![]() ![]() I am away from my refs so cannot help with the serial number but I am sure TonyE may if/when he sees this. If you pick up the rifle and try it you will see that when you sight on a very distant object using the normal sight it forces the butt lower and lower and evetually off your shouder - the volley sight avoids this. This bead is then used for sighting on very distant targets through the peep at the left rear. So the rear peep is raised and the bead on the pointer at the front is depressed below the centre line of the rifle (using the range scale on the dial). Furthermore is nice to have that on there as a large number were removed.ĭiagrams of the operation of the volley sight can probably be found by searching this forum, however the basic idea is to allow one to sight on a very distant target (requirng high elevation of the rifle) whilst allowing the rifle to remain on your shoulder. If it has the volley sight and it is the original stock then it is certainly a P14, as M1917s were not fitted with them. They are also often referred to as te US Enfield which is even more misleading really! What calibre is the weapon? This will tell you most reliably if it is a British Pattern 1914 (P14) or an American M1917.Īs a matter of pedantry although there is some suggestion that workers producing the rifles may have referred to them as p17s the official designation is US Model of 1917 (ie M1917). I would be very grateful for any information on its date of manufacture, type etc (is it P14 or 17?).It still has the volley sight (which I presume is the graduated dial on the fore grip?) There is also a seperate flip up sight to the left of the main sight which I presume operates in conjunction with it?Ĭan anyone expain in layman's terms how these sights would work please? I have a P14 stamped with RE and the serial number 156055. ![]() I'll try and photograph the other side to show milling. Here is an Eddystone P14 in the ungrooved fatter stock. Fit problems originate with the size of the magazine well (the M1917 is slightly longer) and different inletting for the triggerguard. These do not affect fit of course, just appearance. Also M1917 stocks are never inletted for volley sights of course. ![]() P'14 stocks have finger grooves of unequal length (Longer left, Shorter right) and they start farther back than do the grooves on M1917 stocks. Just a note: M1917 and Pattern 14 stocks are, despite the apparent similarity, different and they will not interchange without quite a bit of work. I'll post a picture later if I can get to mine. The difference is most obvious if examining the rifle from underside. In addition, THEY DO NOT HAVE FINGER GROOVES along the sides, there is some fairly substantial milling of the wood on the left side to allow the volley sight to be seen. Some Eddystone stocks (What I called "pot-belly" sometimes referred to as "fatso" stocks) are significantly thicker than those made at Remingron and Winchester. P14s were supplied to several places - some apparently did go to India - they were also supplied to Greece post WWII. There may be a stamp on the underside of the butt in the form of a star and a letter indicating where the work was done. It is the most common form to find a P14 in. The removal of volley sights etc was done as part of an organised programme in early WWII, the rifles are referred to as WRS (Weedon Repair Standard) rifles. The * on the receiver and bolt indicates that there is a slightly longer locking lug on the bolt (and of course therefore a slightly deeper recess in the receiver) This was almost universal - I have only ever seen one without the * and it was way beyond my limited means. I have the ability to restore these rifles and look forward to shooting them.chris3 The bore on the RE shows some wear so it has seen service somewhere. For the price I got these, I cannot complain. The handguards and lower band are also missing. I have seen quite a few at the guns shows around here so finding one is no problem. The RE stock is broken and will need to be replaced. The stock on the ERA is serial numbered to the receiver. The stocks look just like the stock on my US model 1917. I am not clear on the term potbelly on Enfields. The volley sights have been removed and a piece of wood inletted into the space where the dial was. There is a * on the receiver, poorly struck on both rifles. Several of my other rifles that I know came from India have that same paint. I think these rifles came from India as the barrels have a green paint on them under the handguard. There is only one other proof mark on either rifle but it is poorly struck, and I cannot make it out. The ERA rifle serial number is 403150 and has -17 below the GR proof mark. The RE rifle serial number is 141112 and has a -16 below the GR proof mark. ![]()
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