Can a M17 Enfield BSA action be used to make a .375 H+H with the existing bolt face opened up? Or do I need to find a P14 bolt to swap ? Then there's the magazine box and floorplate hump? Also may entertain thoughts of a .416 Taylor . Would additional crossbolts for stock support be in order? Already have a .308 Norma Mag and a .300 H+H so no need to got there.
suitability of a sporter on a M-17 action
- Thread starter mbogo3
- Start date
I built a p14 into 500 Jeffery. I'm sure a M17 could be built for 375HH. get a barrel chambered in 375 for the M17/P14 then open up the bolt face and make it feed. the action will probably be long enough without much work, and to get it to feed should be pretty easy too, I added 3 cross bolts, one at the recoil lug on the barrel, one behind the mag and one behind the trigger as its an old mill surplus stock full of oil so I don't trust it with the 500 Jeffery recoil
I would assume the M17 would work fine for both the bolt and the mag follower/floor plate.. you will need to open the bolt face, extend the mag and open the feed rails a touch is probably all.
I bought a Winchester model 70 in 375 H&H for 800$ so I saved the custom build for a caliber I couldNT buy easily for less then a grand
I would assume the M17 would work fine for both the bolt and the mag follower/floor plate.. you will need to open the bolt face, extend the mag and open the feed rails a touch is probably all.
I bought a Winchester model 70 in 375 H&H for 800$ so I saved the custom build for a caliber I couldNT buy easily for less then a grand
Its a square thread. Those barrels would only work if you cut the threads off and rethread/chamber them.
Starting with a 300$ tradeex (actuall at internsurplus for under 300$ m98's) m98, you could then buy a 195$ zavasta m98 barrel in 375h&h from tradeex or intersurplus and go from there.
Then its just a mag box, feed rails and bolt face.
Starting with a 300$ tradeex (actuall at internsurplus for under 300$ m98's) m98, you could then buy a 195$ zavasta m98 barrel in 375h&h from tradeex or intersurplus and go from there.
Then its just a mag box, feed rails and bolt face.
I don't want to put you off on this project but IMHO, it's a lot of work, which I know you are capable of doing.
Still, in the end, it just may be cheaper to purchase a rifle in that chambering, which is excellent and I fully understand your interest.
In the past, I have converted a few to 300WM and even though the rifles turned out to be presentable as well as accurate, they were still valued at less than the cost of a new barrel, which I was luckily able to avoid.
For the 375H&H You can easily open up the bolt face but that will be the least of your issues.
You're going to have to come up with appx a half inch of extra length in the mag well as well as bolt travel.
The mag well will need to be enlarged at both ends and the receiver will need some alteration to open up the magwell opening as well as reshaping the rails.
It would likely be easier to do a build on a P14 action but not much.
IMHO, this is a very hands on, work heavy, time consuming project you are considering.
Then of course there is also the cost of making up a new stock to fit this rifle. ETC ETC.
Still, in the end, it just may be cheaper to purchase a rifle in that chambering, which is excellent and I fully understand your interest.
In the past, I have converted a few to 300WM and even though the rifles turned out to be presentable as well as accurate, they were still valued at less than the cost of a new barrel, which I was luckily able to avoid.
For the 375H&H You can easily open up the bolt face but that will be the least of your issues.
You're going to have to come up with appx a half inch of extra length in the mag well as well as bolt travel.
The mag well will need to be enlarged at both ends and the receiver will need some alteration to open up the magwell opening as well as reshaping the rails.
It would likely be easier to do a build on a P14 action but not much.
IMHO, this is a very hands on, work heavy, time consuming project you are considering.
Then of course there is also the cost of making up a new stock to fit this rifle. ETC ETC.
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
I have a M1917 that was converted to 300 Weatherby and another that was converted to 300 Win Mag. The 300 Weatherby required the maker to fabricate a "new" magazine box from a standard military one - he gained the necessary length for the inside dimension of the mag box by removing all the filler and blocks and welding a .050" thick rear end to a standard mag box. Bolt was an M1917 that was opened up, since both barrels were altered M1917 barrels. No evidence that the bolt stop was altered, so he used up all the "spare" travel from the standard 30-06 action.
Edit: I just looked - Max COAL for 300 WBY is 3.560" and for 375 H&H is 3.600" - so will need a bit more bolt travel / magazine length for 375 H&H than for 300 WBY. Not real certain where you would get that - maybe grinding bolt stop face to let bolt come back further than normal?? Maybe removing material at the feed ramp to extend front of magazine box forward??
