Enfieldguns
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We are stalling at the Bisley Gun Show 23rd May -26th May
WW1 P17 US Army .3006 Service Rifle 1917
Then came out of long term Storage after Dunkirk
WW2 P17 Home Guard Grenade Launcher Rifle
This WW1 US Army P17 Edderstone 3006 Service rifle which came over from the USA after the US Congress voted to declare war on Germany on April 6, 1917 as part of the US Government commitment.
The P17 was a 3006 calibre Service rifle based on the US manufactured P14 British .303 service rifle issued to the British Army in WW1. This rifle has the flaming bomb stamps on the receiver and bolt , which is US Army Service stamp.
A very big clue is the red painted band on wood, which shows this rifle was in the British Home Guard during WW2.
We have no idea why or how this ended up with the Home guard, more than likely
after WW1 it just ended up with the British. The British Army had no use for the 3006 calibre service rifle's, so they just stored them in there armoury. 'A problem for another day'.
But in 1940 after Dunkirk evacuation, the British Army had left most of there equipment in France so everything was put into war service.
But what do you do with a 3006 P17 Service rifle, it cannot be used in the regular Military service as the British Army use .303 not 3006.
Yes, you guest it. Give it to the Home guard
Converting this P17 to a Grenade Launcher Rifle was mainly due to the Home Guard having the same problem as the British Army (no 3006 ammunition ).
When the USA enter the second world war on 7th December 1941 and the first US troops stepped ashore at 12:15 hrs on 26th January 1942 at Dufferin Quay, Belfast, Northern Ireland. All 3006 ammunition supplies sent would have been for the US Army not for the British Home guard units.
Shooting this rifle:
We took this rifle down our local range to test shoot it (as we do with all our rifles we sell ). We had a grouping at 100 meters of 3'' everytime, this rifle was far better than the shooter's and by far the best WW1 or WW2 standard service rifle we have ever shot.
Never used:
With all the above statement's, none or very little 3006 ammunition was ever shot though this rifle plus how many time's did the Home Guard discharge it with a Grenade ?
Not many times, if at all.
This is a genuine British Army Grenade Launcher Rifle, a very rare beast.
£995.00