H barrel "complete"

Posted about this sporterized H barrel some time ago. Just about finished putting it back in original trim but still a month or two before a range visit. Original "peddle scheme" rifle has very good condition H barrel with bright, shiny grooves and sharp rifling.

Had wanted to put it in a coachwood forend but nothing came along so bought this one cheap. I suspect it's a repro in-spite of Enfield stamp. In any case it seems to have been accurately milled as it presented no problems. I think I colour matched the forend (which was originally dark walnut stain) to the original butt and handguards fairly well. The upper handguard is a splice of the piece from the sporter and a piece I had lying around.

After much review of old threads, decided to take Son's advice and fully floated it ("I will always recommend floating a barrel to everyone except the most diehard purists", 2010). As I got well into it I could see that the alternate styles would have exceeded my talents (remember Homer Simpson's spice rack?). I also made the command decision to use the original copper blocks in the draws. Two reasons: first I have two extremely good shooting Lithgows that use them and have proven long lasting, and secondly, the necessary removal of wood for use of the blocks allowed me to easily test fit the barreled action as I proceded to reduce the forend barrel channel. Basically, it boiled down to chiseling out the channel until the barrel tip was just dropping below the opening in the nosecap and then building up the bedding point under the barrel shank with a little walnut veneer. I found the biggest challenge was finding all the spots where the body touched the forend and deflected the barrel tip from the centerline. It sure doesn't take much!

I have a Central sight setup I'm going to add to it but here she is- my first desporterization.

Ridolpho

Nice work. I float mine from just ahead of the receiver to within a few inches of the end of the barrel and let them fully rest from there ahead with a little up pressure. I use a five dollar bill to check for barrel clearance.

Looks great, now how's she shoot?

flying pig: I couldn't get into my range last year until May 10. Hopefully, with the nice weather we've been having it'll be much earlier this spring but who knows? I am looking forward to testing it. Regards.

Ridolpho

At least the nosecap looks like it was opened out with something more delicate than a rat-tail file.

Nosecaps on "real" "H" rifles are bog-standard jobs with the little "window" at the top to provide the two-point bearing for the barrel. The "H" barrel had the same diameter at the muzzle as the "standard" barrel because it had to take the front-sight base AND fit into the nosecap.

A LOT of the old-school Oz range shooters whacked in heavy barrels, scraped out the internals of the woodwork, chucked away the assorted collars, springs and plungers and "modified" the nosecap, because "that is what you had to do".

What they SHOULD have done is followed the instructions for setting up an Oz sniper; a procedure that actually worked, despite the antique optics mounted on top.

Bruce in Oz: Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't aware that the "H barrel" utilized the standard nosecap setup. In Sept. 2011 you posted an excerpt from an armourers guide that "the forend is to be clear of the barrel" with no comment about the nosecap part of the equation. I took this as meaning no contact with anything attached to the forend. I have noted the reference as "EMEI WPN D 113, Issue 1, Sep 1976"- I believe for the HT. If I were to replace this bodged nosecap with a standard item it would probably give good up-pressure against the two "nibs" which makes sense to me. I believe I will do just that. Regards.

Ridolpho

Im sure she'll shoot as good as she looks. The stock looks to me to be a genuine Enfield made post war beech stock, nice work

That's a nice restoration; we don't see many H barrels on this side of the water sadly.

Surpmil: Yes, when I saw the sporter on CGN I had to have it (paid way too much, of course). Finding the cheap forend and having many parts kicking around helped keep the overall cost down. With the very good looking bore I think it'll be worth it. Spent the last couple of days fine tuning the fit at the draws using shims under the copper blocks made from 0.002inch feeler guage. Very, very snug now and, thankfully, the barrel has stayed in the center of the forend through all the tinkering. Had two different "Central" brackets and chose the one shown in todays photos as it fit much better than the flat No. 4 plate. Should be OK to test at the range now or, rather, when Spring finally arrives.

Ridolpho

I count myself lucky to have one brand new H barrel, and on a No1 MkV action at that. Someday must get a proper forend for it from EFDRifle, or else make my own! Between the Central and the H barrels the Aussie No.1's have got to be the best on the range.