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making a P17 accurate.

egatimraegatimra Member Posts: 469 ✭✭✭
edited October 2004 in Ask the Experts
Now that I have had my 308 v. 30-06 question answered, (thanks for all of the responses) I have a P17 enfield that has been sporterized and I want to make it a long distance gun (300+ yrds). Is it worth my trouble? if so, what should I do?
Thanks in advance,
ian
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    1KYDSTR1KYDSTR Member Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Are the rear sight ears already milled off? What is the extent of the sporterization? It would, I'm sure, cost a pretty good chunk of change to do it well, but as these were/are excellent, strong actions, people have done countless sporterizations over the years and will for some time to come. I am a big fan of the P-14 and P-17, but prefer my military guns original...to each his own, I guess! There are a number of smiths here on the forum and I would hope one will come forward to give you the dollars and 'sense' of it all. Good luck; you're pursuing an expensive road though I fear!

    "When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
    "Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
    "History is written by winners"(Patton)
    "You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
    "There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)
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    egatimraegatimra Member Posts: 469 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rear site are gone, with a pretty good scope installed, I'm not near the gun right now so I don't know the make. It appears to be a pretty good job.
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    KdubKdub Member Posts: 713 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Being sporterized, would assume it has a sporterized stock.

    Had my '17 Eddystone Remington sporter rebarreled with a heavy sporter contoured 27" bbl in 6mm-284 chambering. Routed out the stock barrel channel and free-floated. Already d/t'd for scope, so mounted an old model fixed power 12X Redfield in Redfield Jr mounts/rings. Left the military trigger in it as it is pretty good and didn't want to convert the cock-on-closing feature. Put a Pachmyer Decelerator butt pad on it and went to the range.

    Shoots less than MOA at all ranges with 100 and 105 gr bullets.

    Keep off the Ridgeline
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    I.ShuteI.Shute Member Posts: 647 ✭
    edited November -1
    The easiest conversion I've done to a 1917 is to re-chamber it to 300 Win Mag.
    It made an excellent shooter out of a ho-hum rifle.
    The most work is taking it in and out of the barrel vise and lathe when setting head space.
    I don't care how good you are with a depth mic, it never comes out perfect the first try.
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    MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member, Moderator Posts: 9,973 ******
    edited November -1
    REPLACE THE TRIGGER, INSTALL A 'COCK ON OPENING' FIRING ASSEMBLY (MUCH FASTER LOCK TIME). MOST M-1917 BARRELS SHOOT WELL IF NOT WORN OR PITTED. REBARREL OR RECHAMBER AT YOUR PLEASURE.
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    joel_blackjoel_black Member Posts: 686 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Before you consider putting a lot of money in it, slug the bore. Some of the early 1917s were fitted with barrels rifled for .303 British which resulted in a .311-.313 bore diameter.
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    01DUSE01DUSE Member Posts: 120 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've owned several P17's over the last few years and I look at it this way: if it shoots well in 30-06 form, then it'll shoot excellent once it is rechambered and recrowned. All we ever do with them is to remove the rear sight, cut of the ears and slug the hole in and mill the receiver into a flat-top. We pull of the front sight and cut a target crown. Most common chamberings we use are 308 Norma Magnum and 300 WinMag although I did build one in 300 Weatherby Mag for my brother(Gotta watch the length of the mag box). Contrary to what you've already been told, I find it to be reletively INexpensive to go this route. The only time you start talking big$$ in when you start talking re-barrel. Find a good shooter to begin with and your cost will be kept to a minimum.

    Men, like bullets, go farthest when they are smoothest.
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    sir-kullsir-kull Member Posts: 12 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I disagree with converting a P-17 to "cock on opening". It may very well decrease lock time but not all conversions work well. "Cock on closing" has a longer lock time, but it goes bang every time you pull the trigger, something that canot be said for all conversions.

    Ben
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    MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member, Moderator Posts: 9,973 ******
    edited November -1
    I've installed a number of Dayton/Traister trigger/cock on opening kits and they work well if properly installed (brownells pt. #240200117). Certainly not a target trigger but much better that g.i.
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    nykansannykansan Member Posts: 569 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have the uglyest altered p17 ever butchered.
    I did change to cock on opening firing pin *'y
    from Numurich and wouldn't change anything else.
    Just non-expert opinion. It kiills what I can see
    and capitable of hitting.
    SITAA

    "We had joy we had fun
    We had seasons in the sun
    But the wine and the song
    Like the seasons are all gone"
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