M1917 Enfield (American Enfield)

Bolt-Action Service Rifle [ 1917 ]

The American-made Model 1917 Enfield rifle was another period development of the German Mauser 98 series and was produced to the tune of some 2,193,429 examples before the end.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/15/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted; Image courtesy of Steve B. via email.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Britain had already begun the task of replacing their Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) infantry rifles in the years preceding the World War 1 (1914-1918). The Royal Arms Factory (RAF) at Enfield was charged with finding a solution to this requirement and the new service rifle was to play upon the strengths of the excellent German Mauser 98 series while providing the British rifleman with a capable man-stopper. However, the sudden explosion of events that eventually became "The Great War" effectively shelved this long-developing rifle concept and pushed the British to look for a quicker and easier-to-produce alternative ready for mass production. The British therefore took the somewhat-developed, Mauser-based concept already on hand and formatted it to fire the old standard .303 caliber British rifle ammunition. Production of the new P14 (or "Pattern 14") was fielded overseas to American factories made up of Winchester, Remington and Remington subsidiary Baldwin Locomotive Works at Eddystone, Pennsylvania. The three companies produced P14 designs which were further designated by their place of manufacture (as Winchester, Remington or Eddystone).

As America entered the First World War in 1917, it too found itself with next to nothing in the way of an established modern military arms-producing industry - let alone a serviceable standard infantryman rifle. In fact, arms production in the United States was such that there were not enough rifles being manufactured to supply every American soldier heading off to war. As American factories were already providing Allied soldiers with local-production versions of the excellent British-design Enfield Pattern 14 rifles, it was decided to utilize the type to produce a similar rifle chambered to fire the American standard .30-06 caliber cartridge. This decision wisely cut down design time and lowered production costs for the new "M1917" - or "Model 1917" - rifle. Once again, Winchester, Remington and Eddystone all provided the rifle in quantity with totals being 545,511, 545,541 and 1,181,09 from these manufacturers respectively. Production for the new American rifle could even continue unhindered alongside the British P14's for both rifles were essentially the same firearm differentiated mainly by their chosen calibers.

The M1917's external appearance was characterized by its encapsulating wood work and occasionally exposed metal works. Traditional sights were located aft over the receiver with the bolt-action lever situated over the right side of the gun body in the usual way. The forward site was appropriately affixed nearer the muzzle. The trigger was underslung and located at the base of the integrated rifle buttstock-and-grip. Sling loops were featured at the buttstock underside and under the forend. The American model - recognized as the "American Enfield" - was fed from a 6-round magazine supporting the more powerful (compared to the British .303) .30-06 Springfield (8.62x63mm) cartridge and its action managed through the aforementioned bolt lever on a Mauser-based turn bolt (many long guns of the period were influenced by the classic German Mauser design). Muzzle velocity was listed at 2,700 feet-per-second while the gun weighed in at just over nine pounds. As was common to all service rifles in The Great War, a bayonet could be affixed to the M1917, providing for a lethal "reach" against enemy soldiers at close quarters.©MilitaryFactory.com

The American M1917 proved a bit more forgiving in some regards for if the British .303 cartridge was to be inserted into the firing chamber (by mistake, for example), and though the M1917 could not fire the round but, the action would produce a "repairable" jam. Conversely, if the American Springfield round were introduce into the British Enfield P14 rifle, it would make the rifle inoperable. Thusly, the weapons and their ammunition were not wholly interchangeable as one might suspect, despite their associated origins.

In the end, American soldiers were fielded with a solid and reliable (though notably heavy) bolt-action rifle where up to three quarters of US infantrymen fielded the type by war's end. Surplus M1917's remained in large quantity after November 1918, with many seeing storage while a good number were released into civilian hands. A total of some 2,193,429 production examples were delivered. Operators of the type went on to include the United States, United Kingdom, Philippines, France and China.

Between wars, Remington furthered the Mauser concept in their commercial Remington Model 30 rifle series. The M1917 also survived in a 7mm form sold to Honduras and a modified 8x57 Mauser form delivered in time for the Spanish Civil War.

The M1917 Enfield did in fact see continued service into World War 2 though these rifles were often limited to training forces, reserve units, lend-lease customers or "home guard" elements. China and France (Free French) were both Lend-Lease recipients as were the British taking care to mark their arriving M1917 rifles with a red stripe to differentiate them from their own P14 rifles. American mortar and artillery crews were issued the rifle for a time during the conflict.

The M1917 was formally known in the US Army inventory as the "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917."

It is not wholly uncommon to find the M1917 still in serviceable condition, even today, as proven by its many appearances in weapons raids conducted by coalition forces during the Iraq war (Operation Iraqi Freedom).©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1917

Origin

United States

Classification

Bolt-Action Service Rifle

Winchester / Remington / Baldwin Locomotive Works - USA

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

Afghanistan; Australia; Canada; China; Denmark; France; Honduras; Iraq; Ireland; Latvia; Malaysia; New Zealand; Norway; Philippines; Portugal; South Korea; South Vietnam; United Kingdom; United States; Vietnam

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Accuracy / Precision
Long-range accuracy / precision capable; suitable for sniping, particularly when equipped with sighting aids.

Overall Length

1,175 mm
46.26 in

Barrel Length

660 mm
25.98 in

Empty Wgt

9.19 lb
4.17 kg

Sights

Iron Front and Rear.

Action

Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action System

Bolt-Action
Manually-actuated process of managing the bolt lever to eject spent cartridge case, clearing the breech, to introduce fresh catridge into the chamber.

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

7.62x63mm (.30-06 Springfield)

Rounds / Feed

6-round magazine

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

Max Eff.Range

1,640 ft
(500 m | 547 yd)

Muzzle Velocity

2,700 ft/sec
(823 m/sec)

Mauser 98 - German rifle on which the British P14 was developed from.

P14 ("Pattern 14") - The British Enfield version on which the M1917 was copied from; firing the .303 cartridge.

M1917 - Base Series Designation; based on the P14; modified to fire the Springfield .30-06 cartridge.

M1917 "Winchester" - M1917 rifles produced by Winchester; 545,511 examples produced.

M1917 "Remington" - M1917 rifles produced by Remington; 545,541 examples produced.

M1917 "Eddystone" - M1917 rifles produced by Remington subsidiary Baldwin Locomotive Works at Eddystone, Pennsylvania; 1,181,09 examples produced.

M1917 (7.7mm) - Modified for export to Honduras.

M1917 (8x57 Mauser) - Modified for export to Spain.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image of the M1917 Enfield (American Enfield)

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted; Image courtesy of Steve B. via email.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)