Unmarked M1917 parts

[FCPDAVE]

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the unmarked parts I've seen lately. I've seen followers and follower springs, rear sight leaf springs, hand guards and perhaps a few others. Are some of these parts (follower and spring) from the 1903 Springfield? Were replacement parts made for WW2 or were rifles cannibalized and the parts refurbed? What countrys parked parts during rebuilds - Can., Denmark, Norway, England? I recently bought a rear stock swivel that was described as unmarked and it had a British crow's foot on it.

[Merc]

Go to M1903.com and click on M1917 parts in the left column for a breakdown of M1917 parts markings. I don't think parts for the P14 and P17 Enfields had any marks other than the proof mark.

[RC20]

That would not be correct. I believe 40 some parts on the 1917s had the mfg stamp. Amongst them are trigger, sear, magazine parts, front sight, rear sight, bolt (3 or 4 including the bolt, firing pin, cocking piece ) the bands, butt place and trap, nose piece not to mention the safety system that was all marked.

Occasionally you will find a part this not mfg marked but has a number, that is generally correlated to a specific mfg (400 to Winchester)

Ferris book on trh3e 1917 is a must have for a lot of information.

[Merc]

Almost all of the M1917 parts are marked with an initial E, R or W for Eddystone, Remington and Winchester although their location will vary depending on the OEM.

I have a Winchester '17 that was a real mix of various OEM parts and I've been using the m1903.com sight often to see where the initials are stamped.

There are inconsistencies in the OEM's attempt to identify their parts. For some reason, not all parts were stamped with the OEM's initial. Example: (according to m1903.com) Winchester's magazine spring, front sling and stacking swivels were left unmarked. Eddystone and Remington also left a few parts unmarked. The m1903.com list indicates which parts were intentionally left blank.

The initials are often very small or were stamped in hard to see places. Sometimes a magnifying glass or eye loupe is needed to see the initial clearly.

I suggest exploring other sights that might better explain how, when and by whom the blued and Parkerized finishes were applied to the m1917. It can be confusing since some variations of Parkerized finishing process produced different colors.

[FCPDAVE]

I recently saw a front sling swivel that was marked with a "4" instead of a i.e. an E, R or unmarked. Would that be a Win. part? I have never seen a number instead of a letter before. I've been relying mostly on J.C. Harrison's The Amer. Enfield Vol. 5
Dave

[Merc]

According to the parts list on m1903.com, the front Winchester sling swivels were not marked, however the rear sling swivels have a "W" stamped on the flat part of the tab.

I checked - the front swivel on my M1917 Winchester rifle is blank and the rear swivel has a W. This is correct according to the m1903.com list. Why they would mark the rear swivel with a W and leave the front swivel blank is anybody's guess since they are basically the same part.

I haven't heard of swivels marked with a "4." If it's stamped on the tab, could it be a partially worn W?

[Merc]

I incorrectly said P-14 and P-17 parts were not stamped with maker's marks. Of course they were. Brain cramp or senior moment - take your pick. My apologies for the misinformation.

Lee-Enfield stamped their parts with the British crow's foot (aka broad arrow). The parts on my No. 4 Mk 1* Lee-Enfield are marked with the broad arrow. Go to www.allaboutenfields.co.nz for a list of Lee-Enfield symbols and their meanings.

You can see M1903 parts that are for sale at on-line gun parts dealers or eBay. Numrich Gun Parts Corp. has a parts diagram that can be found by Googling "03A3 Parts Diagram." They appear to be similar in design to the M1917.

This is straight from the guys at m1903.com: M1903s that were made by Springfield, Smith-Corona and Rock Island did not stamp their parts with a maker's mark. Remington did mark their parts.

Merc

[chuckindenver]

unmarked 1917 parts would most likely be Winchester.

[Merc]

Winchester did leave certain parts unstamped. See www.m1903.com and click on the recently updated "M1917 Parts" list.

Merc