Bedding the "H" Barrel SMLE

[tbonesmith]

I've had a few too. I don't know anyone who has a dead set formula for "this is how you bed an "H" barrel SMLE to optimize accuracy". There is still a solid crowd who shoot them every week, and these guys ALL have one they got that shoots well, or through trial and error they worked up. Many of these "worked up" winners, use glass, or body filler as bedding compound at various points. For the sake of keeping my builds as "original" as possible, and to build my skill, I'm not using anything other than traditional methods, stuff how long it takes. These old school guys did it once upon a time, time and time again, and I'll be doing it, hopefully as well as them in the not too distant future... that's the plan anyway.

[RJW NZ]

At the risk of being shunted to do a forum search lol, what was the bedding used during ww2 on ht's?, and or on the H rifles from a decade earlier ?

[muffett.2008]

Scraped timber and cork.

[RJW NZ]

sorry my mistake, bedding style used in ww2?

[Bruce_in_Oz]

From EMEI WPN D 113, Issue 1, Sep 1976:

Stock Fore-end
23. The stock fore-end should fit on the rifle as follows:
a. Tightly between the sear lugs and the socket of the body.
b. With a good bearing on the body surfaces, along the narrow ledges on either side of the magazine opening for a distance of 1-1/2 inches from the front.
c. With a good bearing of the reinforce extending for the full length of its seating and about one third of the seating in width. The bearing should be central.
d. The fore-end is to be clear of the barrel.
e. If the standards detailed in sub-paragraphs 23a to d cannot be met, the rifle is to be classified ‘R’, for field repair.


See also page 15 of "Instructions for Armourers, 1931" available online from all good Lee Enfield forum sites.

Excerpt (standard bedding):

"The fore-end should seat on the base of the body, especially at the front end for 1 1/2 inches at least, on the barrel at the reinforce, and from half an inch in rear of the inner band recess in the nose cap. The guard screw-collar should bear on the boss of the body; and its outer end should be slightly below the guard seating (about .01 inch). The fore-end must be clear of the barrel from the front of the reinforce up to a point half an inch from the inner band recess; it should fit closely between the sear legs and the face of the butt socket of the body. Th einner band recess should be of sufficient depth to ensure that the inner band can be drawn down onto the barrel.

When the seatings and clearances are satisfactory, press the fore-end on the barrel and body, assemble the trigger-guard and screws, and test that the barrel is free and that it seats along the bottom of the groove without tension.

etc., etc.....Then:

Lubricate the barrel and body recess of the fore-end, the groove of the hand-guards and the barrel and body, with red mineral jelly.... Finally, assemble the fore-end of the rifle, seeing that the inner band spring is free to act , that the barrel can be sprung down fully at the muzzle against the tension of the stud and spring, and that the rear hand guard does not prevent the back sight slide from seating on the bed at the lower elevations."

As for the heavy barrel, the initial set-up specification is one of the many bits missing from my collection. Any lucky campers out there?

[Bruce_in_Oz]

That reference: EMEI WPN D 113, Issue 1, Sep 1976. is for the "Rifle No 1 MK 3* HT .303 Inch", i.e. Australian SMLE sniper.

Note that these beasties were still in the system and being maintained in 1976. They were replaced not long after by the Parker Hale M82; that rifle itself superseded by the Accuracy International rifle.

And all of this assumes the use of standard Mk7 Ball of the best available quality. Change that loading and all bets are off.

[newcastle]

I have a pretty good condition H barrel with rear sets already fitted courtesy of Roger in NZ. Looking for a suitable rifle to fit it to right now. I have one which was fulton regulated and the receiver is bedded REALLY well but the barrel is a bit rough. However the Charge bridge got bashed at one point and is unconnected on the left side of the receiver. this make me wonder if I should use this one as it will be more flexib le and might eb more prone to bending when removing the existing barrel.

[RJW NZ]

I've read up on James Sweets book as he has a page on H bedding 'Principles of stocking up heavy barrels', page 63/4, and unusually compared to his otherwise straightforward dissurtions. it seems like he talks around the subject this time.

I've been able to glean ...
1) the front sight and the barrel protrusion must not contact the nose cap at any time, (open up the nose cap barrel hole)
2) the bottom of the barrel should rest firmly on the forend with a pressure of three pounds, (he doesn't say what portion of the barrel)
3) Usually there is cork packing between the top of the barrel and the front hand guard.

Additionally he diverts to discussing fully floated barrels versus fully stocked and he emphasizes a quote from a noted accuracy expert, Major-General Hatcher, who states, and paraphrasing here 'fully floating is good but even so best results are obtained with zero contact for the barrel length except for tip contact under the forend that creates 6-10 lbs up pressure.

something to ponder.
I have to do mine soon, hence the quest.

[bigduke6]

I've been able to glean ...
1) the front sight and the barrel protrusion must not contact the nose cap at any time, (open up the nose cap barrel hole)

I keep a spare nose cap with a generous sized hole, which i use on any SMLE regardless of barrel type and used after checking the obvious, just to give me an idea if it is that, and saves openening up the original, like my own comercial SMLE No1 Mk 111, lovely rifle but couldnt hit a barn door with it at first, nose cap opened up and bush made, hits the bull at 600 no probs, ( not all the time but thats more to do with the person behind the rifle)

[RJW NZ]

Interesting earlier thread about this too.

bedding the ol H barrel? Plus a bedding material Q