P14 in .22LR - Need a good gunsmith!

skirsons

skirsons

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I was wondering if there was a gunsmith out there who could convert a P14 rifle, perhaps an old sportered one, into .22LR. The most complex problem is the bolt and so I don't know if there is anyone out there with the talent to do this.

Any ideas?
 
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Why? The original rifle was never meant to be anything less than a full cartridge battle rifle. The closest .22LR I can think of to a WWI US rifle is the Springfield M1922(?), which resembles a 1903 Springfield except for a shortened foreend.
 
I'd value Tiriaq's opinion on this one.
The chamber and barrel would be sleeved same as you would a #4.
You'd cut the front section off the firing pin.
Fill the old bolt firing pin hole and machine a slot for an offset firing pin. Make up a pin that the stub of the old one would hit. See my picture of the mauser 22 conversion pin.
You could maybe even machine an external slot for the firing pin - drop it in and put a small pin in to retain it.
I'd be tempted to machine a slot and pin in a .22 extractor like the mauser conversion. Probably easier than trying to get the mauser extracter to work.
If you had a spare bolt or two, probably wouldn't be a big deal (not that I'm up to it). At least the major work is on the cheap, replaceable part.
 
A conversion could no doubt be done in a manner similar to the Israeli Mauser conversions. Don't have one at hand, but I believe that the receiver ring is cut away to give access to the barrel breech.
How is an M2 Springfield breeched up?
Remington 40X rimfire is 700 based, uses rear lugs, front of the bolt is similar to most .22 bolt action rifles.
I wonder if a P-14 could be converted to rear locking, the barrel face carried further to the rear, and the bolt shortened and its nose reworked with the offset firing pin and .22 extractors. The .303 extractor could become a guide rib. I bet the front end of an existing .22 bolt could be installed on the P-14 bolt body. I think that the easiest way to deal with the barrel would be to use a P-14 barrel breech, and convert it into a sleeve to which the replacement .22 barrel is fitted.
Wouldn't be a low cost project, apart from the barrel work needed, there would have to be a lot of handwork on the action.
Robert - for No. 4 based .22s, there is the C No. 7, and the British No. 7, 8 and 9.
 
RR said:
Build an offset barrel sleeve So that the existing firing pin hits the rim.Single shot mind you.
Click to expand...

Wow that is a stunningly simple and elegant idea. Are you William of Occam?

I wonder if it is possible to do that.

I need a gunsmith to do this for me!
 
A lot of the early Stevens single shot .22s had offset bores, to provide a space for the sliding extractors which were set in a milled cut under the chamber. If the bore is offset at the breech, and centred at the muzzle, there are going to be sighting issues, of course.
 
P-14 barrel shank is larger than a Lee Enfield, over all length longer as well. If a P-14 barrel shank were used as a sleeve, most any barrel could be adapted. P-14 barel could be sleeved, as another option. Are you thinking in terms of a rifle that would outwardly resemble a P-14?
 
Are you talking about the Pattern 14 in .22 calibre made by Westley Richards? That's not what I mean. We might be on the same page here but I was talking about the No. 3 enfield, "American Enfields" so to speak.

I do have a Pattern 14 in .22LR. Also rare, but not severely uncommon.


This is what I want:

Enfield%20P14%20M1917.jpg
 
"...What about every Lee-Enfield trainer?..." They're not conversions.
"...using a Lee-Enfield .22 trainer barrel..." They're almost impossible to find. It'd be cheaper and easier to have a barrel made.
 
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