The American model - recognized as the "American Enfield" - was fed from a 6-round magazine supporting the more powerful (compared to the British. Sling loops were featured at the buttstock underside and under the forend. The trigger was underslung and located at the base of the integrated rifle buttstock-and-grip. The forward site was appropriately affixed nearer the muzzle. Traditional sights were located aft over the receiver with the bolt-action lever situated over the right side of the gun body in the usual way. The M1917's external appearance was characterized by its encapsulating wood work and occasionally exposed metal works. Production for the new American rifle could even continue unhindered alongside the British P14's for both rifles were essentially the same firearm differentiated mainly by their chosen calibers. Once again, Winchester, Remington and Eddystone all provided the rifle in quantity with totals being 545,511, 545,541 and 1,181,09 from these manufacturers respectively. This decision wisely cut down design time and lowered production costs for the new "M1917" - or "Model 1917" - rifle. As American factories were already providing Allied soldiers with local-production versions of the excellent British-design Enfield Pattern 14 rifles, it was decided to utilize the type to produce a similar rifle chambered to fire the American standard. In fact, arms production in the United States was such that there were not enough rifles being manufactured to supply every American soldier heading off to war. The three companies produced P14 designs which were further designated by their place of manufacture (as Winchester, Remington or Eddystone).Īs America entered the First World War in 1917, it too found itself with next to nothing in the way of an established modern military arms-producing industry - let alone a serviceable standard infantryman rifle. Production of the new P14 (or "Pattern 14") was fielded overseas to American factories made up of Winchester, Remington and Remington subsidiary Baldwin Locomotive Works at Eddystone, Pennsylvania. The British therefore took the somewhat-developed, Mauser-based concept already on hand and formatted it to fire the old standard. However, the sudden explosion of events that eventually became "The Great War" effectively shelved this long-developing rifle concept and pushed the British to look for a quicker and easier-to-produce alternative ready for mass production. The Royal Arms Factory (RAF) at Enfield was charged with finding a solution to this requirement and the new service rifle was to play upon the strengths of the excellent German Mauser 98 series while providing the British rifleman with a capable man-stopper. was used in the generation of this content.īritain had already begun the task of replacing their Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) infantry rifles in the years preceding the World War 1 (1914-1918). It is not known if any ' Remington ' bayonets were ever produced at Eddystone, and certainly no ' Eddystone ' bayonets were produced there.Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: | Content ©| The following text is exclusive to this site No A.I. Rifle production continued at Eddystone until March 1919. The vast complex at Eddystone became one of the largest arms factories in the world, employing over 15,000 people. 303 rifles for the British Government, and subsequently produced the Model 1917. This new Remington ' Eddystone ' plant produced the ' Eddystone ' marked. Colonel Thompson stayed at Eddystone until America entered WW1., at which time he re-entered military service, eventually becoming a Brigadier-General and the Chief of the Small Arms Division and Director in Charge of Arsenals. Army to become Chief Engineer and oversee the construction and operation of the new Remington plant at Eddystone. Thompson ( who later became world famous for developing the Thompson sub-machine gun ) resigned from the U.S. This Company, was to be known as the Remington Arms Company of Delaware, and in 1915 Remington leased a large plant at Eddystone, Pennsylvania which was formerly The Baldwin Locomotive Works.Ĭolonel John T. 303 rifles and their bayonets, further substantial orders followed in 1915, so along with a program of substantially expanding their Ilion, New York plant, the Chairman of Remington decided to organize a second new Remington Company to be formed to assist with the arms production contracts from the British Govenment. In November of 1914, the Remington Arms and Ammunition Company of Ilion, New York, started receiving massive orders from the British Government for. You may have seen references to ' Remington ' in connection with the Eddystone factory, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
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