No. 1917 DESCRIPTION AND RULES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES RIFLE CALIBER .30, MODEL OF 1917 OCTOBER 8, 1917 REVISED JANUARY 16, 1918 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE aie UNITED STATES RIFLE, CALIBER .30, MODEL OF 1917. COMPONENT PARTS OF RIFLE. (Eighty-six in number of which seventy-seven are not duplipates.) Barrel: Barrel. Spline, Bolt: Bolt. Extreetor collar, Bolt stop: Bolt stop. Bolt stop serew. Bolt stop spring. Bolt stop spring rest, Butt plate: Butt plate, Butt plate cap. Butt plate pin, Butt plate serew, largo. Butt plate screw, small. Butt plate spring. Butt plate spring screw. Butt swivel: Butt swivel, Butt swivel screw, Butt swivel plate. Butt swivel plate serewa (2), Ejector. Extractor. Floor plate catch, Floor plate pin. Floor plate spring. Follower. Front sight: Front sight. Front sight carrier. Front sight carrier pin. j Guard, Guard screw bushing, front. Guard screw bushing, resr. Guard screw, front, Guard screw, rear. Hand guard: Hand guard, front, Hand guard, rear, Hand guard liner, front, Hand guard liner, middle, Hand guard liner, rear. Hand guard rivets, (6). Hand guard ring. Lower band, Lower band acrow. Lower band pin, Lower band swivel, Magazine, Magazine spring. Main spring. Rear sight: Basespring. Basespring screw Joint bolt. Joint bolt nut. lide catch, Slide eatch epring, Slide eatch pin. Slide stop screw. Receiver. Safety lock: Safety lock. Safety lock holder. Safety lock holder screw, Safety lock plunger. Safety lock spring, O) Stacking swivel screw. Stock. Oiler and thong case: [Thong case body. ‘Thong case partition. Oiler collar. (Oiler cap. [oatacorer Oiler cap washer. {aon case cap. Thong case pad. Stock bolt. Stock bolt nut. Stock pin, Trigger. ‘Trigger pin. Upper band, ‘Upper band serew, ACCESSORIES. Cleaning rod, barrack; model of 1916: Collar. Knob. Rod. Sleeve. Cleaning red, model of 1916: Brush section. Handle section. Knob. Collar. Sleeve. Second section, ‘Third section. Cleaning rod case. Follower depressor. Screw-drive Screw-driver blade, large. Screw-driver blade, emall. Screw-driver pin. Screw-driver rivet. COMPONENT PARTS OF BAYONET, MODEL OP 1917. (Ten in number.) Bayonet blade. Bayonet catch. Bayonet eatch spring. Bayonet catch thumbpiece. Bayonet grip, right. Bayonet grip, left. Bayonet sctews (2). Bayonet screw nuts (2). Cleaning rod, model of 1916—Con, 7 GENERAL DESCRIPTION. ‘The rifle has a breech mechanism of the bolt type, the bolt being locked by a turning movement, which causes lugs on the bolt to engage in recesses just in rear of the chamber. There is a camming action of the locking lugs to sont, cartridges firmly, which continues throughout the locking section. To preclude the possibility of the bolt’s unlocking under powder pressure, a safety stud is mounted on the sour and rises, as the trigger ix pulled, to lock the bolt against tuming. This serves also to preclude pulling of the trigger unless the bolt is fully locked. ‘The magazine is directly benesth the bolt and is loaded from the top from a clip of five cartridges while the bolt is retracted. Tt con- tains a spring-actuated follower, above which the cartridges wrrange themselves in laterally staggered relation. This follower feeds the top cartridge up into the path of the bolt when the latter is retracted, a ramp serving to guide the nose of the bullet upward and into the chamber as the cartridge is forced for- ward on the succeeding forward movement. of the bolt, The extractor is of the hook type, swiveled on the bolt, and engages the groove of the cartridge as this moves upward from the magazine. Primary extraction is provided by an extracting cam, operated by the turning of the bolt in unlocking, and serving to sturt the bolt to the rear after it is unlocked. The ejector is of the spring-actuated type and operates through a slot in one of the locking lugs at the limit of rearward movement of the bolt. The ejector spring is integral with the ejector. ‘The firing pin has no cocking knob and can not be cacked except by actuation of the bolt, It ix half cocked by the unlocking move- ment of the bolt, a cam and half-cock notch being provided on the rear end of the bolt, to engage a lug on the cocking piece and perform this function, The