Thread: Rifle identification please

Been looking for a p14 action for some time and this one came along complete with other bits!.
It appears to be a homemade target rifle, the barrel is .308 4 groove in pristine condition. The bolt is unaltered and extracts cases poorly at best, the trigger has been lightened and is single stage. The stock is quite uncomfortable and doesn't fit me at all.
The no stamped on the action W .....is repeated on the stock, and electro pencilled on the bolt above the original stamped no (175974)
Can anyone help with identifying the beast and whats best to do with it.
These photos should help.

Din Collings (Collings & Bradey) built it in 1983 if the stamp in the 3rd picture is anything to go by.
Have seen similar stampings on other rifles built by him.

The W means that it was made by Winchester.

Originally Posted by garyp

The W means that it was made by Winchester.

and they were the only P14s that the British approved for sniper conversions!

Din's guns are now attracting collector interest, you might be better off selling it un-altered.

I have seen complete P17 bolts for sale on TM, but at $200 its a bit steep.

My first full bore rifle was a P14 (with P14 extractor slightly modified) re-barrelled to 7.62x51. It too was a Winchester - the best of the P14's. B4 rushing off to get an M17 extractor I would have a good look at what is going on with the extraction. Has the extractor tip been damaged but it riding over cartridge rims? Has the chamber become rough with poor care. Dinny would not have made and sold a rifle that didn't function 100%. And just to be clear when you say "extracts cases poorly at best" is it actually extracting OK but not ejecting? Some marksmen preferred to remove the fired case by hand out of the action rather than it being flung off into the grass on the mound. Maybe if it is extracting OK but not ejecting it has been slightly moded. In any event further investigating is required. Also as Steven said Dinny's stuff is at present attracting interest. There is quite a bit in Ted Roger's auction and a P14 ex C&B recently sold on TardMe for reasonable money. The reason the stock may not fit you is it is a dedicated prone target shooting stock and it may have been custom fitted to the owner.

As I said the Winchesters were the best of them with some of the Eddystones (Rem) having issues with cracked receivers. I don't know whether that was just with the M17s or with the P14s as well. Not sure if this was heat treating issue - will Google to refresh my memory.

Had wanted the action for a build but am rethinking things now. It extracts but they have to be removed by hand or fall into a little well in the blind magazine and are buggers to get out. The stock fits a shorter friend of mine and he has produced some nice groups at 100 m on a 50 m smallbore target with south African service ammo. I may look at selling it as I m not interested in target shooting but hate to see old rifles with provenance cut up for "bubba" projects when something else would do as well.