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Price Check, Winchester M1917

shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
in General Firearms #1
A local fellow is selling an arsenal rebuilt Winchester M1917. It's been arsenal refinished (evident by being parkerized instead of blued), original Winchester barrel (supposedly the bore is in excellent condition), Eddystone bolt, "new old stock" leftover from WWII. The seller says his father bought it from the DCM in the '60's, so hopefully it was never an American Legion gun that fired a lot of (corrosive) blanks.

Seller is asking $700. It seems high, but in today's market I've seen pretty rough Eddystones going for $550-$650, and Winchester commands a premium.

Thoughts?







EDIT - Removed "commercial stock" and added more accurate "new old stock."
- I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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Replies

  • shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
    #2
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    At that price the commercial repro stock kind of kills it for me. Winchester is more desirable but this gun has zero collector value left. It's just a very nice shooter.

    More about that stock... Seller refers to it as "NOS." What does that mean?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    - I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
    "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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  • jbp-ohiojbp-ohio Posts: 10,932 Senior Member
    #3
    New Old Stock.

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
    "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson
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  • jbp-ohiojbp-ohio Posts: 10,932 Senior Member
    #4
    Or sometimes 'Original'

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
    "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson
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  • shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
    #5
    Yep. Confirmed with the seller. The stock, although a replacement stock, is a USGI stock from WWII.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    - I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
    "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Posts: 8,811 Senior Member
    #6
    That's just like mine!! My best milsurp. I paid around 700 for it.
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  • Diver43Diver43 Posts: 12,747 Senior Member
    #7
    They rarely show up around here and always at that price point or higher
    Logistics cannot win a war, but its absence or inadequacy can cause defeat. FM100-5
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  • DanChamberlainDanChamberlain Posts: 3,395 Senior Member
    #8
    What a great sporter that would make.
    It's a source of great pride for me, that when my name is googled, one finds book titles and not mug shots. Daniel C. Chamberlain
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  • Gene LGene L Posts: 12,815 Senior Member
    #9
    DanChamberlain wrote: »
    What a great sporter that would make.


    I hope you're being sarcastic. That's the best way to change a $700 rifle into a $200 rifle. The gun is worth it. Winchester built rifles were supposed to be the most accurate, and the only ones the British used for sniper rifles.
    Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,114 Senior Member
    #10
    DanChamberlain wrote: »
    What a great sporter that would make.

    Leave it alone, most people don't realize the amount of work it takes to convert one compared to a 98 or 03-a3. I have converted a few, the biggest advantage of the 14 & 17 is the magazine can be safely opened to 3.925 without grinding the feed ramp. I still have 2 that are semi completed and will never be finished as I no longer have a mill or lathe.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
    #11
    Met the seller today, checked out the rifle, and bought it. Here are the stats:

    Winchester M1917 made in Feb 1917.
    Arsenal rebuilt
    No corrosion or pitting anywhere on the rifle, it was likely never used again in service after going through the arsenal
    Eddystone bolt, bolt catch
    Unissued Remington stock
    Everything else is a "W" marked Winchester part, and presumably original to the rifle
    Barrel in great shape, better than normal for these milsurps. Unsure of how it gauges but very bright and shiny, no corrosion or pitting

    I paid his asking price, but I also sold some trade fodder a few weeks ago so I only have $455 out of pocket.

    Now all I'm lacking from my "US Service Rifles of WWI and WWII" collection is a 1903A3 and a M1941 Johnson.
    - I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
    "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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  • Gene LGene L Posts: 12,815 Senior Member
    #12
    jaywapti wrote: »
    Leave it alone, most people don't realize the amount of work it takes to convert one compared to a 98 or 03-a3. I have converted a few, the biggest advantage of the 14 & 17 is the magazine can be safely opened to 3.925 without grinding the feed ramp. I still have 2 that are semi completed and will never be finished as I no longer have a mill or lathe.

    JAY

    They also make an ugly sorter. And an expensive sporterizing. The ears have to be ground off, leaving a landing strip on top. The dog-leg bolt isn't especially handsome. Remington made a lot of spare parts into sporters after WW 1. Don't know the model number.
    Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
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  • DanChamberlainDanChamberlain Posts: 3,395 Senior Member
    #13
    Some people have no sense of humor.
    It's a source of great pride for me, that when my name is googled, one finds book titles and not mug shots. Daniel C. Chamberlain
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,114 Senior Member
    #14
    Gene L wrote: »
    They also make an ugly sorter. And an expensive sporterizing. The ears have to be ground off, leaving a landing strip on top. The dog-leg bolt isn't especially handsome. Remington made a lot of spare parts into sporters after WW 1. Don't know the model number.