sear notch of the cocking piece engages the sear nose in the closing movement of the bolt, co that the piece is cocked by the act of closing the bolt, The locking of the bolt moves the half-cocking cam out of the path of the Jug on the cocking piece. ‘This arrangement. prectudes the closing of the bolt upon a cartridge with the point of the striker protruding through the end of the bolt. There is no magezine cut-off. The follower rises and locks the bolt open when the magazine is empty, and to prevent this, so that the rifle may be used as a single loader or in simulated fire drill, an sceessory, called the follower depressor, is provided. The safety lock consists of an eccentric detent which engages a notch in the cocking-piece lug and lifts the sear notch off the sear nose, and a sliding plunger, which simultaneously enters a hole in the bolt handle and locks the bolt closed. ‘These parts are operated beeen SS FiG.3 Fis.8 F1G.7 FI6.10 Fico FG. 9 by a thumb piece, mounted at the right, just in rear of the bolt handle, in position for convenient actuation by the right thumb. The bolt stop engages one of the locking lugs. It is spring held, and may be retracted to permit withdrawal of the bolt al the rear. The firing pin end sleeve can be removed from the bolt and com- pletely dismounted without the use of tools. ‘The front sight is protected by lateral wing guards, and may be adjusted luterally during assembly. Height adjustment. .is secured by the interchange of sights of different heights. ‘The rear sight is protected by lateral wing guards, The battle sight is of the peep type and, being formed at the lower end of the leaf, rises to position as the leaf is laid. ‘The leaf carties 8 peep sight, ona slide which moves vertically, and hence makes no correction for drift, There is no windage adjustment. The sling, stucking swivel, and accessories are of familiar types and need no preliminary description, The ammunition is the U. S. Caliber 30 Rifle Cartridge, Model of 1906, five cartridges ina clip. These are the same cartridge and clip 4s are used in the U. 8. Ritle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903. DESCRIPTION AND NOMENCLATURE OF RIFLE PARTS, The rifle is shown in plan in Fig. 1 and in elevation in Fig. 2. ‘The Banxex A, with the spline seat B, is shown in Fig. 3. It is 26.05 inches in length, and the rifling consists of 5 grooves approxi- mately 0.005 inch deep. ‘The lands and grooves aro of equal width, The twist js left-hand and uniform, 1 turn in 10 inches. The muzzle is rounded to protect the rifling. ‘The tenon C at the Tear is square-threaded for the purpose of securing the receiver to tho barrel. A shoulder D is provided to form a seating for the receiver. ‘The Fuoxr Stour Canaren is shown in side elevation in Fig. 4, and front elevation in Fig. 5. It is mounted near the front end of the barrel. It includes in one piece, a collar A, a fized base B provided with a transverse dovetailed way C, to receive the sight blade here- after described, and two sight quarde DD which project upward above the front sight and protect the same from injury. The upper por- tions of the guards DD of the front sight carrier are knurled or serrated, as shown at E, to prevent any reflection of light from this Surface, such as would interfere with aiming, ‘The front sight carrier is held in position by means of the Spumve: F, illustrated in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, which are top and side views, This spline is seated and fits closoly in tho spline seat in the top of the barrel (G0 B, Fig. 3), and is thus held against movement in any direction. Tt fits in. keyway G in the collar A of the front sight carrier and is locked to said carrier by the Faowr Stour Canier Pix H (eo Fig. 8), which passes through a transverse hole J in the front sight carrier and engages a notch K in the top of the spline F. 10 FIG.18 Fig.12, “yl i ‘The removal of the front sight carrier should not. he attempted except at armories properly equipped for this work. Tho Faoxr Sicur is shown in sido elevation in Fig. 9 and front elevation in Fig, 10, Tthas a base A; base lug B; blade (’, and lock seat D. The lug B fits closely in the transverse dovetailed way of the sight carrier and is