My Dad gave me a rifle

There are marks in various places.  Here are a couple of pics of them.  I have no clue what they mean.









Also - The wood stock is kind of gummy, or sticky.  What's the best way to clean it without harming anything on the rifle?


The rifle hasn't been shot in an awfully long time.  It just leaned up against the wall in a closet for several decades.  I'd eventually like to get it cleaned up to where I could shoot it.  

Thanks for any help you can offer.

As he said its a Mauser copy made for the U.S. 30-06 cartridge. Google "M1917" or "American Enfield"  & you'll find all sorts of info on it. Its an American version of the P-14 in .303 to the M1917 in 30-06.

Its an Enfield in name only as the Lee Enfield, unlike the British P14 (Pattern of 19154) was a British attempt to replace the Lee Enfield before WW1. It didn't happen because of WW1 & so Britain & the commonwealth stuck with the Lee design. Later the U.S.made the changes to use the longer 30-06 round. No parts are interchangeable.

The confusion comes from the British practice of including the factory's name into the design, so we have the "American Enfield" the "Bruno Enfield" (BREN) & the "Lee Enfield", all of which were worked on at the RSAF Enfield Lock.

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

I don't know how to tell is it's a 30.06.   Doesn't have the caliber anywhere on the rifle, as I would typically expect.

Caleb, you mentioned simple green.  Do you mean to clean the wood, or the whole rifle?

I don't know what you mean by the "CMP forums".


I know not to do things like sand down the stock or fire it without having the barrel checked.  Don't want to screw it up.

Am checking around to see if there's a gun shop near here that can work on it for me.  Hopefully they'll know how to get it back in shape better than I would.

Boss, I use the simple green to clean the whole rifle completely torn down. Then like Shamu mentioned, dry it off completely and re-oil the metal parts with gun oil and the wood with blo or tung oil.

Click on this link http://forums.thecmp.org/forumdisplay.php?f=79 and it will take you to the cmp bolt action forum. (hopefully not against the rules here).

Definitely have a qualified smith look at it for you before firing.

Boss Hog wrote: Thanks for the thoughts guys. I don't know how to tell is it's a 30.06.   Doesn't have the caliber anywhere on the rifle, as I would typically expect. Caleb, you mentioned simple green.  Do you mean to clean the wood, or the whole rifle? I don't know what you mean by the "CMP forums". I know not to do things like sand down the stock or fire it without having the barrel checked.  Don't want to screw it up. Am checking around to see if there's a gun shop near here that can work on it for me.  Hopefully they'll know how to get it back in shape better than I would.

man I wish my dad passed a rifle like that along. that's a great piece of americanhistory and since there were fewer made than the springfields they have a pretty high collectors tag on them. most of those rifles you see have been cut down and sporterized.

A square 10:
A question, if I may. Does yours have the caliber marked on it anywhere? It strikes me  as odd that nowhere does it say 30-06 on the OP's rifle?  Is this normal for the M1917's?

Now the quest will start.

You will need a bayonet, sling, muzzel cover, and goverment issue ammo.

Once started like the quest for the Grail it never ends.

hmmm , shamu , good question , mine are inaccessible today - dont ask , a family thing i dont wish to discuss , but no ,