Have a chance to buy a 1917 Eddystone, the rifle is in very good shape overall, can find no import marks.  The stock has the usual dents and scratches, but overall pretty good with decent proof marks.  The metal is in good shape, with some wear but all original. The owner wants $600.00, and it does not come with any accessories.  Is this a fair price?

Thank you.

Sounds about right, I would figure anywhere from 5-600$

Good price payed $600.00 for a Remington 1917 just the other day.

For a Remington, yes. For an Eddystone, it would have to be pretty damn nice before I would pay $600 for one. I have only ever seen one or two that would qualify. YMMV.

CMP just went through a batch of service grades for 500 field for 450, My order was in the first day and i didn't make service grade.

So i'd say 600 out the door isn't bad check the bore and make sure it doesn't close on a "Field" headspace gauge

I gave 600$ for my winchester over a year ago.

Not bad, but not a steal either.

$500 for a nice Winchester is a good deal, about max for a Rem or Ed.  It would need to be near perfect.

Sold mine for 500

I waited too long, got sold today.  Oh well, guess it wasn't meant to be.

paid $525 for a Winchester a year ago, though it has like 2 or 3 non Winchester parts on it.

If it is truly correct then 600 is the top.  I was one of the lucky few that got a service grade from cmp during this last batch.  100% Remington minus the bolt.  Eddystone produced the most units.  Around 2,000,000.  What I don't understand is why a Winchester goes for more then a Remington?  Remington made the fewest and stopped production months before Winchester.  Oh well.  I would say make sure it passes a field gauge at min and if it does and it is correct, 600 is fair

vandy-there is always a mystique that goes with winchesters- they made a bunch of carbines for example and they often go for higher prices than less common makers.

Be VERY careful with any Eddystone . . . especially an  Eddystone that had its barrel replaced during WWII. Look for a "JA" barrel. You don't want to end up with one with a cracked receiver. You have to take off the stock and examine the receiver/barrel joint very carefully (under magnification).

Ask me how I know . . .

ETA: I really like the M1917 but if I ever get another one, it's going to be something other than an Eddystone (I do have one Eddystone now that's a good shooter, but I had to eat one I bought that turned out to have a cracked receiver).

It's never been clear to me if this was a flaw in Eddystones directly - or if it was a flaw in all 1917's rework jobs; butbecause there were so many more Eddystones that such is the name stamp most commonly seen when there is a problem.  Comments on that?

It depends on the details of this particular rifle.  Shape, parts, etc.  I think $600 is on the high end for an Eddystone.  It would have to be very good + for that kind of money.

You read a lot of things. One version that I find plausible is that the workers at the Eddystone factory were paid by the piece so they cut corners in order to crank out more pieces. Supposedly, it took fewer actions and less time to overtighten the barrels than it did to install them correctly. Consequently, the Eddystone-installed barrels are a bitch to remove and the receivers often cracked when the guns were rearsenaled and new barrels installed. Based on what I've read, the cracks developed when the barrel was removed, but the cause was the way it was installed originally. I don't believe I've ever read about an Eddystone with its original barrel having a cracked receiver. Also, I should mention that there are techniques for removing the original barrel that help prevent the cracks.

BTW, I started a thread about the cracked receiver M1917 I bought: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_14/339535_The_Eddystone_Curse___Is_this_what_I_m_afraid_it_is_.html

This is true for all US long arms.  It's because John Wayne carried Winchesters in the movies IMHO.

I cannot see any other reason for it.

yup, brand recognition.  Even most non-gun people will know the Winchester brand name more so than Remington.

 

In c.s. Farris's book on the 1917 he talks about a lot of goverment v Winchester drama. All of the early winchesters were pulled from the line because they didn't meet interchangblity requirements. So it's kinda ironic that they are so collectible.


Anyway the book is a good read,

I know and it just makes me laugh.  I will probably never own a Winchester garand because I don't want to spend extra money for the name.  I own two springfields (one is late war march of 45) and love them both!!!!

Same thing goes for Winchester M1 Carbines. WRA made the second highest number of carbines, after Inland, and made more carbines than IBM, Standard Products, and Rock-Ola (the bottom three makers) combined. At least Winchester Garands were made in smaller numbers than Springfield ones.

FWIW, I have heard that Eddystone, being a former railroad engine plant, used leftover heavy machinery from that side to put the barrels on. Thus they were on much tighter than Remington or Winchester barrels. Lazy smiths, instead of using relief cuts, just applied more force, often cracking the receiver in the process.

I gave 600$ two years ago for a winchester about 85 to 90%. I was not really looking to give that much, but thats how it go'es when your looking for that one rifle you thing you really need....lol

I have 3 brands of garands, SA (pre war, ww2, and post war), Win, and HRA's.  (No IHC unfortunately).  

The winchesters have the ugliest machining of the bunch.  Now I won't fairly try to compare the post wars with prewar or war production but the WW2 SA is still much better crafted than the winchester.  Winchester just pumped them out the door; build it, fire it, stamp it and box it.  

One of my winchesters is missing a couple lightening cuts behind the op rod track.  Took me awhile to figure out why it looked different.  Winchester is also the most likely to have barrel draw issues due to short receiver faces.  Had one of those too that the greeks tried to rebarrel and they filled the gap with high temp solder.  Shot like shit and I had to back track what was wrong with the gun.  Apparently winchester just cut barrel shanks to fit those off receivers and shipped them out the door too.  The next rebarrel was a bitch!

IHC got the most flak on thier guns and it was mostly due to SA giving them bad set up gages or measurement fixtures.

I looked at a Eddystone this fall and almost got it but kind of backed out when I saw the Johnson barrel.  It was in a white painted Windester stock though.  I had planned to strip the gal down and clean her up.  I bet that enamel paint protected that winchester stock pretty good.