Technical Specifications
| Date of Adoption | April 20, 1917 |
| Length | 1175 mm (46.25 in) |
| Weight | 4.36 kg (9.61 lbs) |
| Caliber | 0.30 |
| Muzzle Velocity | 853 mps (2800 fps) |
The M1917 is a bolt action rifle originally derived from the British-designed 0.303 SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield). The timing of the M1917 was virtually perfect because the British were anxious to replace the aging SMLE and America had just entered the Great War.
This rifle was relatively trouble-free and was used extensively during World War I from 1917 to 1918. Only one modification was made to the M1917 during the war: the ability for a soldier in the field to convert his bolt action rifle to a "machine-rifle."
An American inventor by the name of Pederson solved this problem with a simple mechanism that actually replaced the bolt in order to belt-feed the M1917. The device was named after the inventor, and the modified M1917 was known as the M1917 Mk II.