Hello. Need some info/help

[briansm17]

Made and intro in the no0b thread. In the several years I have owned my rifled I had just accepted I needed to shoot it as a single shot only. Reason being is when feeding cartridges they would spread out in the box mag and the bolt could not catch them. Real pain to get them back out as well. I decided to take off the base plate and a piece of metal fell out:





This was riding on the top of the follower inside the box mag. It also only allowed for 5 rounds. I just learned it holds six so that's why I took the plate off initially. Once I removed this the rifle now holds the correct amount and cycles ammunition beautifully. Does anyone have any idea what the hell this was for? I am wondering if it was the government's way of shortening the mag capacity for civilians? I'm at a loss.

Here's my rifle in all its glory. It has a six digit serial number. The white out or shoe polish was not my doing. I hate it:

[RC20]

I think what you have is a restriction device, but not what you would think.

It had something to do with manual or arms and cycling the bolt and without it, the bolt catches on the follower.

The 1903 had the switch to address that ( I think it was silly issue to waste cost and complexity on)

So, wallah, we can't not to the manual of arms thing, that is just unacceptable, we need a device to make it so we can and I think that is what you have. I have read about them but never seen one. Those who lost their used a nickle or some such to get the bolt to carry over.

I do have to laugh. You many years ago my Honda 700 SC started to slip the clutch under acceleration at odd times and worrisome during a pass.

All I could do was open up the clutch housing and take a lookie see for a premature worn disk or ?

Out falls a metal object, ergh. Figure out where it went, could not see what function it filled, so what the heck, put the cover back on and try it. All worked fine.

Ok, saved me the basket part assembly or cage or whatever it was and obvious I had improved the cycle a tad as I had found unnecessary machining work! (not that Honda ever knew of course)


Very Nice Gun: Beautiful blueing though in those days blue was black (go figure on that as well). I am jealous of the whole thing let alone the extremely low SN.

Solvent would probably clean off the white. Usually its used to make things standout right for pictures.

[tmark]

You have what is called a follower depressor to permit rapid fire practice. The M17 has no magazine cut off device as the 1903, so to allow rapid working of the bolt the depressor, which fits into the magazine well on top of the follower, prevented the follower from rising high enough to interfere with closing the bolt.

United States Rifle, Model of 1917 by C. S. Ferris page 184

[briansm17]

You have what is called a follower depressor to permit rapid fire practice.

Appreciate the info. Makes complete sense.

I do have to laugh. You many years ago my Honda 700 SC started to slip the clutch under acceleration at odd times and worrisome during a pass.)

Thanks for the compliment on the rifle. Was it a “slipper clutch” option, then? I have a 2010 Z1000 which as that option. I have questioned “why” that is even necessary and only get dumb answers about being in a corner or downshifting without the rear tire doing somnething crazy. To me it’s called, learn how to clutch and throttle the damned thing. That’s just as bad as all the “assist” features on a new car that gives you the ability to text and drive at the same time.... nonsense.

[RC20]

No slipper function, just a metal tang off the actuating mechanism that was getting caught between the plates.

Pulled it out, cover back on, oil back in and never again, and the clutch mechanisms worked fine without it!

[johnny l.]

What tmark said is correct. Information can also be found in "No. 1917, DESCRIPTION AND RULES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES RIFLE CALIBER .30, MODEL OF 1917", page 35 figure 145 and "M1917 Enfield Rifle, Normount Technical Publications", page 35 figure 145 ( an almost identical copy - less the pull out pages - of the above military manual. All good reading.

I recently sold my 1917, thru a local gun store. I also installed the follower depressor in the magazine, to keep it from getting lost. Sure hope they told the buyer it was there. I had also filled in the markings with stick paint. That stuff is really paint, but in a "crayon" stick. Drys well but is easy to remove with a tooth brush and solvent if you mess up the application or just don't like it.

That '17 was fun to shoot and really accurate too. Hope you enjoy it. Regards, Johnny Lawson

[Merc]

My M1917 is an awesome rifle, surprisingly accurate and fun to shoot.

You can also try something oily like WD40, bore cleaner or light gun oil to remove the dried paint. Applied sparingly to the lettering, the oil should work its way under the dried paint and allow it to be brushed away or carefully removed with a slightly dulled pin point. Just be careful not to scratch the metal. Let the oil sit for a day or two after applying.

[jcj54]

My father, a WW2 vet, trained combat engineer replacements at Fort Belvoir Virginia from spring 1943 through November 1944 untill he went overseas. While at Belvoir all the NCO trainers were issued 1917s. They did not have these magazine depressors, and used a nickel inserted in the magazine at the rear of the follower in order to do the manual of arms without having to depress the follower.
Occasionally someone would steal the nickels to buy treats at the px. This was not well received...

[Cosine26]

What TMARK said is partially correct. While it does allow rapid fire practice, the follower depressor is also designed to allow one to perform the manual arms-particularly inspection arms. In normal use, the magazine follower on an empty magazine rises and does not let the bolt close on an empty magazine. This is to notify the use, in the heat of battle, that the riffle is empty and must be reloaded. With the depressor installed the magazine cannot be loaded and will not feed. The slot on the left side is to allow removal of the depressor without dissembling the rifle. I was issued and used a M1917 in the State Guard for 18 months until I enlisted in the USN at 17 in 1944. I was assigned as the company armorer
FWIW