M1917 Stock

[Merc]

Are M1917 stocks identical to P14 stocks?

[jaie5070]

The magazine well is different.

[Merc]

The reason for my question - There is a minty Winchester M1917 stock, minus the hand guards, being auctioned on EBay that is currently sitting at $400 and it ends today at 2208 hrs eastern. With 10 bidders hammering away, I expect it will go for north of $500. I thought about bidding but there's nothing really wrong with the stock that my M'17 is currently wearing other than its not a W. My rifle shoots accurately so I have no bedding issues. Investing more money, especially when we're getting close to the average value of a M1917 rifle, doesn't make a lot of sense.

[RC20]

People are putting together all matching part number guns.

Good clean stock of the right mfg if it does not have any marks on it are virtually impossible to find but are the required item if you are presenting a rifle as original.

Frankly its a toss up on mis- characterization (or a fake) or building into something pretty cool.

I saw a bayonet go for $450 that was purported to be original, it was not, so its a buyer beware and some proof of provanance.

[p246]

The original P14 stock was a different animal with volley sight and different profile. When the P14s were rearsenaled surplus M1917stocks were used. If memory serves the Brits had started to loose interest and did not invest in a lot of replacement wood. My rearsenaled P14 is done so. I’ve had both apart and swapped stocks and each worked on the other. An original P14 stock in good shape brings stupid money.

[Merc]

The Winchester M1917 minty stock up for auction on eBay sold for an astounding $670.

[hquiles]

Wow. Thats ridiculous. I bought a Winchester M1917 for 700.00! It seems that's a better business to sell it by parts than complete...

[Merc]

H Quiles, I also bought mine for that price. To see the stock on eBay, look under "M1917 Winchester stock" and go to "Sold Listing" on the left column. It's not posted yet. Probably will be later today.

The stock appears to be in unused condition with a small W stamped on the side and a W 20 on the front tip. (Not sure what the 20 means.) It also has a good eagle inspector's stamp. There's only one handling ding on the side near the small W stamping, but it's really big and deep and (believe it or not) probably suppressed the final selling price. Now that it sold for $670 with the ding, what's a perfect W stock worth?

[p246]

Hmmm I sold several M1917s complete for not more than that this year. Someone wanted that W stock and someone else kind of wanted it.

[Merc]

P246, I watched the final few minutes of the eBay auction. There were 10 or more bidders going back and forth. I checked to see who won after it was all over and it was someone who had only one bid. He was a sniper who placed the winning bid with only a few seconds left.

[p246]

Must have a Winny had a sported stock or an E or R marked one. Still seems like a ton of money,

[Merc]

Must have a Winny had a sported stock or an E or R marked one. Still seems like a ton of money,

I just looked under "Sold Listings" and the stock is now there. It is a ton of money especially with some damage. The gouge on the left side looks way too deep to be drawn out with heat and moisture. A knowledgable stock or furniture refinisher might be able to fill it in and make it look like the rest of the stock for a few hundred dollars.

[RC20]

Its not the damage, its the un-issued with no stamps you have to sand out and make a dent.

I have a couple of R stocks and no damage. Hanging onto them for when I need to buy something.

You can guy all the guns you want, but the stocks will have the usual (and honorable) service wear and tear and cost a lot to clean up. You still have to sand the stamps off and then cover that up.

The days of the cheap stuff are gone.

I sold a 1903A3 for over 1000. You simply do not find un-issued 1903A3 in that condition regardless of what the collectors claims (and sometime get at rare sales)..

The lurk for years and strike. Average guy with no contacts stands no chance.

[Merc]

Its not the damage, its the un-issued with no stamps you have to sand out and make a dent.

I have a couple of R stocks and no damage. Hanging onto them for when I need to buy something.

You can guy all the guns you want, but the stocks will have the usual (and honorable) service wear and tear and cost a lot to clean up. You still have to sand the stamps off and then cover that up.

The days of the cheap stuff are gone.

I sold a 1903A3 for over 1000. You simply do not find un-issued 1903A3 in that condition regardless of what the collectors claims (and sometime get at rare sales)..

The lurk for years and strike. Average guy with no contacts stands no chance.

I got really lucky with the purchase of my W M1917 and my R 03-A3. Both came from Cabelas Gun Library in Wheeling, WV. Both have excellent bores, throats, muzzles and headspace and are excellent shooters.

The (Nov. 15, 1017) M1917's trigger action was functional but had either worn or poorly fitting E and R parts that were easily and inexpensively replaced with NOS W parts from eBay or on-line parts dealers. It currently wears a nicely fitting and unworn and undamaged non-W stock (stamped with a T on the fore end) and an E bolt. It's built like a tank and is the rifle I enjoy shooting the most.

The (April, 1943) 03-A3 was completely covered with cosmo when I bought it. Once it was removed, I found a rifle that had obviously gone through a rebuild process because of the two easily replaced external SC parts it had (butt plate and barrel band). It had a worn non-functioning extractor that was also easy to replace. I kept the replacement BF bolt and the non original stock that had been replaced, probably after the war, with a later 03-A3 stock with recoil bolts instead of pins. It has two small surface dents but has an excellent finish otherwise. The metallic parts were Parkerized and showed zero surface wear. I suspect it probably went directly into storage after it was rebuilt. I had to tinker with the rear sight a lot to find the zero, but it holds it well and is very accurate. Except for the non-original bolt and stock, it looks unissued.

[fguffey]

Back to being the same: No, the diameter of the P14 is smaller in diameter, I know, it is believed P14 BARRELS WERE USED ON M1917S.

F. Guffey