i typically dont use brushes either, but this one MIGHT need it!
i also considered soaking the bore...i guess if YOU say so it's not a bad idea
i read elsewhere on the interwebs that select few take issue with doing it. screw them.
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Winchester 1917
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i typically dont use brushes either, but this one MIGHT need it!
i also considered soaking the bore...i guess if YOU say so it's not a bad idea
i read elsewhere on the interwebs that select few take issue with doing it. screw them.
That's the plan!
all of 15 degrees and I still took her out and she actually groups pretty OK for an old beat up whore of a rifle!
first shots at 25 yards (hey, i had to see if i was even on the paper with the battle sight)
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not too shabby! so i figured, lets take 'er out to a hunnit! (hundred fifteen yards, to be correct...my range is weird)
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20 minutes outside and I couldn't feel my fingers or the tip of my dingaling, so that was all for today. I know...'if I were at belleau wood I'd be pissing ice cubes'...but i'm not, so I won't. Those guys are more of men and Marines than I think I'll ever be.
overall, i'm pleasantly surprised at how well it shoots for having such a pitted bore! she's certainly worth hanging on to for the time being at least. i think i'm going to do my best to mimic the dark color these originally came with for the stock...she just doesn't look right with such a light color.
what's odd to me is that every source I've seen says these things shoot REALLY high at 100 yards with the battle sight, but I found it to be right on the money for the most part. not sure how much the wind had to do with my groups today (especially given that it was only just over a hundred yards) but i'll definitely be waiting to drift the front sight at all until I take it out without so much wind (the gusts were insane at WP&R today!)
some may think I overpaid because it's so mismatched and the stock is sanded down, but not even accounting for the pitted bore...I still think what I got for what I paid was pretty fair...not a steal, but I didn't get porked. we can't all be as lucky as dw and get a free $200 barrel w/installation off a GB gimme...bastard (oh...i mean that in the nicest way). but hey, maybe mine will serve me just fine the way she sits. maybe i'll put a criterion on it. maybe i'll out shoot Franko this year
maybe not.
My advice is don't get all wrapped up in "some might say I paid too much"! Is it worth to you what YOU paid is all you need to be concerned with.
i typically dont use brushes either, but this one MIGHT need it!
i also considered soaking the bore...i guess if YOU say so it's not a bad idea
Often what happens if you clean the ever loving f*** out of the bore your pulling years of shit deep in the pits and pores effectively making the bore look much worse.
I like to get as much shit as possible out get at that rust under the fouling and shoot clean and treat from there. I,want to fill the pores and pits with my own fouling. If it has its original barrel it has seen a good amount of corrosive ammo.
Few things I don't recommend, electrolysis and bore scopes everything looks worse after electrolysis and nothing is worse than actually see it close up!
AGREED! And it's VERY likely the original barrel, as it dates 2/18 and the receiver dates 3/18. I'm guessing at least the barrelled receiver may have made it across the pond and seen some intense action for a very short period of time...and likely never got cleaned until it hit the armory a year or two later.
also very good advice. I was looking for a shooter, and that's what I got. I was a little worried when I first looked down the bore as the pitting is beyond anything else I have in my safe. But the proof is in the pudding when on a sub-freezing, windy ass day I can take it out and it shoots sub 5moa in the first group at 115yds and me without my corrective lenses on.
the other thing i'm really happy about is how it shoots close to POA at 100+ yards with the battle sight...for some reason I've always taken issue with using the flip up leaf sights on anything other than an M203 grenade launcher
also likely in its life it spent its time in the hands of a paper puncher who adjusted the front sight to be more POA/POI on the battle sight?AGREED! And it's VERY likely the original barrel, as it dates 2/18 and the receiver dates 3/18. I'm guessing at least the barrelled receiver may have made it across the pond and seen some intense action for a very short period of time...and likely never got cleaned until it hit the armory a year or two later.
also very good advice. I was looking for a shooter, and that's what I got. I was a little worried when I first looked down the bore as the pitting is beyond anything else I have in my safe. But the proof is in the pudding when on a sub-freezing, windy ass day I can take it out and it shoots sub 5moa in the first group at 115yds and me without my corrective lenses on.
the other thing i'm really happy about is how it shoots close to POA at 100+ yards with the battle sight...for some reason I've always taken issue with using the flip up leaf sights on anything other than an M203 grenade launcher
with the rear battle sight if zeroed from the armory would have been zeroed for a 350 yards or so. think point blank range if you zero it for 350 yards or so you can hit a torso size target with a center hold or slight high/low hold and have a ballistic chance of hitting your target from zero to 500ish yards with out adjusting your sights.
Also the little range finding tricks with the sights. my uncle taught me the M1 garand front sight trick. If the front sight is thinner than the man you aim at the belt buckle area if the front sight is fatter up near the chest.
as for crusty bores I have a few and my mauser is the worst but still shoots well when I can.
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For what it's worth this same topic recently came up on AKFiles and someone pointed out the 1917 has been added to Battlefield 1 (video game) so demand tends to increase when that happens, at least according to them. How they launched a WW1 game without it is a mystery to me.
Glad you are enjoying it.
Glad you are enjoying it.
I've often wondered about the adjustable sights on my ww1 and WW2 bolt actions myself. Being a combat vet.....I'm inclined to think those didn't get adjusted much other than at the range. When your trading lead with the other guy......Kentucky windage is how it's done. f***.....hit low....point of aim a scootch higher on the next shot and squeeze.AGREED! And it's VERY likely the original barrel, as it dates 2/18 and the receiver dates 3/18. I'm guessing at least the barrelled receiver may have made it across the pond and seen some intense action for a very short period of time...and likely never got cleaned until it hit the armory a year or two later.
also very good advice. I was looking for a shooter, and that's what I got. I was a little worried when I first looked down the bore as the pitting is beyond anything else I have in my safe. But the proof is in the pudding when on a sub-freezing, windy ass day I can take it out and it shoots sub 5moa in the first group at 115yds and me without my corrective lenses on.
the other thing i'm really happy about is how it shoots close to POA at 100+ yards with the battle sight...for some reason I've always taken issue with using the flip up leaf sights on anything other than an M203 grenade launcher
Even on the range in the army.....the m4 does drop a bit (not much) but the 400 meter popup.....front sight center mass is a dirt splash at the base......front sight at the top of the head is a hit.
My great uncle said he knew his come ups but rarely touched his elevation and never bothered with windage. Said he marked his windage with a good scratch on the receiver and his elevation was 12 clicks. Said he could hit anything 20” or so as long as he could see it with his 200 yard zero which hit about 5” high of point of aim. Only time they used any elevation adjustment is when ordered to do so. He also said when they knew they where not going to moving from their position he would sling up and take shots far out to the other holding lines.
He scored expert on M1,1911 and carbine. Unfortunately he never would shoot with us . Said “when those SOBs hit nantasket beach hand me a rifle until then learn how to shoot and pray you never have to”