locked, after adjustment, by upsetting part of the metal of the base into lock seat D with a puneh, Vertical adjustment is secured by substitution of different front sights. Eleven sizes are used, vary 0.015 inch inerements between 0.985 inch and 1 ize being marked ~.015, the next 0, the next 01 the next .03, and so on to .135. At the top of the barrel and at: the reur of the front sight carrier is stamped a letter which indicates the place of manufucture, the Ordnance eseutcheon, and numerals indicating the month and year of manufacture, The Reckaven is shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 18. which are, re<per= tively, a top view, a right side view, and a front end view. The receiver is made in one piver and comprises the followings elements ‘The well A, through which the bolt slides: the magazine opening Bz the channel C, for the top locking lug of the bolt; the ep: slots D, which retain a clip in position during the loading operation; the cocking piece groove E, in whieh the lug of the cocking piece is guided; the sear nose slot F, through which the sear nose works; the safety lock slot G; the extracting cam H; the sear pin hole I; the gas-escape ole J; the recoit lug K, in which is the hole for the front guard screw; the recesses LL, for the bolt-locking lugs; the locking cams MM; the locking shoulders NN, which are slightly inclined so as to exert a powerful closing action on the belt when loading; the safety shoul der O, which engages the bolt handle in the closed position; the sufety-tock bearing P; the rear sight base Q, provided with the rear sight guards RR; rear sight joint holes S; bolt stop serew hole T: thumb recess U to give clearance for the thumb when foreing cartridges from a-clip into the magazino; rear tang V, which has a hole to receive the rear-guard screw; cartridge ramp W; threaded hood X; and safety-lock holder screw hole Y. ‘hero are also two slots, not visible in the cuts. The first, known as the bolt-stop opening, is through the left side of the well A, and receives the bolt stop and ejector. The sesond, known as the safety-stud slot, is in the bottom of the well A and allows the safety stud on the sear to interlock with the bolt. It ean be seen in Fig. 146. As shown, the receiver is open at the top to permit the insertion of cartridges and at the right to permit ejection. The threaded hood X is screwed on to the end of the barrel, and firmly breeched against the shoulder formed on the barrel (sea D, Fig. 3), The removal of receivers from barrels should be attempted only in armories equipped with proper appliances for this work. 2 On the upper surface of the receiver, at the front end, is stamped “U.S,” “Model of 1917,” together with the name of the maker ‘and the serial number of the rifle. ‘The Bort is shown in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, which are, respectively, plan, rear, and front elevations, "It comprises the following elements: The handle A; the locking luge BB, which sustain the shock of dis- charge, the upper Iug being slotted to allow the passage of the point of the ejector; a safety lug C, formed as a part of the handle, and capable of sustaining the recoil of the bolt upon failure of the locking lugs; the extractor collar groove D; extracting cam E; safety lock plunger recess F; firing-pin hole G; half-cocking cam H, which half cocks the piece by the unlocking (turning) movement of the bolt; the half- cock notch 1; the eztractor-tongue groove J; gas-escape holes KK, also shown in Fig, 147; rim M; clearance N, which permits tho safety stud on the sear to rise as the sear nose is depressed by the cocking piece, during the opening movement of the bolt; and interlock slot O which is so placed as to receive the safety stud on the sear only when the bolt is fully locked. Flat, 13 ‘Tho Suzeve is shown in Figs. 17, 18, and 19, which are respectively rear end elevation, right side elevation and bottom view. It com- prises the barrel A, threaded for the purpose of securing the sleeve to the bolt; a central guide or way B, through which the striker works, formed with flat sides to engage flats on the striker and pre- vent turning thereof; the counter Bore C, at the rear, in which the cocking piece works; the cocking