The feed lips under the receiver are profiled to work well with the 30-06 cartridge and the military FMJ ammo. I see the various BSA sporters have some funky grinding to those receiver feed lips - I was told it was to help handle the Round Nose hunting ammo often used in a sporter. For whatever reason, the standard follower and those feed lips worked well enough for both the 300 Win Mag and the 300 Weatherby - I never tried, but I suspect there will be much fussiness to get a 375 H&H to feed?? The belted magnums do not stack up "correctly" in a standard M1917 magazine box - but seem to work okay, none-the-less.
I did cut off and re-weld a goose neck military tongue from a trigger guard - to make it straight. That also requires a longer than normal front action screw, and a longer than "normal" front action screw ferrule - so a bit more fuss than on standard Mauser 98. Also required the standard magazine box to be shortened - from the bottom
Original M1917 barrels have coned breech - therefore that is also the shape of front of M1917 bolt lugs and extractor. If you are installing a new barrel with a flat rear end - that is like the earlier P14 - so maybe is an advantage to fit a P14 bolt into an M1917 action - they do swap easily. You might have to cut the grooves into rear of the barrel, if you are using a P14 Mk1* bolt. You can also swap extractors one to the other.
May need to play a bit with the ejector - P14 and M1917 are different - a P14 bolt likely does best with a belted case with a P14 ejector, I would think? If you want to make a dependable dangerous game rifle, you likely want to investigate the coil spring modification done to the ejectors - the little spring tails break off on the standard military ones - at least four found broken off here - that coil spring mod used to be sold by Numrich - is also described in a Roy Dunlap book from 1950's when the "sporterize" thing was in full stride.
Edit: I just looked - Max COAL for 300 WBY is 3.560" and for 375 H&H is 3.600" - so will need a bit more bolt travel / magazine length for 375 H&H than for 300 WBY. Not real certain where you would get that - maybe grinding bolt stop face to let bolt come back further than normal?? Maybe removing material at the feed ramp to extend front of magazine box forward??
The feed lips under the receiver are profiled to work well with the 30-06 cartridge and the military FMJ ammo. I see the various BSA sporters have some funky grinding to those receiver feed lips - I was told it was to help handle the Round Nose hunting ammo often used in a sporter. For whatever reason, the standard follower and those feed lips worked well enough for both the 300 Win Mag and the 300 Weatherby - I never tried, but I suspect there will be much fussiness to get a 375 H&H to feed?? The belted magnums do not stack up "correctly" in a standard M1917 magazine box - but seem to work okay, none-the-less.
I did cut off and re-weld a goose neck military tongue from a trigger guard - to make it straight. That also requires a longer than normal front action screw, and a longer than "normal" front action screw ferrule - so a bit more fuss than on standard Mauser 98. Also required the standard magazine box to be shortened - from the bottom
Original M1917 barrels have coned breech - therefore that is also the shape of front of M1917 bolt lugs and extractor. If you are installing a new barrel with a flat rear end - that is like the earlier P14 - so maybe is an advantage to fit a P14 bolt into an M1917 action - they do swap easily. You might have to cut the grooves into rear of the barrel, if you are using a P14 Mk1* bolt. You can also swap extractors one to the other.
May need to play a bit with the ejector - P14 and M1917 are different - a P14 bolt likely does best with a belted case with a P14 ejector, I would think? If you want to make a dependable dangerous game rifle, you likely want to investigate the coil spring modification done to the ejectors - the little spring tails break off on the standard military ones - at least four found broken off here - that coil spring mod used to be sold by Numrich - is also described in a Roy Dunlap book from 1950's when the "sporterize" thing was in full stride.
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This is a lot of labour to make this pig into anything resembling a sporter... if you can do the work yourself and want a challenge go for it... Even if I was given a good action it's certainly no longer something I would ever do again. I did my first one in 1966-67.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Currently have 264 and 416 Rigby. Have had 308 norma and 338win.
The 264 is definitely a sporter, the 416 is a tank. Anything can be done. The p14/m1917 were and still are one of the only affordable true magnum length actions. Many were converted decades ago, why not search for one someone has already done the work. The sum of the parts and work will not come close to a resale value.
The 264 is definitely a sporter, the 416 is a tank. Anything can be done. The p14/m1917 were and still are one of the only affordable true magnum length actions. Many were converted decades ago, why not search for one someone has already done the work. The sum of the parts and work will not come close to a resale value.
