Winchester enfield model 1917 serial numbers

Finally, the Pattern 1914 could be modified to accept the.30-вЂ™06 Sprg., which would reduce supply issues, but would cause some delay in getting the modified rifle into production.ДЄfter studying the options, American ordnance engineers were put to work modifying the British rifle to accept the U.S. But this would introduce a non-standard cartridge-one generally viewed as inferior to.30-вЂ™06 Sprg.-and add likely troublesome supply problems.

Also looked at adopting the Pattern 1914 in the.303 British chambering, permitting the maximum number of rifles to be manufactured in the least amount of time. If the three plants converted from Pattern 1914 to M1903 production, troops would be issued the familiar вЂ™03, but it would require an inordinate-and unacceptable-length of time to get a totally new rifle into production at three different factories. Assistant Secretary of War Benedict Crowell later said that three large plants with trained workers and tooling intact at the right time to manufacture critically needed rifles was вЂњwell nigh providential.вЂќ While it was unquestionably fortunate to have these production facilities on hand, the Ordnance Dept. and Eddystone Rifle Plant, operated by Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co., an affiliate of Remington located in Eddystone, Pa. The manufacturers were:, New Haven, Conn. The workforces and production machinery used to manufacture the Pattern 1914 were still in place, thus the firms could almost immediately go into production for the U.S. The.303 British Pattern 1914 rifle was a slight modification of the вЂњEnfield.276-inch Magazine Rifle,вЂќ also known as the вЂњPattern 1913,вЂќ which was a modified Mauser design chambered for an advanced.276-cal. Sometimes, timing is everything, and it was fortuitous that at the time the United States declared war, three American plants were completing production of large numbers of the вЂњPattern 1914вЂќ rifles under contract for Great Britain. Was left with looking at another rifle as the only viable alternative. Thus, almost by default, the Ordnance Dept. The former was explored at length, but the lag time required to find suitable firms capable and willing to manufacture the вЂ™03 rifle, negotiate contracts, procure the necessary materials and machinery, then train workforces would be too great to alleviate the potential crippling shortage of rifles within a reasonable period of time. Had two options for procuring additional rifles: Seek additional manufacturing sources for the Model 1903 or adopt a second service rifle to augment the вЂ™03. It was apparent that the combined output of these two national arsenals could not meet demand, and large numbers of additional service rifles would soon be needed. Consulted with Springfield and Rock Island engineers for ways to reduce production time and cost for вЂ™03 manufacture but, without a substantial redesign, changes would only be cosmetic.

Production of the standardized Model 1903 rifle was ordered to be increased at both and Rock Island Arsenal. The government had approximately 600,000 Model 1903 Springfields on hand along with some 160,000 obsolescent Krags, numbers totally insufficient to meet the projected demand. When the United States entered the woefully misnamed вЂњWar to End All WarsвЂќ on April 6, 1917, the nation was immediately faced with a serious shortage of service rifles.

Winchester enfield model 1917 serial numbers