Unissued Original 1917 Eddystone, outside known Serial range

[cplnorton]

I'm not going to claim to be an expert on a Eddystone but I'm pretty sure this is a unissued Eddystone, and I don't know if they proof fired these or not. But it sure almost looks like it is unfired or it sure wasn't fired after proofing. It also has to be one of the last serial numbers out there, if not the last one. From what I can tell the serial range was up to 1,355,000. This one is 1,356,395. So about 1400 outside the range. It has a 12/18 Eddystone barrel, E marked stock with Eagle head cartouche. All E marked parts, with the original finishes. There are no rebuild marks. It has a staked trigger housing. There are no signs it has ever had a bayonet on it, nor ever had a sling on it.

I hated to even remove the bolt to look inside it. The bolt release lever was almost welded shut from dried cosmoline so it was really hard to move. But there is very little evidence on the end of the bolt of it being fired, and the inside of the receiver and follower show no real evidence of the bolt being cycled more than a few times. The inside is also full of cosmoline as well as all the protected areas.

I didn't want to wipe any of the grease off, so in some of the pics it's greasy. The whole bolt and inside of the action is coated with it.

What do you guys think? I've never seen one like this before.

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220427_zpsp2p6peo4.jpg

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[cplnorton]

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220366_zpsazevgly2.jpg

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[cplnorton]

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220343_zpsxsdpruw7.jpg

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[cplnorton]

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220397_zpsl5tq5vjk.jpg

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[cplnorton]

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220365_zps5hftiynr.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220360_zpsmzwszbof.jpg

[4F4Nam]

Wow! That is almost pristine.

Ed

[SMOKEY]

Don't know anything about them but dang that is a beauty. The 17 is the only rifle that I would like to have next. If they shoot anything like the No. 4 and 5 Enfields they are fine.

[dave]

Very nice rifle. I would tend to call it '98-99% new' rather then 'unissued', you really have no idea if issued or not. Like 'unfired' its a subjective term. It has been apart or the guy who stacked the TG screws was drunk that day. I would give it a 'like new' rating, maybe. It certainly has been handled a lot but I doubt one better will be found soon! Its a keeper!

[kcw]

Very nice rifle. I would tend to call it '98-99% new' rather then 'unissued', you really have no idea if issued or not. Like 'unfired' its a subjective term. It has been apart or the guy who stacked the TG screws was drunk that day. I would give it a 'like new' rating, maybe. It certainly has been handled a lot but I doubt one better will be found soon! Its a keeper!

I was looking the trigger guard stake marks too. Assuming the bore to be in excellent condition, I'm inclined to give it an overall rating of "excellent".

[joem]

Where in the world did you find that? It's magnificent example for sure.

[bruce]

Beautiful rifle. Very fortunate to own it. Sincerely. bruce.

[cplnorton]

It just came from a estate. From what they said it was a man who passed and his widow sold it. I asked him to try to find out more info on it from her. I would love to know how he got it. I don't know if any were sold surplus after WWI, but that would be my best guess. And maybe since it was so late it just never was used.

I did take some more pics tonight. The stock on it roughly cut. They just didn't spent time on it finishing it.

Does anyone know if this is the last Eddystone serial found so far?

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[cplnorton]

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220473_zpsov61tyje.jpg

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[cplnorton]

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20Eddystone%20Unissued/P1220448_zpsmqxsseqs.jpg

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[kcw]

When WWI ended there were more than one million brand spanking new 1917's either in U.S. or manufacturer's inventory. The DCM, through the NRA, did offer 1917's for civilian sale. Unfortunately the price on them was considered too high for many people, especially when a 1903 could be had for ten dollars less @ $29 and Krag's @ $10, and then Trapdoors for even less. And of course for many people in the early 1930's, a $39 rifle, new or not, represented a couple week's wages.

[Jkibler2]

Oh man that is a beauty!

[usmc69]

Spent a day or two in the Corps. That rifle is the best looking military rifle that I have seen outside of a museum.

[dave]

No doubt, the nicest one I've ever seen and I've seen more then a few, going back to when gun shops were selling them for 20-30 bucks!

[cplnorton]

Well I just listed it for sale on Gunbroker, so you could buy it if you want. :) I bought this as an upgrade to my old one, which it is. But I want one I can shoot too, and after really looking at this one once I got it home, it's just way too nice to shoot. So I just decided to keep my old one. I will probably regret selling this one day. But I really only want one 1917.

[SPEEDGUNNER]

Steve,

I need to own this one, I only live about 40 miles from where the old Eddystone plant used to be. You should just sell this one to me!

[chuckindenver]

rifle is crispy,,, originally parked, but was issued...likely not used..the staked screws were not done at Eddystone.
someone at sometime has removed the guard screws,
very crispy...

[Fred]

It's too bad you're preferring cash over a trade Steve. I've got something you would enjoy.