P14 and M17 are crude at best ,#### on closing, extremely long slow striker fall,no anti bind feature , needs a 2.5 inch barrel shank
,square threads plus a ton of mods just to make them work .And they are homely as a mud fence with that saftey hanging off the side .Better off using a Mauser 98 and bumping the mag box and bolt stop back to fit 3.70 oal . That is assuming you want a classic Rigbyesk style rifle .Note the subtle adjustment of the mag opening in relation to the stripper clip .This was a 404 Jeffery 3.7 mag box all to the rear of the action very little off of the lower abutment
,square threads plus a ton of mods just to make them work .And they are homely as a mud fence with that saftey hanging off the side .Better off using a Mauser 98 and bumping the mag box and bolt stop back to fit 3.70 oal . That is assuming you want a classic Rigbyesk style rifle .Note the subtle adjustment of the mag opening in relation to the stripper clip .This was a 404 Jeffery 3.7 mag box all to the rear of the action very little off of the lower abutment
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Making a first class sporting rifle, starting with an as-issued military action can be an interesting and challenging project.
Very easy to wind up with a finished rifle that would sell for less than the cost of work required.
Best start for a P'14/M1917 project is a BSA sporter. At least the receiver is contoured and drilled and tapped.
A Mauser takes a lot of work as well.
To take a SMLE and wind up with something as slick and smooth as a Lee Speed sporting rifle is a challenge.
A Lee Enfield one piece stock sporter would be interesting. I have just the receiver - one of the trigger guard screw lugs is squashed.
Last one I did was a Mannlicher-Schoenauer built on a rough Greek action.
These projects are great learning experiences for DIY. If a skilled smith gets paid, it will be a very expensive custom rifle.
Very easy to wind up with a finished rifle that would sell for less than the cost of work required.
Best start for a P'14/M1917 project is a BSA sporter. At least the receiver is contoured and drilled and tapped.
A Mauser takes a lot of work as well.
To take a SMLE and wind up with something as slick and smooth as a Lee Speed sporting rifle is a challenge.
A Lee Enfield one piece stock sporter would be interesting. I have just the receiver - one of the trigger guard screw lugs is squashed.
Last one I did was a Mannlicher-Schoenauer built on a rough Greek action.
These projects are great learning experiences for DIY. If a skilled smith gets paid, it will be a very expensive custom rifle.
I would suggest a century centurion. If you can find a 300wm or 7mm mag it might save you a couple bucks.
K&s in edmonton does 375 barrels btw.
Dont want to be a party pooper, but ya, if you are paying someone else to do, gonna have to be a labour of lice.
Yes the wood is pretty and that’s what sold me on it. I didn’t but the guy who built it did. It cocks on opening. Has a nice trigger too. Bought it off the EE maybe 10 years ago. Came from Nova Scotia iirc from an estate apparently.
The wood almost looks like myrtlewood .Nicely done workmanship for sure,old school styling.You got to like it .
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Not really what you intended, but here is a "wanna be" Remington Model 30. Barrel has Remington code for 1926, and the stock appears to match the style used in that era. Someone robbed the gun for the Model 30 action - I replaced it with an action from a BSA Sporter - this is the one that got the straightened trigger guard. Finally got it together this morning - i think is now ready to test fire....
Pretty much 1926 features - a crescent steel butt plate, a sleeve near front of stock to pull barrel down into the wood, etc. Multiple splits and some very old repairs - this rifle stock had seen some rough handling in its day, wherever that was ...
As I understand, the original Model 30 would have had a rear aperture sight installed on the rear receiver bridge - so I installed a Lyman SME into the BSA holes just forward of the bolt handle. Chamber scroll identifies the cartridge as "30 Springfield 1906" - so the kid in Canadian Tire is not likely to find shells with that name any more - we would call that 30-06, I guess.
Pretty much 1926 features - a crescent steel butt plate, a sleeve near front of stock to pull barrel down into the wood, etc. Multiple splits and some very old repairs - this rifle stock had seen some rough handling in its day, wherever that was ...
As I understand, the original Model 30 would have had a rear aperture sight installed on the rear receiver bridge - so I installed a Lyman SME into the BSA holes just forward of the bolt handle. Chamber scroll identifies the cartridge as "30 Springfield 1906" - so the kid in Canadian Tire is not likely to find shells with that name any more - we would call that 30-06, I guess.
