Barrel replacement comments (Win. / Criterion)

[Merc]

Dave,

There are gunsmiths who frequently post on this forum and maybe one will see your latest post and respond. I would ask a major gun dealer in your area (i.e. Cabela's, Gander Mountain, etc.) if they can recommend a reputable gunsmith and see if he would be willing to handle your job.

Merc

[Tuna]

Boy that is the first I ever heard of that. I know quite a few gunsmiths and none of them had a problem changing out a barrel. He did not make the barrel and is only putting it on your rifle. Then he finish reams it and checks the head space and your good to go. That would be like a mechanic putting new plugs or replacement parts on your car. Same thing as far as I can see. I have never heard of ATF declaring anything like that and most if not all gunsmiths have FFL's. I wonder if he thinks the old wives tale about 1917 barrels cracking the receiver when a new barrel is installed? See if you can get hold of Chuckindenver. He has changed many many 1917 barrels. He hangs around here on the forums some days.

[Cosine26]

I once had a gunsmith tell me that if I brought him an action only, he could not install a barrel because that would constitute manufacturing. However if I brought him a barreled action and had him rebarrel it, that was only a repair not a manufacturing effort. That was a long time ago. Maybe it is how the particular gunsmith interprets the regulations or his local ATF agency sees it.
FWIW

[Col. Colt]

New Obama/BATF Executive Order making ALL Gunsmiths into "Manufacturers" if they drill, tap or cut on a barrel - must get a $2275 yearly license and register as if they were an Arms Exporter, with complete records. Obama is the Gift that Keeps on Giving! He figured a way to get rid of a LOT of gunsmiths! CC

[Merc]

That makes gunsmiths manufacturers if all they're doing is replacing a barrel since reaming is required. Add that to the long list of Obama disasters.

[Dave in NGA]

My Winchester 1917 came with a barrel in poor condition. I could throw rocks with more accuracy. I replaced the original W barrel with a new JA barrel which produced good groups. Later I purchased a new replacement W barrel dated 1/19 and replaced the JA barrel. After selling the original W barrel with the bad bore and the like new JA barrel I broke even on the cost. Now my Winchester 1917 rifle has a Winchester barrel and shoots just fine. Like you, Dave, I only like rifles with barrels in good condition. Over the past twenty years I've replaced a couple dozen barrels on 1903's, 1917's, carbines and M1's because they wouldn't shoot as good as I thought they should.

Some people like to admire their rifles and others like to shoot them. If they don't shoot well, I correct the problem or get rid of them.

[oldtirediron]

I have been very lucky over the years to buy many Winchester and Remington 1917 Enfields that were in near new condition but some one cut the rear ears off and put it in a cheap sporter stock- usually asking the person that did it, they usually had the original stock rear sight and metal parts--They seem to hve dried up lately, but i just saw a cheap Eddystone sporter with a great barrel if anyone needs the barrel-- It just seems to be a big shame that the minty guns got hacked up into $149.00 sporters !

[RC20]

I know this is late to post but will throw in my 2 cents worth.

While many of the rifles are not rarere and people want to shoot them, in this case Danish Reuttrns are not common. Not exacly rare but not common.

I think its worth keeping as is. If you aren't going to shoot it a nice bore makes no difference. Find one that is non collector and put the barrel on that one.

Also, most of those Danish Reutnrs came into Vermnotn and were marked SVT (or some such) CCI would be more rare., I don't know if that adds anyting.

Mine is actually not too bad with a 3 on each TE and MW, Shoots ok. Have not tried to devlope loads for it. Stock matchs the receiver SN, bolt does not so the usualy mix and match.


I don't buy that a gun smith can't change a barrel without being an mfg. Its done all the time.

What I suspect is he got cold feet.

That is good news as you do need the right tools to do the job (see Chuck in Denver.)

As the barrel needs to be cut (or should be) to keep from wracking receiver, that of course wrecks the barrel.

He is at Warbirds (Warpath?) posts a lot. He may do it differently than I remember, I do remember he uses a pipe wrench to put barrel on, he can remove the marks.

[FCPDAVE]

I hadn't thought about the "bbl. cutting". You may have something concerning the PT gunsmith also. That changes things because I was planning to some day provide the next owner with the W bbl. and it's bolt, as well as the rifle with the Criterion bbl. and it's bolt. Not much of a plan if the orig. bbl. is cut. This shows the folly of accumulating lots of rifles instead of concentrating on a few and getting to know them really well. I think I'll sell the Criterion bbl. and bolt I picked up for it. What was I thinking, trying to "buy my way around the world" with C&R's and CMP's?

Most of my "gun time" now is is with the VFW M1's and '03's that I take care of.

[RC20]

Well everyone should have a couple of 1917s in the closet.

You might email Chuck and see what his thoughts are.

I haven't' see a Danish Return since I got mine so I don't know what their value is if any extra.

they certainly are an interesting sub set of the 1917s and a round about Journey they did make.

Mine was a vague and awful picture but I saw enough of the red band to figure it was worth the 450 I spent on it.

[Richard H Brown Jr]

Re Barrel Markings:

Part number, Drawing number, contractor ID, Steel Lot identification, Mfr contract, date manufactured. The possibles list goes on and on.

R Brown