Enfield P-17 Questions

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scorpion_tyr

New member
Noticed an ad in the local paper for a "P-17 Enfield 300 H&H $400"

I'm very new to rifles and had a few questions.

Is the "P-17" the same thing as the M1917?

Were they orifinally offered in .300 H&H or is this some type of modification?

Can I get .300 H&H factory ammo?

Condition of the rifle is unknown, but does this sound like a good deal?

If the rifle is not in working condition are parts readily available for these?

Anyone know of any special interest items such as parts, markings, etc to look for if I take a look at it?

Thanks!
 
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kiwi56

New member
Enfields

They are the same rifle although officially there was no such thing as a P17
The rifle was basically the same as the British Pattern 17 or what is commonly referred to as the P14. The American version of this rifle was introduced from day one as the Enfield Model 17.
The british rifle was chambered in 303 British where the American rifle was chambered in 30-06. the P14/P17 actions were based on a Mauser style actions and proved to one of the strongest actions for its time. During the 1950's and 1960's a lot of these rifles were used in highpower rifle competition and chambered in a variety of calibers including magnum sized cartridges. The P14 probably set more accuracy records than the Lee Enfield as it was the popular choice of target shooters.
 
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Jimro

New member
Noticed an ad in the local paper for a "P-17 Enfield 300 H&H $400"

I'm very new to rifles and had a few questions.

Is the "P-17" the same thing as the M1917?
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Yes.

Were they orifinally offered in .300 H&H or is this some type of modification?
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Modification.

Can I get .300 H&H factory ammo?
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Yes. From South Africa.

Condition of the rifle is unknown, but does this sound like a good deal?

If the rifle is not in working condition are parts readily available for these?

Anyone know of any special interest items such as parts, markings, etc to look for if I take a look at it?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It isn't a bad deal if you really want a 300 H&H. Rifles like that are worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Jimro
 
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Scorch

New member
Yes, the rifle is a US M1917 Enfield rifle. There is no such thing as a P17, just misinformed gun owners.

$400 sounds like only a fair deal as long as the rifle is in good shape and the conversion was done well (mag well straightened, rear sight milled and filled, polished and blued, drilled and tapped). Hopefully it is not just a military barrel opened up, but I have seen some of those that shot OK. It helps if the trigger has been replaced, a Timney or Dayton-Traister will set you back about $60. If it is in a chopped military stock, it is worth somewhere around $200.

Parts are hard to come by, but there are a lot of gun show guys that sell parts that can probably help out with the more common ones.

Ammo is available from Federal (4 loads) and Nosler (3 loads) as well as Kynoch (1 load). You may have to order it. Midway carries it.
http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Bro...3&categoryId=7555&categoryString=653***690***
 
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scorpion_tyr

New member
Thanks to all for the awesome info!

If it is in a chopped military stock, it is worth somewhere around $200.
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Sorry for my lack of terminology, but what do you mean by a "chopped military stock"?
 
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Scorch

New member
Sorry for my lack of terminology, but what do you mean by a "chopped military stock"?
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That is a highly technical term for a surgical operation involving a full-length military stock, a toothed cutting implement (either electrical or hand-operated), and a faulty decision by the person wielding it. The results yield a stock with a much shorter forend, although they often look like the rifle was attacked by ninja beavers. It is seldom a pretty sight.
 
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scorpion_tyr

New member
Gotcha! I guess if this one happens to have that and I can talk him down to the $200ish I can get a replacement stock for the difference.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
A lot of 1917 Enfields were converted to magnums

Because of the length of the action. Many also had the cock on closing converted to cock on opening. Other alterations common were removal of the rear sight "ears", restocking, drilling and tapping for scope mounts, and replacement of the GI triggers.

If well done, they were good sporting rifles. IF not, they could even be dangerous, not just ugly.

Market value on these converted (sporterised) rifles is at an all time low. Event the ones done by master craftsmen only bring a paltry few hundred dollars, at best, now days. Generally, they won't bring the cost of the conversion, adjusted for inflation. Just no market demand anymore.

The .300 H&H is a fine round, one of the original magnum rifles cartridges. It is, however, just a bit too long to work in a standard length action, like a Mauser or Springfield, which is why the slightly longer '17 Enfield was used. .300 H&H picks up where the .30-06 leaves off, and goes a couple hundred fps faster.