piece slot D, to receive and guide the lug on the cocking piece, and the sight clearance E, which receives the battle sight, should the leaf accidentally be struck back. The bolt is bored out from the rear to receive the striker, and is internally threaded at the rear end of the bore to receive the sleeve. The sleeve is serewed into the rear end of the bolt, and serves to guide the striker and cocking piece, which are assembled to form the firing pin, The sleeve also receives the thrust of the main spring which surrounds the striker between a collar thereon and the sleevo. The sleeve partakes of all the longitudinal movements of the bolt, but swivels in the bolt on its threaded connection when the bolt is turned (6 lock and unlock it. FI6.18 FIG.19 i Fig.21 Fig.22 FI6.25 5 The Finive Pix consists of a cocking piece end striker, The Cocxixe Prece is shown in Figs. 20 and 21, which are respectively Tight side and front end elevations. It is made in one piece and comprises a Barret A: a lug B: cocking cam (; sear notch D: safety lock notch E; and dismounting hook F. The cocking piece has a longitudinal hole G provided with Tugs II, which erigaze or release lugs on the striker by quarter-turn movement of the cocking piece on the striker. A shoulder T facilitates the positioning of the striker in the eocking piece, preparatory to locking the wo together. ‘The Srrier is sho . andl 2H, which are respectively Tt comprises a point J: callar K: Figs rear end, side, and front end views ‘ons vents L; flats M; aud locking luge N. ‘The rear end of the striker will enter the hole G in the cocking piece until the end lug N strikes, shoulder I The two may then be locked together by a quarter- turn movement, wnd will be retained in locked position by the sleeve, since the sleeve engages both the flats on the striker and the lug on the cocking piect The Maty Serine is shown in Fig, 25, It surrounds the striker between the sleeve and collar K'on the striker. It may be sufficiently compressed to allow the sleeve to free the cocking piece, so that this can be turned and released from the striker. The Extractor is shown in Figs. 26, 27, and 28, which are respec tively inside, edge, and front end views. Il comprises the hook by which the cartridge case is extracted from the chamber; the B A mr E12 ial Va gp LA B if = FIG.27 FIG.28 Fig.29 FI6.30 16 Ww tongue B, which rides in ite groove in the front end of tho bolt; the B Jug ©, which has an undercut slot to receive the ears on the extractor collar; the gas escape hole D, and the back rest EB. Y pom ‘The Exrractox Cottar is shown in Figs. 20 and 30, which are h mT respectively end and side views. It-comprises the collar A, and ee \, ears BB. It is sprung into the groove on the bolt, and should not TT E. be removed except at properly equipped armories. cD ‘The extractor may be readily mounted on, and dismounted from, the ears on the collar, when these are tumed to aline with the gas- escape holes on the bolt. ee K, Fig. 14.) The extractor tongue groove on the bolt does not extend clear around the bolt, and is absent in this position, so that the extractor may be drawn forward to release its undercut Ing from the ears on the collar. The Box Sror is shown in Figs. 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35, which are, respectively, right side, plan, front end, left side, and rear end views, ‘The atop comprises the stop Zug A, which projects into the well of the receiver, and arrests the slotted lug on the bolt at the limit of the rearward movement of the bolt; ejector slot B; spring seat C; thumb piece D; pivot lugs E and bolt stop screw hole ¥. The Exector (Fig. 36), comprising the point G, spring H and pivot hole I, is mounted in the ejector slot B, the ejector and bolt stop being held by the Bour Stop Screw (Fig. 37) which serves us a pivot for both, and is serewed into the boltstop screw hole in thereceiver. (See T, Fig. 11.) The Bour Stor Sprrvo shown in side view in Fig. 38 and in plan in Fig. 39 has a bifurcated lug T. which enters into positive engage- ment with the bolt stop in the spring seat © thereof. ‘The opposite, or free end M bears in the spring seat N of the Bour Stor Srrine Rest shown in Figs. 40 and 41. The stud O of this spring rest is sented