Canadian Forces C3 / M82 / P17 Target / 1200TX? / it has too many names at this point

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Th3BadWolf

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Hey, first time posting here.

A few years back I somehow ended up being the owner of a CF old sniper rifle. I swapped the peep sight system for a Millet scope (didn't know about Vortex at the time :confused:) and got to long range shooting.
Long story short, I think I have on my hands a one of a kind/pretty rare piece of kit as I am unable to find any for sale anywhere.
It came from the sniper vault of the R22R when a certain Sgt retired and got to pick one as a parting gift (so is the story I've been told) and then he passed it on to a collector which ended up selling it to me.

So, I just wanna poke around the forums to see if anyone ever got close to one of those, got information and what not, I'd like to know more about it!

Caliber is .308/7.62x51
It's a Parker Hale C3 (not the civilian version)
The barrel is floating and on the heavy side of things with a very nice hammered finish all over
The stock has an integretad cheek riser carved in and has a thick clear coat
The stock mag well isn't dug out so it's 1 bullet at a time but the mag well plate has a cover on the bottom of it bolted in.

Here's a picture


I'd also like to know how much it's really worth (the peep sight I've seen labeled as "rare" and going for a few 100s)

Cheers!
 
As a start, that action is either a Pattern 1914 or a U.S. Model of 1917. The P14 was originally in .303 British and the M1917 was originally in 30-06. If the receiver has American Eagle stamps showing, then it was a U.S. Model of 1917 and therefore was in 30-06. That barrel is not original to either. Both actions were made by Remington, Winchester and Eddystone during World War 1 in the U.S.A. The maker's name or mark should be on the top of the front receiver ring, just above the serial number. The stock might have been used on a Parker Hale rifle, but it is not original to any original version of the P14 or the M1917. I was not able to see the "peep sight" - is it a Parker Hale or AJP sight of some sort? They were definitely made in Britain to be fitted to the P-14/M1917 rifles, but well after WW1.

The original floor plate on both P-14 and M1917 had no provision for "bolting in place" unless holes were drilled. They are held in place by undercuts at the front and a spring loaded latch at the rear - inserting a pointed object, like a FMJ bullet into the divot at the rear of the floor plate will depress the latch and the floor plate can then be slide rearward and removed. I suppose that the divot could be drilled out and a bolt installed, then a nut and washer used on the inside to hold the floor plate in position.

If the rifle was an authentic military "sniper" rifle, then the scope mount would be very interesting - again, hard to see from your picture, but your current scope appears to be in a side mount? Good pictures of that side mount could confirm whether they are of military or commercial origin.

I have read and heard of many target rifles built up as single shot rifles, but I don't think I have heard of a military "sniper" rifle of any country that did not have and use the magazine - some internal, some detachable - maybe this one will be the first.
 
Will come back with better pictures this weekend as req.

The scope mount is a milled rail done by a Qc Gunsmith, it is a P17, barrel is definitely not original, the peep sight isn't installed in the picture but it's a PH one, as for the floor plate, this is news to me! I'll definitely take closeups for you now.
I was told it was used for long range competition in Valcartier, not deployement in it's current form hence the lack of a mag well. I'm pretty sure it used to have one in it's original duty format but when they turned it up into this target rifle they've got rid of it.

More pics coming up! Thanks!
 
Th3BadWolf said:
Hey, first time posting here.

A few years back I somehow ended up being the owner of a CF old sniper rifle. I swapped the peep sight system for a Millet scope (didn't know about Vortex at the time :confused:) and got to long range shooting.
Long story short, I think I have on my hands a one of a kind/pretty rare piece of kit as I am unable to find any for sale anywhere.
It came from the sniper vault of the R22R when a certain Sgt retired and got to pick one as a parting gift (so is the story I've been told) and then he passed it on to a collector which ended up selling it to me.

So, I just wanna poke around the forums to see if anyone ever got close to one of those, got information and what not, I'd like to know more about it!

Caliber is .308/7.62x51
It's a Parker Hale C3 (not the civilian version)
The barrel is floating and on the heavy side of things with a very nice hammered finish all over
The stock has an integretad cheek riser carved in and has a thick clear coat
The stock mag well isn't dug out so it's 1 bullet at a time but the mag well plate has a cover on the bottom of it bolted in.

Here's a picture


I'd also like to know how much it's really worth (the peep sight I've seen labeled as "rare" and going for a few 100s)

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Someone fed you a cart of horse manure. It's not a sniper of any sort. It's just a plain old P14/M1917 that's been done up as a target rifle. It's worth maybe $300-$500
 
Nothing about your rifle indicates being a C3 , or M82 or 1200TX as stated by the above reply, but everything points to that being a custom target gun built on a P14 action. Its possible that it was built for competing in Palma matches, which may make sense given originally having peep sights.
 
Bad news my friend.......as an owner of the rare C3 sniper I can tell you that definitely is not the famed Parker Hale !!
Looks like an Enfield action ?
 
If it is/was a U.S. Model of 1917, then it most definitely is not a Parker Hale C3!! The post WWII British sniper rifle was the Parker Hale M82, with a Parker Hale made receiver, scope mounts, etc. When Canada adopted it, they named it the C3 - wooden stock, 6 power scope. It became the C3a1 in the 1970's with a fibreglass stock and a 10 power scope. I suspect what you have is a M1917 converted into a target rifle - I believe the full-bore discipline required the use of iron (aperture) sights - at ranges of 800, 900 and 1,000 yards - much later the "F-Class" was adopted that allowed the use of scopes. I do not know for sure, but I suspect various parts of the Canadian military had much interest in target shooting competitions and would have tried to outfit their shooters with "the best", including, perhaps, "one of a kind" custom conversions from older rifles. I doubt very much that such target rifles would ever be considered to arm soldiers on deployment.
 
