[RogueJSK]

I just picked up a new rifle for my USGI rifle collection. It's a M1917 produced in January 1919 at the Eddystone plant. It has a 1,385,XXX serial, with a 12-18 dated Eddystone barrel. Does anyone know the highest serial number used at Eddystone?

(I realize it's not the correct sling, but that's what came with it. I'll be replacing it with a M1907 leather sling.)

The rifle appears to be all Eddystone, except for the stock, which is a Winchester. The stock doesn't have any arsenal refurb markings on the side, so that may mean it was sold off before it could be put through the refurbishment process. The overall metal finish is ~70%, except for the buttplate, which is pretty rusty. The bore is excellent. Bright and shiny, with only a hint of frost in the grooves. I'm excited to see how she shoots.

It was produced too late to see any use with the US military in WW1, but it obviously saw use with the Canadian military in the interwar/WW2 era. It has a serial number applied to the bolt in the Canadian style, which unfortunately doesn't match the receiver. It has remnants of a painted red band on the front of the stock/handguards, which someone removed at some point. It also has two Canadian "broad arrow in a C" marks on the stock, one on the side of the butt and one on the underside of the stock just in front of the magazine. And it has a stock marking of "COTC 29", which appears to be a rack number for the Canadian Officer Training Corps. So this rifle apparently saw use by Canadian officer cadets in either marksmanship training or as a drill rifle.

It also has a capital "T" stamped in the top of the wrist. Does anyone know what this denotes?

 

[martin08]

The T is short for "terrific".

 

[Rick the Librarian2]

That's the highest I've ever heard of - I'd always thought they ended in the 1,200,000 range.

 

[RogueJSK]

That's the highest I've ever heard of - I'd always thought they ended in the 1,200,000 range.

According to the charts I found, January 1919 Eddystone production started at roughly 1,328,300. And production ran through January 11th, 1919.

Production statistics show that they were producing between 5,000 and 7,200 rifles per day at the Eddystone plant. So it's feasible that by the 11th day of that month, they could have potentially made it all the way into the 1.4 million serial number range.

But the highest serial I had heard of prior to finding this one was 1,379,XXX, which is why I'd like to see if someone knows the highest recorded Eddystone serial number.

 

[Rick the Librarian2]

I checked in Ferris' book on the M1917 and he lists serial numbers through the 1,379,000 range. Guess I haven't been looking at the right rifles!

 

[mwt]

I think this Remington I just picked up must have been made about the same time

 

[RogueJSK]

I think this Remington I just picked up must have been made about the same time

Yep! The serial number puts yours at December 1918.

 

[pak75]

The T is short for "terrific".

No the "T" is for thumb! That's where they had to place their thumb for shooting. We had to provide very precise instructions for the use of our surplus rifles to third world militaries (like Canada) LOL. JK.

 

[chuckindenver]

iv seen serial numbers almost to 14.
Canada lend lease. T is likely Targeted.. H on the bolt is likely Headspaced.