1917 Eddystone value

[Thagomizer]

I have a chance to buy this rifle. It has a 1944 Johnson automatics 2 groove barrel, which I presume was a ww2 update. The gun came from a man that died that got it from his VFW or American Legion hall. Apparently it was only used to shoot blanks and march in parades for the last 40 years. The bore is rough from shooting blanks and not cleaning I assume. I fired a few rounds through it at only 25 yards as that was all that was available at the time. the bullets printed end on and very close, so it might still shoot half way good.
What's a good price on these? If I can get it for $400, a good deal or not? It is all original finish and has a ww2 dated sling. Thanks for any input.

[Junk Yard Dog]

OK, first thing to know going in is that the rifle is stolen US government property, not kidding. These rifles were loaned to the VFW posts by the government, the posts were responsible for them, but they allowed members to start taking them home. Who after all is going to tell a WW1 or WW2 vet that they can't keep the rifle at home? During the Clinton administration noise was made about accounting for these rifles, but other issues got in the way and it wasn't heavily pursued. That doesn't mean some future rabidly anti gun administration can't get in and start the same shit over again. You need to understand that while you may be able to buy this rifle now, selling it in the future could be problematic should that serial number come to the attention of the government. The barrel condition is typical, corrosive primed blanks, lazy post members who didn't feel like cleaning old rifles that didn't shoot real ammo. Another issue is the possibility of cracks around the receiver ring, this was caused during the rushed WW2 rebuild when the receiver threads weren't chased to clean them up before the new barrel was screwed in. Excessive pressure forcing the barrel in did cause some cracking issues, they need to be examined very closely. I would think $550-$650 would be the selling range going by some I have seen on GB, cleaner barrel with original WW1 date would bring more, possibly over a G. I would offer $400 if I was willing to assume the risk of owning something that I knew was one of the VFW rifles.

[Thagomizer]

Thanks for the input. Let me say that all this info comes from family members, so that's what I'm going on as the owner is dead. I sure don't know the details of how he got the rifle-I do know that the VFW post at some time more recently got more rifles. The reason I know this is that they were burglarized and all their rifles were stolen. I saw the list and it was all 03A3 Springfields and M1 Garands.
None of these were recovered to my knowledge. Anyway, I will ponder all this and decide. What really saddened me was that NONE of this guy's family wanted any of his WW2 medals,uniforms etc. and all was sold in a yard sale.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The guys family were obviously useless fucking pukes who didn't deserve the sacrifices he made for them. Shame, but not something I haven't seen time and again.

[ffuries]

The guys family were obviously useless fucking pukes who didn't deserve the sacrifices he made for them. Shame, but not something I haven't seen time and again.

Although very colorful I agree 100% with what JYD said, as it is true and very well put. Sad thing is it has become an ongoing epidemic in our society.

[RazorBurn]

Excellent condition M1917's bring north of 700 bucks in my neck of the woods. A shooter grade M1917 for 400 bucks would be a pretty good deal IMHO, and probably would bring more than 5 bills most days in all reality. You don't see many M1917's floating around anymore.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The guys family were obviously useless fucking pukes who didn't deserve the sacrifices he made for them. Shame, but not something I haven't seen time and again.

Although very colorful I agree 100% with what JYD said, as it is true and very well put. Sad thing is it has become an ongoing epidemic in our society.

When I see this going on, even if I am the one they are selling it too, I have a near overwhelming urge to start smacking them around. You want to grab them, and smack their heads into a wall while asking them if they have any clue what sacrifices their departed made for them. I know what sacrifices my family members who served had to endure, I know because I asked, and I also know that they maybe told me 1% of the horrific shit they had to do and see . Funeral honor flags, purple hearts, salad bars, CIB's, and even a bronze star once ( that with the purple hearts went to the VFW post) Duffel bags and foot lockers full of gear tossed out on the trash, even bayonets, and helmets. eBay is loaded with similar items from family trying to cash in, or collectors who bought it from the family. At some point every decoration not in the hands of the one who earned it, or their family, was simply discarded or sold off by uncaring relatives who didn't even think to place them in the coffin. I know a guy who runs a little junk/antique store, he has people bringing him military items every week. He doesn't know much of anything about them so he brings them to me for identification. I am just stunned by the things people get rid of. uniforms, paperwork, photo albums, decorations, once even a big hand tinted studio portrait of a young WW2 Navy Bosun's mate, with pictures of his LST, and his whistle ( I sent that to a Navy friend of mine) He didn't want it so I now have it. Another time it was an album full of service mementos, theater pamphlets for shows he saw in England before going on D Day, letters home , even a postcard with Hitler on it he captured. A soldiers entire war history, who the fuck would part with something like that? Worse I was told it was sold by the mans own family, they are local, worthless shitbird meth heads not worth shit scraped off a shoe.

[qz2026]

I suppose another way to look at it is that this war memorabilia, like some you have acquired, is now in the hands of someone who would honor the memory and sacrifice made. I wasn't aware of the Issues with rifles given over to VFW's and the like. With that bit of knowledge I'm not so sure I'd be interested in owning it.

[Darryl]

I was watching a story on cable TV about these guys looking and finding a US Civil War cannon buried. It was in great shape and had the serial numbers still readable. The US government came a week later and seized it because they never sold any of those cannons and that one was reported missing during the civil war. So they said it was US government property. Didn't even give them a few bucks for cleaning it up.

So, be careful. They can be that way.

[Longcolt44]

I have to correct one of JYD's post a little. That whistle was actually called a pipe, a Bosun's pipe. One of my fathers pipes was a very coveted item, not only was used by him but it somehow made it's way in to my crib and I used it to teeth on when growing my first choppers. I actually chewed the nickle off in places and you could see the brass in places. Unfortunately it was lost when my sister's cleaned out my mothers house upon her death. I was in another state and got there too late.

[AMCHornet]

I hang on to all the cool old historic stuff in my family. Older generations owned much of it and I asked them to have it before they died. Nobody else in the family was interested in any of it, so they were glad to see me interested and to hand it down to me. I used to go "picking" through the closests and garages finding neat old stuff.

One of them is a sporterized Winchester M1917 that my uncle bought (already sporterized then) in 1964 as a Christmas present to his father so they could go hunting together. There is a lot of family history in that rifle. Some of it very dark. The rifle returned to my uncle who later gave it to me.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Why the dark history on that '17? You grandfather pop somebody with it because they pissed him off? Understandable, some people just need to be eliminated, probably nobody I liked anyway.

[AMCHornet]

No. All within the family. One family member used it against another. It was before I was born but there are living members of my family who witnessed it and don't want more information than that shared with the public.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Shit happens, especially within family's, my own had plenty of violence and shootings, but all on the battlefield against enemy's of the state. Oh boy do I know some story's about shit that happened in some other family's, serious criminal activity, degenerate gambling, drugs, suicide, molestation, domestic violence and murder....come to think on it I seem to know some of the nicest people.....