The M1917 rifle is derived from the British Pattern 14 rifle (aka P14). The P14 rifle was developed for the British military in the wake of the Boer War of 1910. In 1917 when the United States entered the war, there was a shortage of the standard issue M1903 rifles. Instead of retooling the 3 P14 factories to produce the M1903, the US decided it would be easier to keep the production lines but rechamber the rifle in .30-06 and make a few small design changes resulting in the M1917. .
During WW1, production of the M1917 exceeded the M1903 production rate. By Nov. 11, 1918, 75% of the American Expeditionary Force was outfitted with M1917 rifles. The Famous Sgt. Alvin York used an M1917 during his heroic acts on Oct. 8, 1918. All in all, 2,193,429 rifles were made. Eddystone made the most with 1,181,908 rifles, more than the production of Remington (545,541 rifles) and Winchester (465,980 rifles) combined.
This particular rifle was made by Eddystone in May of 1918 with a barrel made in April of 1918, Despite its age it is still in good condition and will make a great addition to your collection. Due to the size and care needed to ship this rifle correctly, the shipping cost will be higher.
