p17 question

[danzig]

I have a p17 in exclent condtion, it has a c cut in the reciever ring and I have been told many stories of what it was for. I have been told it was to make removing the bbl easier, for some type of clip that was used in europe ect.
Does anyone know what the real story is behind this cut?

[azlaw]

I have heard that it's an index notch for a .22LR training conversion, or else a reminder to troops not to use .303 ammunition in the rifle. This notch is apparently a Denmark/Norway thing. I know that Denmark used M1917s they got after WWII. I think they had a conversion called M60(53/17). Some poking around on the internet should give you the answer.

H

[P. Ristan]

This is a norwegian used P17.

The norwegian army got about 25.000 P17s from Great Britain in the mid 1950's.

As Norway used Mauser 98k's converted to 30-06 at this time, two things were done to the rifles:

1. A cut in the reciever ring was made.

2. A small piece of metall was screwed/attached to the rear of the reciever (just in front of the rear sight) so clips for the Mauser 98k could be used.

Both of these modifications were done so that standard norwegian ammo-clips for the norwegian converted 98k's (in 30-06) could be used.

The cut in the receiver-ring was made because the norwegians used a longer than standard bullet in their 30-06 ammo. Without this cut it would not be possible to load the rifle with clips, only with single cartridges. A similar cut was also made in the 98K's.

Some years later all of these P17's were sold to Denmark. The danes removed the piece of metal to the rear of the receiver as they did not use Mauser-clips for this gun. If you lift up the rear sight you might still se a screwhole where the piece of metal used to be attached.