Those Model 1917s that had been in storage all those years between the wars, were reconditoned and reissued. The British and Free French were alao short of Weapons. Upon the entry of the US into WWII there was an immediate crisis in long gun availability as MI Garand production rates took a while to ramp up to meet wartime demands of the armed forces. Therefore it seems possible that Eddystone may have applied serial numbers to Remington marked receivers and subsequently used those to assemble rifles that they shipped.ĭuring the period between WWI and WWII the Model 1917 was in storage in US arsenals. I can only guess that, in the confusion and pressure associated with the war, there may have been considerable parts swapping in the ensuing 11 months until the war ended in November. Ferris, in his book United States Rifle Model of 1917, tells us that Remington operated the Eddystone plant until Jan of 1918, at which time it became independent from Remington. After the Armistice in 1918 the rifles were retired and the Springfield 03 resumed its status as the primary issue rifle until the adoption of the M1 Garand in 1936.Ĭ.S. They were actually produced and issued in far larger numbers than the more famous Springfield 03. As you know they were produced by Remington, Eddystone (sort of a Remington plant) and Winchester (that's what I have). The US Model of 1917 had a short but furious history in combat in WWI.

1917 enfield eddystone serial numbers