- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I had a real soft spot for my Remington made M-17 rifle. Some years ago I inadvertently double charged a load of SR-4759 under a cast 210 gr Lyman # 311284. I'm not going to say that a modern sporter would not handle this just as well, but I won't put it to the test. On a warm summer's evening a few days later, I was shooting over a chronograph - each shot making a pleasing little bang, light recoil, and the velocity measured around 1800 fps. I believe it was the last round in the magazine that felt a little different. It boomed and recoiled like a .300 magnum, and the velocity read 2856 fps! Notice how well I remember the event more than 10 years later. No gas came back through the action, and aside from ringing ears I was fine. The bolt wouldn't open by hand, but I was able to tap it open with a short piece of 2X4. The primer was in the bottom of the magazine, the case head and primer pocket were enlarged. The case head lettering was permanently stamped into the bolt face. I felt very lucky - lucky that if it was going to happen that it happened with this rifle rather than my 1903 Springfield, and that the piece of brass in question was not at the end of it's life.
This rifle was pretty rough when I got it - one of clubs Century Arms passed off as sporters with a thick heavy B&C stock. I almost traded it off before I fired it - but then the first group I shot with it measured .75". The screw holes which were drilled in the receiver did not line up, so rather than drilling more holes in the receiver, I drilled a slot in the aluminum Weaver base, and brought it onto center with a bore sighter then epoxied it into place. The scope never moved, and that rifle must of rode thousands miles on my back. I became very fond of the ugly '06.
One of the things I liked about that rifle was the #### on closing feature. In rapid fire drills this proved superior to rifles which #### on the bolt lift, so I was never tempted to change it. Another trick I learned was to modify the Butler Creek scope cap. The plastic lever would get me now and then when the rifle was in recoil. I cut off the lever and it's plastic housing leaving just the tab on the cover. The cover was then rotated so the tab was at the bottom. I would carry the rifle with the magazine full, and chamber empty. When I needed to shoot, the bolt handle would hit the tab and open the cover. It proved very fast, but the disadvantage was your left eye was blocked by the cover.
This rifle was pretty rough when I got it - one of clubs Century Arms passed off as sporters with a thick heavy B&C stock. I almost traded it off before I fired it - but then the first group I shot with it measured .75". The screw holes which were drilled in the receiver did not line up, so rather than drilling more holes in the receiver, I drilled a slot in the aluminum Weaver base, and brought it onto center with a bore sighter then epoxied it into place. The scope never moved, and that rifle must of rode thousands miles on my back. I became very fond of the ugly '06.
One of the things I liked about that rifle was the #### on closing feature. In rapid fire drills this proved superior to rifles which #### on the bolt lift, so I was never tempted to change it. Another trick I learned was to modify the Butler Creek scope cap. The plastic lever would get me now and then when the rifle was in recoil. I cut off the lever and it's plastic housing leaving just the tab on the cover. The cover was then rotated so the tab was at the bottom. I would carry the rifle with the magazine full, and chamber empty. When I needed to shoot, the bolt handle would hit the tab and open the cover. It proved very fast, but the disadvantage was your left eye was blocked by the cover.
The case is a rebated rim which brough some undersvered bad vibes with it.