If the gun is a good one, $400 is not out of line, but about max what the market will bear. $200 is a lowball number, if the rifle is in very good shape. If the rifle has seen hard use, or was never one of the ones done well, $200 may be too much!
 
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taylorce1

New member
Here is my $99.95 .300 H&H M1917 Sporter pawn shop find.

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Work that was done when I got it, converted to cock on open, bolt face opened, barrel chambered, trigger guard straightened, and D&T for a scope, but the duck pond wasn't filled.

Right now it is at my gunsmith getting some final touches on it and a new laminate stock and trigger. It should be done next week since I got the call on it. While my rifle will not be a work of art it will be a functional tool for hunting elk. When it is all said and done I'll have about $800 into a .300 H&H not counting the scope. If it doesn't shoot I'll probably send it off to Pac-Nor and have it made into a .375 H&H and be into it for a little over $1000.

If you are going to own a .300 H&H and leave it that way you had better get into handloading. A few companies out there still manufacture .300 H&H ammunition but it is very expensive. Last box of Federal 180 grain I saw at a local gun shop was $70 a box which was about $20 more than the same brand .375 H&H. I would try to see if I could get it cheaper and get any brass and ammunition the current owner may have.

I'm excited to get to shoot it finally in the near future.
 
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CPTMurdoc30

New member
here is mine it went from 30-06 service rifle to a 300H&H hunting rifle to its current and final encarnation a 308 win target rifle. It is topped with custom made mounts and a Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x40mm

While the 1917 is big strong it is also one if the most god awful looking actions I have ever seen. Big strong and ugly works for me though.......

If you need a new stock you can get one at Richards Micro Fit.


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Slamfire

New member
When it is all said and done I'll have about $800 into a .300 H&H not counting the scope.
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This is a great object lesson. Converting a military rifle is not cheap. At least someone else paid for the bolt face and barrel installation. That would easily run $400.00.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
40+ years ago....

Converting a surplus military rifle (and have a fine job done, too) was cheaper than buying a new sporter from one of the big makers. And that often included the purchase cost of the milsurp!

And while Bubba and his hacksaw were around garages then, we also had a lot of skilled men who could do all the work, and do it well, for significantly less than the cost of a new Remington or Winchester. And we are talking about less than a couple hundred bucks! OF course, back in those days, a couple hundred bucks was real money!

Those gunsmiths are mostly long gone, and the cost of skilled labor today, along with the drying up of the cheap milsurp Mausers, Springfields, Enfields, etc, means it ain't even close to cost effective to do that work today.
 
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taylorce1

New member
When it is all said and done I'll have about $800 into a .300 H&H not counting the scope.
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This is a great object lesson. Converting a military rifle is not cheap. At least someone else paid for the bolt face and barrel installation. That would easily run $400.00.
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Yes someone did pay for alot of the work done before I bought it for $100. However try to find a commercial rifle in .300 H&H for what I've got invested in this one. I don't think the .300 has been chambered except in special runs for at least 20 years.

There are still a lot of skilled smiths out there who can convert these old military actions in to wonderful sporters. The only question is, how deep are your pockets? Most will do the work if you are willing to pay them what they ask.
 
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okiefarmer308

New member
Thanks

CPTMurdoc30,thanks for the link to Richards Gunstocks. I have an 1917 Enfield that is stocked for left handers. I can shoot it that way but prefer right handed. It is marked as a 300 win mag,found out the hard way that it is really a 300 Weatherby mag. It is a custom gun all the way,shouls have been a bit more suspicious when he took what I offered. It does shoot very nice,doesn't kick as hard as an all factory 30-06 shooting factory loads. Thanks for the info on his stocks,they look really nice.
 
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hagar

New member
Some of these converted rifles are a thing of beauty. I'm not talking about some hacksaw sporterized job by Uncle Elmer, but a real first rate piece of workmanship. I have one that was professionally converted, the rear ears were milled off, rifle was reblued in a deep black color, converted to cock on opening, and had a match barrel and custom stock installed. I think I paid $375 for mine, and it came with a B&L scope that was worth at least $250!
 
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