A young guy came into my friend's gun shop yesterday with an old rifle over his shoulder with no bolt. He wanted to know what to do with it or if he should sell it for salvage. I asked to see it. It appeared in pretty good condition considering he found it in an old travel trailer he just purchased from an auction. Good crisp bore but the stock was whittled down to make it a sporter and some mods to the receiver so a scope could be mounted.
I told him what it was, he said he didn't know what to do with it. I offered him $10 and he took it. I found a bolt on Gunbroker and bought it last night.
Did I make a good deal?
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My friend told him that it would cost close to $250 to find a bolt and have the headspace checked and that selling it for junk would get him about 5 bucks; since we are in a depressed area the young man didn't want to bother with it.
I like reworking old guns so I figured if nothing else I could make a floor lamp out of the thing.
I'm sure he needed a few bucks for whatever...he wasn't on drugs.
I notice that CMP sells stripped 1917 barreled receivers for $150.
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Its amazing what some people will do when they are compleatly ignorent and think guns are toys
Just the other day while I was in my LGS a man came in and asked to see a very expensive lever gun and he spun it on his fingers...the store owner asked him to not do that. God forbid he dropped it or something...anyways they got in a huge arguement and the guy stormed out...why in the world would you ever get into an arguement in a gun store....most if not all the clerks are carrying...so d
Its amazing what some people will do when they are compleatly ignorent and think guns are toys
Just the other day while I was in my LGS a man came in and asked to see a very expensive lever gun and he spun it on his fingers...the store owner asked him to not do that. God forbid he dropped it or something...anyways they got in a huge arguement and the guy stormed out...why in the world would you ever get into an arguement in a gun store....most if not all the clerks are carrying...so d
I'd bet the store owner was happy to see the idiot leave.
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One of my old dealers told me of a guy that came in looked at a very nice colt single action spun it and dropped it and bought it on the spot. (he had scratched it) boy I wish I found one like that.
Last edited by big boomer; 03-12-2010 at 11:05 AM.
The bolt arrived yesterday and it fit really good. Headspace seems correct wit it as well. I've considered having the receiver magna-fluxed to look for any hairline fractures before I shoot it. Action and feeding is smooth. Looking for a better stock but haven't found one yet.
Thanks Frenchy.
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Who's your friend that told him it would cost $250 for a bolt and headspace check? Or that the gun is worth $5 in parts? I know what parts cost and even a boltless guns that is totally blown is worth $150 in parts even if you throw away the barreled receiver.
I love finding deals myself, but there is a difference in grabbing a good deal and misleading someone then taking advantage of their ignorance.
I don't think I would worry about cracks in a Winchester 1917 receiver, I have reworked one extensively and it is very fine-grained alloy steel and quite machinable, a lot like 4140 Condition F (about 140,000 psi yield), And I am sorry to admit cutting one up, but the barrel was pitted and this happened in 1958. With an Ackley barrel in .264 Win Mag, Dayton-Traister speedlock and a nice Fagen walnut stock came out very nice. shoots 1 moa with old factory ammo snd better with 123 gr Scenars. I think enough of it I machined a 1913 rail for it with a Nightforce scope last year
Craig seems to think it is outdated, but with 139gr bullets it will reach farther than a 7mm Remington with 180 gr or for that matter any other bullet, it is very accurate and all that with much less recoil. Not I think the right cartridge for heavy game, but if you have a standing deer at 500 yds his chances are zero. There are lots of excellent cartridges, this is one of them. The 6.5-284 has been winning 1000 yd matches with some regularity. this launches the same bullet about 200 fps faster. As far as obsolete, I notice that every time some store gets some brass in stock it disappears rather quickly. Craig didn't like the 6.5 x 55 Swede either. The 364 was widely reported as overbore capacity in the 60's but VV560 or 570 or H4831 shoot very well and there are several othe modern powders that are excellent. Truly it is a handloaders cartridge as few commercial options are available.
Who's your friend that told him it would cost $250 for a bolt and headspace check? Or that the gun is worth $5 in parts? I know what parts cost and even a boltless guns that is totally blown is worth $150 in parts even if you throw away the barreled receiver.
I love finding deals myself, but there is a difference in grabbing a good deal and misleading someone then taking advantage of their ignorance.
No one mislead the guy...HE is the one who figured he could get $5 for it so I offered him $10. I simply didn't want to see the thing go into a scrap heap. The bolt took some time locating and the price was a little on the high side. When the dealer told him $250 he was considering other things as well like sights, new stock, etc.
Don't get puckered afore ya know the whole story.
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I don't think I would worry about cracks in a Winchester 1917 receiver, I have reworked one extensively and it is very fine-grained alloy steel and quite machinable, a lot like 4140 Condition F (about 140,000 psi yield), And I am sorry to admit cutting one up, but the barrel was pitted and this happened in 1958. With an Ackley barrel in .264 Win Mag, Dayton-Traister speedlock and a nice Fagen walnut stock came out very nice. shoots 1 moa with old factory ammo snd better with 123 gr Scenars. I think enough of it I machined a 1913 rail for it with a Nightforce scope last year
Thanks for the input.
I ordered front sights but with the rear sight wings gone I don't think they will work well. I figure I'll scope it and maybe restock it. It is beginning to look decent.
The barrel looks good so I think it will remain in 30/06.
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oldjarhead, I think you got a great deal, for a project gun. I missed a chance to buy a Model 1917 by half an hour a couple of years ago and it still bugs me.
Yea I would have done the same for $10. I picked up a 1917 Enfield No. 1 Mk. III* for $35 in a chopped stock at a gun show. Barrel looked like hell, and the rifling looks pretty worn near the muzzle. Haven't shot it yet but that will determine what happens next with the gun. Or else I sell it off as parts, turn it in to some kind of conversion project gun, or convert my Ishapore .410 to use the mag off of it, or counterbore it or cut the barrel back a couple inches and see how it does then. But there is certainly more than $35 in parts on it if it turns out it's not a shooter.
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