How not to .....................

[Enfieldlock]

Savage No4s have had the reputation of having the tightest barrels, ones difficult to get off the receiver. So when a customer gave us a nice Faz to re-barrel, we though, "Piece of cake".

The barrel vice is a no-nonsense bit of kit, it is nailed to a railway sleeper buried three foot into the gound and weighs in at over 150pounds.

Vice jaws in, two foot wrench on receiver, jaws tightend with a club hammer. Three foot length of scaffold pole over wrench handle.

Bit of gentle pressure to take up the slack, now for the good bit. Urggggggggh, arms creeping out of their respective sockets, not a thou of movement. "Mmmmmm, obstinate ******, more muscle required. I call in the other half of the business, who was busy removing the crud from an ancient piece of Enfield wood.

A bit of moderate heat on the receiver ring followed by penetrating fluid was applied, the fluid was sucked into the threads by the cooling metal.

Re-set the beast in the vice, two pairs of hands gripped the scaffold pole, with feet pushing on the sleeper, deep breaths taken, ancient muscles poised.

"Errrrrrgh", the eye-popping effort must have been heard in the local pub.

Then, suddenly......................

"CRACK"

The receiver lets go of the barrel, not gently as predicted, zero fiction in the threads allows the monstrous lever to accelerate like a roman trebouchet lauching a one ton rock.

Two surprised souls are propelled backwards, base over tip, onto the grass. Expletives rend the air, more in humiliation than distress.

Retreat to pub to lick wounds.

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