I have a lead on an Eddystone '17 Enfield

[jjbduke2004]

Went by the local benchrest smith/01FFL with 4MDGunRights. Very old school keeps a paper list of guns for sale and I asked to see the Eddystone M1917 today.

Price is $595. I told him I'd let him know Monday once I'd done a little research having seen the gun. I was surprised at the lack of circle-P's and such but research has shown '17s weren't marked that way.

Has 1907 sling and cleaning kit in stock.
S/N 1236XXX (Nov 1918) and barrel is E 9-18 (probably original IMHO).
Barrel is slightly pitted, could use some JB, but he had borescoped it and thought it would shoot. Passes the bullet test.

Action seemed mechanically sound. Stock was GI and looked as good as my Rem 03A3, used but not abused. Had the E on the "nose" under the barrel (http://m1903.com/17marks/stock.jpg)

Again, I wasn't too familiar with the '17 markings but saw EN on the cocking piece. Didn't see E on the bolt but P??? again wasn't sure what I was looking for.

In short an original rifle that escaped Bubba and major arsenal rebuild. If it were CMP I'd estimate high Field Grade to low Service grade. Certainly not a racker.

I don't own one yet, just missed out on CMP in '08 or '09. And I need one for GSM matches.

I don't know current pricing well enough.
Buy or pass?

 

[Dave91]

That's not a bad price, but you can find them lower, and you can find them with really good bores. If the sling and cleaning kit are original, that's a serious bonus. If you really like the rifle, buy it.

 

[BlackBart]

Id pass, Eddystone is the least expensive of the 17's. I'm cheap... 400 might peak my interest without seeing it. For that money a nice 03 could be had if one shops around. If you really like it.... it's your money so it might be worth it to you.

 

[Drmsparks]

Bore condition is my first concern for a shooter. Then again, my first smith corona had a map of the lunar surface in the grooves but it shot like a dream.

It's got a lot going for it, has decent collector creds if it's as original as you think it is and comes with the period sling.

It's really at a upper market price but not out of the ballpark. Would be nicer with the bayonet. If you can talk them down a bit it sounds like a deal.

 

[mawkie]

I don't think that's a bad price in today's market. It's getting harder and harder to find these unmolested. Agreed that the Eddystone is the least valuable to a collector but then try and buy a Model 1917 built by Winchester for the same $600. Looking around I'm inclined to say that $500 is the starting price for a good, correct example and they go up from there. For less than that you're far more likely to run across Bubba's pride as this was a popular gun with amateur and professional 'smiths in the 30s, 40s and 50s.