Additionally the US had lost at least 300,000 M1917 rifles plus other materials at the fall of the Philippines in mid 1942. Initially the M1917 were used in training and some non-front line combat units, like Chemical Mortar units and Military Police. As the M1 Rifle and M1 Carbine came into full production the M1917 became available for Lend-Lease, additional numbers went to the Brits, as well as France and China. Some the Chinese ones were converted in India to a shorten length, stock and barrel for General Stilwell's Chinese troops.


and



So the ones in surplus circulation here in the U.S. come from the U.K.... and were they marked by the UK? other than the red paint stripe ?

I would assume that an emergency of the initial shipment would say no. The marking of reimports of military surplus was only a recent requirement. After the war, The UK was dumping cases of small arms into the ocean to get rid of them. I have been told that the Brits would drill holes into the wooden crates to let the salt water in and take the cases to the ocean and dump them. This costs money. Interarms run by a fellow named Sam Cummings just about purchased every last P14 and M1917 that the Brits had left in the late 50's and early 60's. He also bought a lot of other goodies as well. This saved the Brits of drilling the crates and moving them to a barge and then moving out to sea to dump which costs money. Since Interarms purchased the guns directly from the Ministry of Defence and they were not going to the British civilian market no proof testing was required. Those that made it to the states were purchased and used into custom rifle builds. Also Bubba did his thing as well. Its possible that some of these rifles were Lend-Lease in later shipments and could be rebuilds. Other than the Red Paint on the foreend with .300 in black on them there generally was no broad arrow property marking on the stock. I have seen Canadian M1917 with the C with the broad arrow property, some marked RCAF "Royal Canadian Air Force" and others with a NZ with board arrow property mark for New Zealand.


Would you substantiate your info? You have library I take it?

OK!! Here's some reading for you. "Arming the Home Guard, 1940-1944" Chapter 3"; United States Rifle Model of 1917 by C.S. Ferris especially the footnotes, most people do not like reading them but I do; .303 Pattern 14 and US Model 1917 Rifles, Charles R. Stratton US Caliber .30, M1917 Development and Production 1917-1945, Aug 1945 Small Arms Division, Chief of Ordnance, Washington , DC; America's Munitions 1917-1918; The American Rifle, Townsend Whelen, 1918; Ordnance and the Great War, Chapter V - Rifles; The UK Pattern 1913, Pattern 1914 and the US Model of 1917-A short History of the "American Enfield" Marc Gorelick; and Deadly Business, Samuel Cummings, Interarms and the Arms trade 1983. Here's a few to keep you busy for a while.

[milboltnut]

Thank You... appreciate your help !! Finally someone who doesn't get bent out of shape when asked for and provides sources !!

[RC20]

Historical wise, the 1917s when packed away were found to have corrosion developing.

They pulled some out, found the original packing was not working and redid them, but when they started to take them out for WWII issue (Philippines, GB, China) they found that the program had not fully handled the developing corrosion and they had a lot of rifles with bad barrels.

As those were too early for the replacement barrel program, they either over shipped or sorted out. GB shipment notes they were still packed, so if a bad barrel was found then they would have used it for parts (or tested to find out if it was good enough)

Philippines they send a huge number of excess rifle for parts. Likely packed as well.

It was in 1942 that RIA began to overhaul the 1917s due to the shortage of rifles the US saw coming.

The issue is a bit murky as RIA was both overhauling and assembly new rifles from parts.

Remington supplied the RIA blanks, RIA finished the barrels and marked them as their.

JA began making spare barrel in November of 1942

HS: I have not found a date for them.

[RC20]

Models of 1917 had many uses, a few saw US frontline combat, many saw combat with the Free French Forces (which were outfitted with those from GB)

Mostly they served as secondary weapons.

Sea Bs were issued those. Probably the only significant use they saw in serious combat use with US forces.

Chemical Corp (smoke shells etc) were issued those rifles. Close to combat but not in direct contact.

Rear guard functions, POW etc would be another major use. M1s being issued to combat troops.

Canada saw a plethora of use. Lots of supported entities including one reference to their forestry division. RCAF for guards and who knows what else.

The Philippines of course saw use until the surrender and then after with Guerillas. Japan used them until the US Forces took Philippines back. For some reason recovered 1917s were burned (I have seen the pictures of that) None has ever been noted to have been brought back to US. Between the bad environment and the burning if any came back they were not documented in any way.

China used them and there have been a few examples that have found their way back to the US from Vietnam and Asia.

[JohnPeeff]

I brought back a captured Eddystone 17 from Vietnam Dec 68. I don't remember much about it except it was in poor shape. I gave it to a friends father who as I remember was going to use the action for a sporter.

[RC20]

I could see that in an era of M16, Ak etc a 1917 would stand out big time.

Philippines, circa 1944 (45?) ehhh, vs an M1 or a sniper 1903. and the burning of them.

A lot of my info is Ferris (have to read the notes now!) rest is gathered history from so many sources I can get them all in.

[milboltnut]

Savage got the Rem blanks then RIA got them... Ferris

[RC20]

Yes. RIA put their stamp on them not Remington. Odd stuff

I would think HS got into the business about the same time as the barrel orders were being placed.

Nothing to back that up.