Okay so threw the photo with the 03A3 in there just because, it's a James River but its a tack driver, and I love it. Always wanted a M1917 for the set and I found what appears to be an all original Eddystone made in October 1918. I have some questions I was hoping to get some help with;

1. Is it all original? As far as I can tell it ticks the boxes, date stamp on barrel matches the serial number range, all small parts have an Eddystone E marked on them. The parts that make me question it is the barrel,  as it still has good blueing like the receiver but the barrel band, nose cap and front sight protector seem like they are more browned. Were these made with two different finishes? The other part is the rear top handguard, the left side has a colour similar to the rest but the right side appears lighter than the rest of the gun. The very front section under the barrel (the bit that is seen in the nose cap) has what looks like an "F" etched into it, could also be an "E" with the bottom faded. I can't see any other marks on the wood

2. First trip to the range it seems to be shooting left about 6 inches at 100 yards. I found it a little odd as the front sight seems to have a witness punch, is mark this normal? I inspected the action screws and noticed they were a little loose, so I tightened them and noticed further witness marks, are these ones for the action screws intended as indicators for torque settings? I have tightened them up and the photos show where they are at the moment, but I am assuming I should back them off so the mark lines up with the slot? Was this mark for action screws normal?

3. Lastly, the barrel is in decent condition, bright and shiny with good rifling. I have a Criterion barrel I was saving for another M1917 restoration, however I am thinking of shelving that idea and replacing this one. My intent is to preserve the original, so I can shoot the shit out of the Criterion and not worry about it. My concern though, is that in doing so would I cause irreversible damage to the original. Is this idea worth it?

Sorry, lots of questions, any help is appreciated!   



Question about witness/punch marks and re-barrels on M1917