P17 / P14 Magnum Conversion - Parts Sources?

Bigslug

I'm thinking about launching a search for basketcase Enfield to turn into a .375 H&H - there is much about the action that appeals to me.

Not finding much for parts sources needed - namely, bigger magazine boxes and options for stocks.

snake284

Teach must be out of pocket today. I PMed him and he usually answers back pretty fast and he hasn't yet. But he or Big Al or maybe tennmike would know where to get that stuff. I don't because I let my Gun Smith worry about getting it. I know the P-14 is more desireable for a Magnum conversion because of the larger bolt face. But I also know there have been many magnums built off both. I have a 1917, but it's in very good condition and as long as I'm alive it won't be hacked up. It will stay in Original Military condition.

Big Chief

A few year ago there were some conversions of .303s to 45-70, I'm not sure about .375 H&Hs though or magnums. Was it Gibbs Rifle Company?

tennmike

Found this place that has P14/P17 Enfield sporter stocks. I don't know anything about the company, though.

http://www.shop.macongunstocks.com/Enfield-P17-P14-1917-Example-Walnut-Rifle-Stock-Enfield-1917-P17-P14.htm

Magazine box may be harder to deal with. I've only seen a handful of conversions to longer cartridges, and they all had the front of the magazine removed and a longer front section either MIG or TIG welded on to lengthen the magazine box. Not a hard job, really. Some high carbon sheet metal, a form to bend it on, and a brass hammer will have a new front section formed quick. Or just buy another magazine box and cut off the front section long enough to lengthen it to what you need and weld it in place. Just need someone with sheet metal welding skills to weld it to the rear section. A good auto body shop would be where I'd go to get this welding done if I couldn't do it myself.

Tugar

Big Chief wrote: »

A few year ago there were some conversions of .303s to 45-70, I'm not sure about .375 H&Hs though or magnums. Was it Gibbs Rifle Company?

Yeah...for what I understand it was decent but not stellar quality. However, the LE action will take just about any load from the 45-70. 375H&H seems a bit much at a SAAMI pressure rating of 62,000 versus the .303 British rating of 49,000.

Big Al1

Like Snake said, the P14 already has the large bolt face and the action is long enough for H&H's. Extending the mag. box for the longer round is an easy project. I don't see as many Enfields as I used to, originals are getting hard to find.

Teach

I've got a couple of P-14/US 1917 receivers stashed away. I'll need to do some measuring to see how much extra length will be required. Dealing with the boltface dimension difference is easy- - - -just install a Brit .303 bolt, or use a tool post grinder to open up the .30-06 boltface to belted magnum diameter. Increasing the bolt stroke and/or magazine length might be a different ball of wax, depending on how much extra length you need. It's probably going to be a cut/weld proposition, or maybe an alteration of the bolt stop would be sufficient to get a little more movement of the bolt. Just don't open up the area of the receiver directly behind the lower bolt locking lug and feed ramp to accomodate a longer cartridge. That will severely weaken the bolt lockup. Richards Microfit has several options for stocks, and I believe Timney is still making two triggers, one for full-depth magazine boxes, and another for guns with a "straightened" trigger guard which holds one round less. P-series Enfields are mostly one-off custom jobs, due to a lack of aftermarket parts. They've also got an oddball square barrel thread like an 03 Springfield.
Jerry

ironduke

Tugar wrote: »

Yeah...for what I understand it was decent but not stellar quality. However, the LE action will take just about any load from the 45-70. 375H&H seems a bit much at a SAAMI pressure rating of 62,000 versus the .303 British rating of 49,000.

You are correct, Tugar, but the confusion here stems from the post you quoted. We are discussing the pattern 14 or p-17 actions, not SMLEs. The SMLE is chambered in the 303 Brit as you knw, but the Pattern 14 and P-17 are built around a Mauser type bolt with dual locking lugs up front. The Pattern 14 was chambered in 303 Brit, were produced by American companies like Winchester, Remington, and Eddystone. The P-17 was the Americanized version chambered in 30-06 and made by the same folks.

The p14/p17 are wicked strong and very big. A-Square buids the behemoth 577 t-rex on that action! The action itself is big and strong enough for the biggest sporting rounds out there, but of course it requires lots of mods to feed the big rounds.

The SMLE isn't big enough or strong enough for such work.

Bigslug

One can always count on Teach for assistance with such madness!:beer:

According to my older Hornady manual, it looks like I would need a magazine length of about 3.61" to clear the longest C.O.L. they list. In studying the tome of Frank de Haas, the P14 box won't work, and we'll need to grow a P17 box that's 0.2" longer than as issued. Bolt travel specs out as 4.74", so no major issues there, methinks.

My smith is actually rather excited about the square barrel threads. He's done this sort of thing before when he was more of an open-to-the-public sort, and I think he's eager for something that's not a 700 or an AR-15.

Bigslug

The latest thing that's messing with my head is the .375 Ruger - same bolt face as the H&H, slightly larger powder capacity, no stupid belt on the case, and it will fit in a P17's existing magazine. Logisitcally, it makes good sense.

But the .375 H&H has a lot of Olde Worlde Charme to it.:silly:

41magnut

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Sporterized-Enfield-P17-s/150.htm

Here is another stock option.

I plan to bring my 1917 out of retirement and use one of these but that is for another thread