[cplnorton]

It's too bad you're preferring cash over a trade Steve. I've got something you would enjoy.

Oh crap, I hate to even ask. I'm cash poor right now. lol

[cplnorton]

I'm sort of thinking the trigger housings were staked late at Eddystone. Just because my other late original Eddystone is staked too. But this is the only two original ones that I'm making my pattern from. But they appear done the same style. This is the one I decided to keep. I got this probably 15 years ago now. I bought some stuff off a WWII vet and he said his dad brought this home from WWI. They both are very similar in finishes and parts, but I know I took this one apart when I first got it. So I turned the screws on this one myself. Heck they might have been still staked when I got it. I didn't know anything back then so I probably am the one that broke the staking.

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/cplnorton11/1917%20eddystone%20bring%20back/P1230041_zpsrdpltugl.jpg

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[Fred]

Oh crap, I hate to even ask. I'm cash poor right now. lol

Steve, It's something that I've got more in than would be the cost of your fine rifle to buy on GB. However, it'd be worth it to me because I was wanting a 1917 that I'd keep this time. Your rifle is one that I certainly would keep. Just a cool thing to have. Here it is, just for the heck of it. A 11-17 dated barreled 1903 that is pretty much just the way I got it. I haven't even put linseed oil on the stock yet. The wood on the stock is in pretty good shape and hasn't ever been sanded or messed with. The Bore by the way looks perfect and appears to have been fired Very Little. The rifle was put together with almost a year left in The War, but it doesn't appear to have suffered the abuse and wear that life on the front will show. The bolt that came with it was an unaltered Rod Bayonet bolt that had the original polish on it and so I put it on my RB rifle and replaced it with a C7 bolt that of course would've been the exact type that had been on the rifle from the start.
With it of course is a 1905 bayonet with a 1915 date. The scabbard is of the type with the cotton duct cloth on it. Some say that it's the type of scabbard that The Corps issued to their men during WWII, but I know nothing of that and so can't say. The front sight looks original and not replaced. Besides the bolt, I replaced the rear sight slide tightening knob with another that was new and of the same type. The original on it was worn and so couldn't tighten against the rear sight leaf so I replaced it with a new one of the exact same type that locks the slide into place. Other than that, the rifle is just the way that I got it. The front sling swivel is the split type. It's a nice representative piece of the type that went off to war in 1917 and 1918 and appears to be in all original form.
All stampings in the stock are sharp and clear and have never been sanded or worn. The only cartouche on the left side of the wrist is an L or a T. I'm not sure which because I can't find my glasses. There is a spot on the left side of the butt that appears to have had a tiny dab of some type of filler put on it that was meant to cover a natural feature of the wood where a branch was growing. Maybe a very tiny age crack in the wood that somebody just put a smidgen of filler on. This can be scraped or cleaned off with acetone of course. I didn't do that because I didn't want to mess with the rifle.
The sling didn't come with it and so I'm keeping that.


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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[cplnorton]

Man that is nice Fred. I like it. If I wasn't so stinking cash poor right now, I would take you up on the offer. I've just spent so much the past couple months buying crap and I remodeled a big bathroom that really set me back. lol

I'm sorry man I really like it too. It sucks being poor!

By the way that scabbard is a Marine depot made cover. They were made in the 1940-41 timeframe, around there. There are hard to find so that is a nice piece in of itself!

[Fred]

LOL, well I like your 1917 Too Steve. OK then, it was just a thought. :hello:

[Fred]

By the way that scabbard is a Marine depot made cover. They were made in the 1940-41 timeframe, around there. There are hard to find so that is a nice piece in of itself!

When I was a stationed out at Ft. Irwin, CA 34 years ago, I bought a padded, canvass rifle case from the Barstow Marine Supply Depot there that is stenciled U.S.M.C. such and such on the side. I bought it for $5.00 from the supply desk there. It'd been hanging on the back wall behind the counter with other stuff that they would sell to the military personel. All I've ever had in it were 1903's, which fit perfectly. I think that it might be too short for a Garand. Let me see if I can take a photo of it and post it here...

[Fred]

Congratulations on your sale Steve!!! It was a Fine, Fine rifle!

[Tom Doniphon]

Very nice rifle! Congratulations on the sale.

Although it is a high numbered Eddystone, it's not the highest one observed. There is a table in Ferris' book on the Model 1917 rifle that has at least 5 others with higher numbers.

[jeep]

I have a 11-18 Eddy about like yours, yours and mine WW1 was over! Mine has no re-work marks or import marks.

[jeep]

Yep made them till about march 1919.

[usmc69]

Just curious what did it sell for on gunbroker?

[cplnorton]

Just curious what did it sell for on gunbroker?

$1200 or $1300. I can't really remember for sure.

[Merc]

This '17 Eddystone is in unbelievable condition. Hopefully, it will be forever remain coated in cosmoline and unfired.