in ahole in the side of the receiver. ‘The bolt stop, ejector and spring thus form a single assembled unit, the point G of the ejector being in advance of the stop lug A and being protruded laterally by its own spring HL, which bears at its end on the bolt stop spring. When the bolt is fully drawn back, with the locking Tug against the bolt stop, the point G, extending through the slot in the locking lug of the bolt, projects beyond the front end of the bolt to perform its ejecting function. To release the bolt, so that it may be drawn out to the rear through. the well, the thumb piece D is pulled to the left, retracting the lug A. Since the lug A bridges the ejector slot B, it engages and retracts the ejector at the time of its own retraction. ‘The Sarety Locx is shown in left-side view in Fig. 42 and in reer view in Fig. 43. It includes the following elements: Thumb piece A; journals B; locking cam C, and plunger actuating cam D. The safety Jock is swiveled in a bearing formed in the receiver (see P, Fig. 12), FIG.39 FIG. 41 and the cam C works through a slot in the lug slot of the receiver (see vreseis—2 FIG.33 cB riG.34 FIG.35 18 FIG.44 FIG. 45 FIG.46 i FIG.47 FIG.49 19 G, Fig. 11), to engage the eafety-lock noteh in the cocking-piece lug Gee E, Fig. 20), retract the cocking piece sufficiently to lift the sear notch off the sear nose, and hold it, so that the piece can not be dis- charged. The retraction of the cocking piece frees the sear nose, so that it will certainly return to normal or raised position, after any manipulation of the trigger while the safety lock is set ‘sufe.”” The cam D of the safety lock actuates the Sarery:Locx PLuscee shown in rear view in Fig. 44 and side elevation in Fig. 45. This slides in a guide formed in the receiver and includes a detent head E and a plunger F. The Sarery-Locx Spruxe, Fig. 46, surrounds the plunger F and urges the detent head E against. the plunger actuating cam D. The cam D thus actuates the plunger I, and together with the dotent head E, serves as an impositive latch or detent for the safety lock. ‘The ‘‘safe” position of the thumb piece A is to the rear, in which position cam © performs its locking function, and plunger F is protruded into a hole in the bolt handle, to lock the bolt closed (coo F, Fig. 15). The “ready"” position is forward, the cam © boing thus lowered to clear the cocking-piece lug, and the plunger F being retracted by the safety-lock spring. The safety lock should never be moved to “ready” with the finger on the trigger. The thumb piete should never be left in a vertical position, as this does not render the rifle safe, and may cause injury to the safety lock if the trigger is pulled. The Sarery-Loox Hoven is shown in plan in Fig. 47, and right- side elevation in Fig. 48. This has a plug G, which enters a hole in the receiver at the rear of and at right angles to the bearing for journals B B. ‘The safety-lock holder is held in place by the Sarery- Lock Houven Screw, Fig. 49. After removing the receiver and barrel from the stock, the safety lock may be dismounted. ‘The safety-lock holder is removed, and the thumb piece of the safety lock is turned to a vertical downward position. ‘This frees the safety lock from retention by the detent head E. ‘The sufety lock is then withdrawn and the plunger and spring removed ‘The Guano is shown in Figs. 50 and 51, which are, respectively, a plan and elevation. It comprises in one piece the following parts the bow A; front tang B; rear tang C; floor-plate catch-pin hole 1); Jront guard-screw hole B; rear guard-screw hole F; trigger slot G: sHoor-plate-lug slot H; catch-spring seat 1; floot-plate catch slot K; lightening eut L; and floor-plate opening M. The Macazinz is shown in Figs, 52 and 53, which are, respectively, a plan and side elevation. It is shown as constructed of two side plates A, a front end plate B, and rear end plate C riveted together. ‘This construction was used by all manufacturers in early models, but the later practice by some is to connect these parts by spot welding. The end plates B and C have top luge D, which enter the ‘magazine opening of the receiver, and the side plates have extensions E, which enter the floor-plate opening of the guard (seo M of Fig, 50)