1917/1903 clips?

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Third_Rail

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Hi all, I'm falling in love with my 1917, and I only have a few clips.

I know it can use 1903 clips, but I don't know where to get those! I certainly haven't seen any for sale online or in stores, ditto the 1917 clips (they're interchangable)

If anyone knows where I'd be able to get a few dozen, I'd be more than happy. Also, if anyone can tell me what they go for on average, that would be great!

Thanks.
 
The 1917's a great rifle, isn't it? Reading with interest...I could use some clips, myself.

John
 
Try www.gunpartscorp.com. They have both steel and brass clips.

There are also stainless steel clips made for target shooters that don't have the little "breakaway" tabs and can be used indefinitely. While some people use Mauser or M14 clips, neither really works correctly. A properly fitting clip will "stand" in the clip guide and cannot fall out or be easily pushed out. It is intended to be pushed out by the bolt closing on the first round.

The clips are always called M1903 clips, even though the Model 1917 was made to use the same clip as the Model 1903. (The P-14 uses SMLE clips.)

Jim
 
Strippers for Swedish mausers work really well in the '03 and they are cheap, easy plentiful, and good looking.

The rim on a 6.5x55 case is .003" wider and about .010" thicker than on a 30-06 case, the cases will rattle slightly in the clip, but there is plenty of spring tension on them to keep the cartridges in the clip and for the clips to funtion smoothly. I've never had a problem with them whatsoever.
 
Do they have Lee-Enfield clips too? I picked up a dozen years back (around '98 or '99) from a milsurp-only store in California (Armory of Orange in Tustin, CA)..... they had a fricking CASE!!! (like 2,000-5,000) of them sitting there, for $2 per 5... I picked up about a dozen. They also had Springfield clips, but I had no Springfield.. they had at least 400+. :)

Anybody who knows where to find some Lee-Enfield clips, highly obliged. Realistically, these things aren't that complicated to make...... you'd think somebody would be stamping them out.
 
A few years ago, AIM Surplus (I think; maybe J&G Sales) had Greek surplus .30-06, M2 Ball ammo for a decent price - something like 18-20 cents per round, delivered. I ended up buying a couple thousand rounds, just in case.

It all came in sealed cans, either 'spam' cans or regular GI ammo cans, on 5-round '03 strippers, and 12 clips in a bandolier. There were two clips per paper sleeve, each sleeve in a bandolier pocket.

Some of the strippers are blued spring steel, some are parkerized (or some other dull, rough finish), and a few are brass! I unloaded many, in order to load up over 100 M1 en-bloc clips, then donated the empty strippers to the local rifle & pistol club to sell at a gun show.

I don't think I have any 'spares', but I'll take a look in the armory.

I bought a pile from the CMP, too, but that came in 20-round boxes, packed in a GI can; 400 rounds per can.

JB
 
.30'06 stripper clips are pretty tough to find, and aren't worth lookinf for. Even if you do find them, they tend to cost too much.

8mm Mauser clips work fine with 30-'06, and are usually easier to find.

.308 clips are usually your best bet. They're identical to '06 clips, but are somehow easy to find and dirt cheap. Tapco sells 'em buy the box, 50 clips for about $15 if my memory is reliable. Also, there's a lot of Australian surplus .308 floating around these days that comes packed on stripper clips and really nice bandoliers. It's a great deal if you have a .308.
 
:fire: :fire: :fire:


THESE are EXACTLY what other places are selling for $1 EACH!!!! Here you can find them at a fair price. Thank you very very much, HTG.
 
The .308 clips have the "stop" tabs in a different place and won't slip all the way down like they're supposed to on USGI .30-06 rifles. If you're okay with a little fine hammer work and even popping out your own "stop" tabs, go ahead and use them.
 
Since this is the clip city thread, could somebody tell me is what clips would work for a M47 Columbian Madsen? It's 30.06 so I suspect that what would work in a Springfield 30.06 would be okay.:confused:
 
The Colombian Madsen was made to use M1903 clips for the same reason the FN Model 1950 was. Uncle Sam was providing the ammo and it was in Springfield clips.

Since everyone keeps insisting that Mauser, M14, and just about every other clip works in a Model 1903, the same should be true of the Madsen.
As to stainless steel clips, I thought Brownells once had stainless steel M1903 clips, but I can't find them in the catalog now. The ones from Champions Choice are M14 clips, not Model 1903 clips, as are the others I have seen. (Yes, I know, I know. They are all the same and I am the only one who doesn't know that. Sorry, but nothing really works right in rifles designed to use M1903 clips except Model 1903 clips. The others either have incorrect stops, are too large, or are too small and have to be held in place while loading.)


Jim
 
Jim, I'm not loading the rifle with the clips, I just find it easier to carry strippers with 5 than 5 loose rounds.
 
I just shot an IPSC practicle rifle match with one of my 1903's. I was amazed at how much easier it was to use the clips under pressure, than it had been in practice!
 
Hi, Third-Rail,

The clip is a convenient way to carry ammo, and not just for rifles. When I carried an S&W Model 36, I carried 5 extra rounds in a modifed Springfield clip. That was before speed loaders came out, but I continued the clip carry even afterwards, because it was flatter than the speed loader.

Still if carrying a rifle that can be loaded with clips, it would seem easier to carry spare ammo in clips and actually use them for reloading.

Jim
 
The little tabs on the steel ones break off easily, they also bind more compared to the brass ones.

I've re-used them a lot, but I get the feeling these were meant to be used once and left on the battlefield.
 
Hi, Doc,

All clips were intended to be used once and left on the battlefield. The term is "expendable".

Jim
 
Yeah, you could pick them up if they happened to be laying around, but if you lost them, no big deal. Just like the en bloc clip on the M1.
 
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