Anyone know where i could find magazine box for my M1917 rifle?
- Thread starter David2404
- Start date
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You are best to contact every used gun counter and working gunsmith in the area, and ask if they have a junk US-made 30-06 M1917. These guns were surplused by the pallet load and are finding their way to dealer inventory. The .303 P'14 has a few differences and I think the magazine is one of them.
The other way is to make a plan to visit the gunshows in the area. Put a cardboard sign around your neck, "WANTED M1917 PARTS". Someone is guaranteed to point at a table two rows over, and one of the regulars will have what you need. FWIW, I sold all that kind of stuff at the auction 10 years ago. I didn't need any of it.
1917 mag boxes are different then 1914 boxes. Not sure if Marstar has any left. In the US try Numrich or Sarco. Both will ship to Canada. Checkout the other site Gun-Post.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
There were three different makers of M1917 rifles during WWI - not all the parts are swappable among those makers - for sure, the magazine box is one of the "not swappable" parts, A Winchester made magazine box will not fit to an Eddystone or Remington receiver without some grinding. If you want to PM me with the make of your receiver (it will be stamped on the front ring) I might have what you need here. I never had troubles about follower or trigger guard loop or floor plate, once I had the makers sorted out. I am in Western Manitoba - hopefully you can tell me where you are, if I have what you need.
An original military part is what I will have - those will look to have a "goose neck" shape for the trigger guard loop - it was a thing for many rifles to "sporterize" and cut off stuff and re-weld to make the floor plate "flat" with the bottom of the sporter stock - not "goose neck". As a result, the original M1917 magazine went from 6 x 30-06 rounds to 4 or 5 rounds. Many times a front spacer was tossed with the bands that held the hand guard - but we can work through all that.
An original military part is what I will have - those will look to have a "goose neck" shape for the trigger guard loop - it was a thing for many rifles to "sporterize" and cut off stuff and re-weld to make the floor plate "flat" with the bottom of the sporter stock - not "goose neck". As a result, the original M1917 magazine went from 6 x 30-06 rounds to 4 or 5 rounds. Many times a front spacer was tossed with the bands that held the hand guard - but we can work through all that.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I managed to mess that up - I did clarify for OP, but this is for any any other readers of this thread - it is the P14 mag boxes that do not swap without grinding - the P14 and the M1917 rifles are very similar - made during WWI by three US factories - but P14's were made for Great Britain (in 303 British cartridge) and M1917 were made for USA (in 30-06 cartridge) - not precisely interchangeable - although you will see P14's in M1917 stocks and vice-versa - a VERY subtle difference in the trigger guard inletting, besides the cartouches (stampings) on the left side of the butt stock.
