price check on M1917

[tahunua001]

hello all.
a local pawn shop has a M1917 for sale and I'm just trying to see if the $900 he's asking is reasonable.

most of the 1917s I see online are eddystones but this particular one is a remington. if memory serves correctly it's a mid 400,000s serial number. I don't have a bore light so I can't tell if it's the 2, 5, or 6 groove rifling. the stock is in alright condition but the upper part has a 3 inch crack forming where the stock meets the reciever. the only proofs plainly visible are remington, model of 1917 and the serial number. oddly enough caliber isn't even marked so hopefully it's not a mismatched P14, either way I would be happy to have it in my collection as long as price is right.

so main concern.

were there any problems specific to the remington 1917s?

is the split in the stock something to worry about?

is this considered low serial or high serial?

how can I tell if the bolt and barrel match reciever without dismantling it in the shop?

which form of rifling is it most likely to have?

thanks ahead of time for all the info

 

[az_imuth]

I think the price would be way too high even if it were an all matching Remington in excellent condition. For me to feel comfortable at that price it would have to be in drippy wet mint condition with Alvin York's fingerprints all over it.

 

[Chris_B]

I've never heard of M1917s having any worries as to "high serial numbers" or "low serial numbers". That concern was for Springfield M1903s, from the heat treating issues of receivers and bolts. maybe there is an issue and concern with M1917s; I've just never heard of that issue, but I wonder if there's some confusion

Cracked stock? For 900, there should be nothing wrong with it, in my opinion

 

[jrothWA]

Aboout 500 should be reasonable BUT

you are dealing with a pawnshop.

Check the exposed barrel surface at the base of the front sight, it will have a
stamp character: "E, R, or W and an two digits below that character.

The character will be the manufacturer and the digits are the year.
Anything the matches the action and years of 1917, 1918 & 1919 will be good.

If the barrel has different from the action, it acceptable for any year up thru the 1920's,as the arsenals were rebuilding and placing in war storage.

I have actually seen a Eddystone with a Winchester barrel date "26".

All barrels were the left-hand 5-groove English rifling.

For WWII, the following made extra barrel; JA (Johnson Automatics) is a two-groove dates should be "42 -44" & HS (High Standard) four-groove, same dates.
Replacement barrels were made to War department standards.

NOTE: Some Eddystone actions that have been rebarreled with JA barrels, an small number have developed receiver cracks. This was noted in late 50's.

Good Luck.

 

[tahunua001]

well in my research I found a really nifty website www.armscollectors.com that had tons of information on 1903s and 1917s. I wasn't really looking for it but I was able to determine my 1903(that I bought from this same pawnshop for less than the 1917BTW) was manufactured in January of 1912, pretty nifty. they also have a complete list of the different proofs and even diagrams showing where each manufacturer placed them, for the most part they kept it simple, R for Remington, E for Eddystone and W for Winchester. interesting that the JAs were not mentioned and no real information was given about the dates of the arsenal refits. guessing on the serial number has garnered that this particular rifle was made somewhere between March and September of 1918. I do find it astounding that while springfield was only making around 30,000 1903s a year Remington alone was able to rechamber and issue over 500,000 1917s over the course of a single year.

 

[highpower3006]

That price is way high for a 1917. While they are becoming more appreciated (re. expensive) amongst the collector community, that much money should buy a stone mint original rifle. If the finish is original it should be blued and all the parts on it should have a "R" stamped on them. The barrel date should correspond with the manufacture date and the stock should have the proper markings for a Remington manufactured rifle.

For everything that is not right deduct $. Generally, depending on condition, a mixmaster, refinished '17 will go for around $400-500 around here. A Winchester will usually go for a bit more.

I just picked up a Winchester with the original barrel and bolt with very little else matching, that went through the rebuild process at the Ogden Arsenal, Elmer Keith inspected, for much, much less than that.

I rate it at 98%, arsenal refinished.

 

[tahunua001]

I'm starting to see that this guy is sorely mistaken on the value of this particular piece. as stated the stock is not in good condition and does have some slight surface rust on it. before researching I asked if he would be willing to work on a price and he said the lowest he MIGHT be able to do would be 800 which is still way too high for this gun.