    Actually when done right they are a good looking sporter,
    Rem. made the M-30A, M-30R, M-30S, and M-720 based on the 17 action.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,114 Senior Member
    #15
    DanChamberlain wrote: »
    Some people have no sense of humor.

    I do, that's why I'm on this forum.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • Gene LGene L Posts: 12,815 Senior Member
    #16
    jaywapti wrote: »
    Actually when done right they are a good looking sporter,
    Rem. made the M-30A, M-30R, M-30S, and M-720 based on the 17 action.

    JAY

    Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. I believe the M 30 was the first factory bolt action sporting rifle in America.
    Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
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  • DanChamberlainDanChamberlain Posts: 3,395 Senior Member
    #17
    They were "Hell For Strong" and could take a significant magnum round.
    It's a source of great pride for me, that when my name is googled, one finds book titles and not mug shots. Daniel C. Chamberlain
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  • earlyearly Posts: 4,950 Senior Member
    #18


    :jester:
    My thoughts are generally clear. My typing, not so much.
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  • shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
    #19
    early wrote: »

    :jester:

    If I could go back in time with $2000 in my pocket, my milsurp collection would be of museum quality...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    - I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
    "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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  • shushshush Posts: 6,259 Senior Member
    #20
    Model 1923 Hi Velocity sporting rifle in .33 BSA........

    Model1923BSAHigh-powerCaliber33BSARHS.jpg

    33BSA-450x551.jpg


    ( .33 belted rimless/.330 bsa )


    It came in .26 BSA and .40 BSA also, same case.
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  • DanChamberlainDanChamberlain Posts: 3,395 Senior Member
    #21
    I recall seeing one some years ago that had the metal removed from the rear of the receiver (those wings/ears on either side of the shroud. They had been nicely removed and the metal re-dressed and rebelled. The gun almost looked normal.
    It's a source of great pride for me, that when my name is googled, one finds book titles and not mug shots. Daniel C. Chamberlain
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  • TeachTeach Posts: 18,428 Senior Member
    #22
    When I was in Army ROTC at Tennessee Tech in 1967, Pershing Rifles headquarters was offering 03-A3 Springfields to college drill teams at $15.00 each, and our advisor had a habit of ordering rifles for individual team members for an extra $5.00. The accountability rules were VERY lax back then. BTW, these were arsenal-refinished (or sometimes brand new) fully functional rifles, not demilled examples. Each team was responsible for doing their own demilling of their drill rifles. I should have ordered several!
    Jerry
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  • shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
    #23
    Teach wrote: »
    When I was in Army ROTC at Tennessee Tech in 1967, Pershing Rifles headquarters was offering 03-A3 Springfields to college drill teams at $15.00 each, and our advisor had a habit of ordering rifles for individual team members for an extra $5.00. The accountability rules were VERY lax back then. BTW, these were arsenal-refinished (or sometimes brand new) fully functional rifles, not demilled examples. Each team was responsible for doing their own demilling of their drill rifles. I should have ordered several!
    Jerry

    I remember for some reason my high school precision rifle team had an Armalite AR-18 on our inventory sheet. I never actually saw it...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    - I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
    "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,114 Senior Member
    #24
    Gene L wrote: »
    . I believe the M 30 was the first factory bolt action sporting rifle in America.

    If I'm not mistaken in 1920 Savage came out with the M-1920 it was the first chambered for the 250-3000, Rem. in 1921 with the M-30 in 30-06 , and Win. in 1925 with the M-54 in 270.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,114 Senior Member
    #25
    For anyone interested in what it takes to build a nice 17 or 14 sporter I suggest reading Roy F Dunlap's "Gunsmithing" published in 1950. A very comprehensive study guide of them, it was what I used when I built some sporters .

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • VarmintmistVarmintmist Posts: 8,305 Senior Member
    #26
    BTW, FYI :yousuck:
    It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
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  • shotgunshooter3shotgunshooter3 Posts: 6,112 Senior Member
    #27
    Varmintmist wrote: »
    BTW, FYI :yousuck:

    Thanks! I should have bought one back when they could be had for $400 all day long, but I didn't have $400 back then. It was worth it to add a good example to my collection.

    Realistically it will be a few months before I can take it for a spin, but judging by the bore I'm sure it will be sufficient. If it isn't, my M1903 with unissued High Standard barrel is a tack driver (relatively).


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    - I am a rifleman with a poorly chosen screen name. -
    "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
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