RIFING ????

[older than dirt]

Ok, I have a professional sporterize Win 30 cal 1917 rife with a 5 grove rifled barrel. I was told by 2 differant G-smiths that the barrel is origeinal. There is a felloow shooter at the range I shoot at that has an unmolested 30 cal 1917. He said his is a 2 grove rifling & that it is the origeanal mfg barrel & that all 30 cal 1917`s had 2 grove rifling. Is this true? I always thought the 2 grove barrels were replaement barrels around WW2 era. Thanks in advance----O T D

[Stephan]

I imagine they all came from the factory with 5 groove....although I wouldn't be shocked if WWII replacement barrels could be found in 03A3 2 groove type

[meterman]

Johnson Automatics made 2 groove replacement barrels for the 1917s. I know, as I had one. It was a WW2 expediency. The barrel was marked in the usual place up by the front sight--'JA' and the ordnance bomb. There was no date.

[kcw]

The five grove barrels are of WWI manufacture. All three companies adopted that configuration from their recently completed British P-14 contracts, but of course in dimensions correct for the 30 caliber bullet. The two and four grove, right hand twist barrels were made by Johnson Automatics (will have a JA stamping just rearward of the front sight) or High Standard (H.S. stamping) for the WWII emergency rebuild program. Of course NOS WWI barrels were also used on M1917 arsenal rebuilds, either just after WWI or during WWII. For example, an Eddystone barrel (E) mounted on a Winchester receiver is a certain sign of a rebuilt rifle.

[RC20]

Per KCW, 2 grove was definitely a WWII barrel made for the 1917 to refurbish them (HS as well)

Less well known is RI also installed their stamped but not RIA made barrels for them in WWII. (fuzzy? yep)

Remington supplied the blanks, Savage turned them into barrel and RI stamped them with their initials (not date)

Someplace I ad the grove and twist but can't remember it.