My first gun - P14 (help with a couple markings)

koesdibyo

koesdibyo

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Hey all, finally picked up a p14! Arrived in the mail today, and it was like Christmas!

Im still getting used to it, and buying sight-unseen felt kinda risky for me since I dont know too much about these things yet. Im hoping everyone here can help me identify exactly what I have, and if im on the right track of IDing it properly:

What I (think) know:
- It is stamped ERA (which I believe means Eddystone-Remington-Arms)
- It is stamped with an arrow facing forward, with a crown underneath, and GR underneath, and flags crossed underneath and a P underneath that. This is the British marking?
- The serial on the bolt is unmatching, and has 2 serials (1 of which is crossed out). It is also stamped "E" in several places... meaning the bolt came from an Eddystone as well?
- There is "Flower" or * looking stamp on the extractor of the bolt. Also stamped on the barrel beside the serial (right side), and on the reciever after the broad arrow... this signifies it is an MK1*
- Because it is an MK1* it doesnt have the volley sights.
- Beside the "british marking" on the barrel, is a "16" stamped, meaning it is from 1916
- Sporterized stock

What I dont know:
- Beside the 16 is the letter "N" stamped, and above that is a faded stamp of something else. Looks to me like a crown, with the letters PL or PI, underneath it, and the letter "A" underneath those.
- Why does my bolt have 2 serials?
- There is a number "5" stamped into the barrel in the top-middle
- an "X" stamped on the back of the handle of the bolt
- Where are the "weedon" stamps? Or were Mk1*s also made, and not just MK1s converted?
- No markings on the brass plate on the stock
- No markings on the stock itself


As far as the ad was worded, I thought I was getting something with all matching serials... but unfortunately the bolt doesnt match. Live and learn I guess.

The barrel and the receiver have matching numbers.
The bolt has 2 serials, one that has a line through it, and another one. It has the "E" stamped on it in 3 places.

Im just worried about firing it without having the headspace checked because of the mis-matched bolt. Should this be an issue?

As you can see, the pictures show a sporterized stock, which im guessing is the M1917 stock because of the finger grooves?

On the brass plate of the stock, I dont see any markings, and see 0 markings on the stock itself.

How she looks


Here is a picture of the 3 markings I am unsure of (N, 5, and other one)


This is "X" marking on the bolt


This is of the other 2 "E" markings on the bolt


This is the 2 serials, and "E" on the bolt


The "Flower" or * on the extractor


The next 3 images are just the serials/british markings on the reciever and barrel






The brass plate on the stock with no markings
 
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I know in my research trying to figure out what some of these marks mean, I came across someone with a "2" stamped on theirs, and they didnt know what it means.

I got to thinking, would my "5" and that other guys "2" be the number of grooves?

Still cant find anything on the "N" or the other mark with crown/PL/A
 
Your rifle is a Mark I* which means it has the larger bolt lug and corresponding lug recess. That is what the "Flower" means on the various parts. The fact that it is a Mark I* has nothing to do with the lack of volley sights. All P.'14 rifles had volley sights when manufactured but these were removed when the rifles went through the Weedon refurbishment immediately prior to WW2. If you look on the underside of the wrist of the stock you should see a stamped code which will tell you which factory did the refurbishment work.

The stamp with the crown, letters and "A" is the number of the British military inspector who accepted the rifle at the Eddystone factory. All inspector's numbers ended in "A" for "America".

Your rifle was accepted at the factory in week ending 17 February 1917. Given a slight lag between manufacture and acceptance, it may have been made a week or so earlier.

Regards
TonyE
 
A mismatched Eddystone is no great shakes, but that is one of the nicest grain patterns I've ever seen on a P14. If the barrel is not excellent, I would look for another similar sporting with a matching bolt and swap the metal over. That wood deserves further improvement.
 
Thanks so much for the help everyone. I figured as soon as it arrived and I got a closer look at the serials, my options for restoring it were basically out the window. Even with being mislead on the serials, I figure I came out with a decent rifle for a "fair" price. This will be my hunting rifle for the year, and in any case Im enthused to have a piece of history, regardless of its "ruined" value, in my hands.

The barrel is in excellent condition, and I will be firing it for my first time next week. I was actually quite taken with the stock itself when it arrived as well. Any suggestions on how to further improve the wood? Just a shame it was mutilated to make it a sporter.
 
koesdibyo said:
Thanks so much for the help everyone. I figured as soon as it arrived and I got a closer look at the serials, my options for restoring it were basically out the window. Even with being mislead on the serials, I figure I came out with a decent rifle for a "fair" price. This will be my hunting rifle for the year, and in any case Im enthused to have a piece of history, regardless of its "ruined" value, in my hands.

The barrel is in excellent condition, and I will be firing it for my first time next week. I was actually quite taken with the stock itself when it arrived as well. Any suggestions on how to further improve the wood? Just a shame it was mutilated to make it a sporter.
Click to expand...

That is really an eyecatching piece of lumber you have there in that rifle.I guess from a purely collecting aspect it may be "ruined" to some people but in my opinion you have a neat rifle there.Especially with an excellent barrel I would just go ahead and enjoy what you have there.
I've been fortunate to have come across a few military and other rifles with nice wood in them.Most of them have spruced up nicely with a rub of fine steel wool and some oil applied with simple old elbow grease.Just my two cents worth.Nice gun for sure.
 
Go out and shoot her. You will find that rifle to be one well made, well working gun. My sporter P-14 is one of my favorite rifle to shoot, she points well, handles well, and 95 years after she was built, she still works like a charm.
Denis
 
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