PH5B sights are a couple hundred bucks. There are a couple different apertures, one with a small disc of various sized holes, one more like a diopter.
It's a nice looking rig, not really worth a lot to sell it, but if it shoots good, definitely something worth keeping. The $400-$500 you might get for it won't get you anything comparable.
I picked up a 4 digit P14 years ago with PH5B and PH front globe that was attached by making a dovetail out of the front sight base. It was bedded, all bolt contacts polished, bit of trigger work done, super smooth and accurate shooter. Think I paid $250 for it lol. I've put it back to original configuration and use the PH5B and a clamp on K31 front globe on my M1917.
 
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Nope definitely not used for “deployment” as it’s not in any way shape or form a C3. It’s not even a Parker Hale 1200TX, nor a PH in any way. It looks well built but it’s somebodies old civilian target rifle built in the 1970’s
 
Not a C3 and definitely no unit is going to let serialized kit go to anyone upon retirement, especially at the Sgt rank level.

Buy the rifle not the story. Hope you didn't spend much.
 
Aight, here's the many close ups, go wild.

Also, it did come from Valcartier's armory somehow as I bought it from a trusted collector and the cross referencing checks out, must be me confusing elements of the story after all this time.
I know for a fact there are a minimum of 8 of those in existence (as this is serial 8 of the batch, as seen on the underside of the stock)

Here's the show : Pics
 
M1917 done up as a target rifle with an Enfield manufactured hammer forged heavy barrel.

The barrel is dated 1971.

Above average conversion, most of the ones i've seen were in chopped original stocks.

Could well have been in the armoury as a unit club gun.

Some years ago I bought a couple of Long Branch DCRA rifles which had been sold off by the local unit's rifle club.
 
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Likely a target rifle that the unit bought for their rifle teams. These were popular in the 60’s and 70’s but it would be very rare to find anyone shooting one in competition today. Could very well have been kept in unit stores but not a CF Issued rifle. Many units sent teams to shoot the DCRA matches in Ottawa as well as service rifle matches. Value is about $300 with sights if you can find a buyer.
 
Hitzy said:
What's the washer for between barrel and receiver?
Click to expand...

Blastattack said:
The barrel was probably taken from something else, so the washer is there is make up the difference between the shoulder on the barrel and that of the receiver.
Click to expand...

ALL the Enfield 7.62 hammer forged target barrels are designed for use with a head-spacing shim. The shims were available in 4 different thicknesses IIRC, just like British and Australian L1A1 rifles and Canadian C. No.7 .22 rifles.
 
Lee Enfield said:
M1917 done up as a target rifle with an Enfield manufactured hammer forged heavy barrel.

The barrel is dated 1971.

Above average conversion, most of the ones i've seen were in chopped original stocks.

Could well have been in the armoury as a unit club gun.

Some years ago I bought a couple of Long Branch DCRA rifles which had been sold off by the local unit's rifle club.
Click to expand...

Yeah, a base or unit shooting club or team gun, I could buy in to as a pretty solid base for the storied source of the rifle.

A coworker cleaned out the base shooting club's safes via a sealed bid, back about 1985 or so, for ~$60 each rifle. Made out like a bandit! Resold most of the stuff he got out of the deal. I didn't know enough about the stuff to recognize the deal he offered me then...
 
I have only seen 1 PH 1200TX sniper for sale. I saw it at a gun show. I was going to buy it, but my OCD kicked in. The rifle was 100% complete with Khales scope. It belong to a Lt. Col in the RCR. I has hesitant not to buy it because the guy put a data disc on the stock. I raced through the gun show and found nothing, so I said screw it I'm going to buy it. Went back 20mins later and it was gone. The guy wanted $1350. It did have the C3 sling on it. I think the rifle was one of the ones the military offered to DCRA members.
 
That is not a C3, that's a P17/P14. Nor never was used by Canadians as a sniper rifle. Maybe been someone private rifle.

l1HSudO.jpg
 
Potashminer said:
If it is/was a U.S. Model of 1917, then it most definitely is not a Parker Hale C3!! The post WWII British sniper rifle was the Parker Hale M82, with a Parker Hale made receiver, scope mounts, etc. When Canada adopted it, they named it the C3 - wooden stock, 6 power scope. It became the C3a1 in the 1970's with a fibreglass stock and a 10 power scope. I suspect what you have is a M1917 converted into a target rifle - I believe the full-bore discipline required the use of iron (aperture) sights - at ranges of 800, 900 and 1,000 yards - much later the "F-Class" was adopted that allowed the use of scopes. I do not know for sure, but I suspect various parts of the Canadian military had much interest in target shooting competitions and would have tried to outfit their shooters with "the best", including, perhaps, "one of a kind" custom conversions from older rifles. I doubt very much that such target rifles would ever be considered to arm soldiers on deployment.
Click to expand...

There is no Ifs about it. It's not a C3. It still has the rear sight rears found on P14/17s. Having owned many target P14/17s, and a bunch of C3 clones. I can tell them apart.
 
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