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Post by woodsy on Aug 29, 2010 1:11:32 GMT 1
Over the past year I have imported a couple of shipments of rifles from the UK for resale in NZ. Both shipments have included 2 examples of .30/06 P17 fully wooded service rifles (4 in total) which have all been modified by the removal of the rear sight and ears, the rear handguard modified with a transverse slot about an inch in front of the receiver, and a small fixed V sight fitted to the barrel. Was this a Home Guard modification? Any information would be very welcome.  |
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Post by britplumber on Aug 29, 2010 18:03:43 GMT 1
Not come across anything like that, I've seen about a 1/2 dozen P17 home guard weapons and the only thing thats out of the norm is the Red band painted on the shoulder stock and around the forward sling area. Could they have been modified for a sniper sight?
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Post by woodsy on Aug 30, 2010 9:52:54 GMT 1
I have attached a couple photos in the hope that someone has seen these mods before and knows who and why they were done.   |
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Post by Peter Wells on Aug 31, 2010 7:28:06 GMT 1
Not seen anythiing like that here Rod. Why anyone would want to bugger around with the original, very rugged, sight is beyong me.  |
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Post by britplumber on Aug 31, 2010 17:40:18 GMT 1
I cant help but think its some sort of mod to allow Telescopic sights to be fitted, perhaps a homeguard unit. To have 3 together makes me think they have been together for decades. The horrible little notch sights could have been emercency sight for when the telescopic sight wasn't in use.
Do the old sight ears look machine away or hacked off?
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Post by britplumber on Aug 31, 2010 17:55:39 GMT 1
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Post by britplumber on Aug 31, 2010 17:58:42 GMT 1
Have a look at this pic, it could be a P14 but the sight looks very low and would need the ears removing I think.
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Post by woodsy on Aug 31, 2010 20:30:46 GMT 1
The ears appear to have been removed with hacksaw and file, rather than milled, although they have all been done the same. The barrels are mint! There are no markings that are not normally found on P17's, and there is no drilling and tapping for scope mounts, either on the top or the side. This is just wild speculation but could they have been used for training by some outfit that was normally equipped with open-sighted rifles (e.g. '03 Sprinfields, SMLE No ! Mk III's. Mausers, etc)?? |
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Post by britplumber on Sept 1, 2010 13:19:48 GMT 1
Did you see that other identical rifle in the link? I notice I forgot to add a link for the Sniper and now I cant find the web site.
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Post by woodsy on Sept 1, 2010 20:39:54 GMT 1
Yes, I saw that. Clearly a lot of these conversions have been done. The mystery deepens!
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Post by britplumber on Sept 2, 2010 11:10:41 GMT 1
With this qnty all moded in the same way, it must have been a semi official mod at least. And whats the chances of you getting 3 together after so long. Have you tried shooting one yet? I wonder how accuratly set those rear notch sights are?
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Post by britplumber on Oct 29, 2010 22:43:37 GMT 1
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Post by woodsy on Oct 31, 2010 7:43:20 GMT 1
Gad! Yet another. Someone must know the story behind these. |
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Post by reme245 on Nov 1, 2010 9:10:35 GMT 1
World Wide Arms were selling P17's last year with the rear sights removed but I can't remember if these featured the same mod.
From memory they were selling them as ex-Norway?
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Post by britplumber on Nov 1, 2010 16:53:27 GMT 1
Just found out somthing intresting, many 1917s were impoerted into Germany at some point in the 1970s? and for these to be legal, they had to have the bayonet lug removed and the sights fixed so they could only range to 300Meters max.
Woodsy, do your rifles have the bayonet lug removed? I guess the main sight was removed and a fixed rear sight fitted as the 30-06 round can probably shoot to 300 meters with no adjustment required.
What do you think?
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