Sleeving a Martini Henry Rifle Barrel

[mmppres]

Thanks for link wil check it out

[bombdoc]

I suspect this belonged at one time to the UK Boys Brigade, who used "deactivated" MH Carbines for doing drill in the 1890s.. We have some pictures of the BBs in our village with them in around 1900.

The Boys Brigade was a church based youth organisation based on military lines.

I have seen these reactivated to use .577/.450 by TIG welding up the slot, although one I am aware of had a groove left across the chamber that would catch cases.. I would not be happy sleeving one to .303! These barrels were often made from wrought iron and were never designed for nitro pressures. Conversion was always by barrel replacement with proper proof tested steel barrels. They are usually Metford rifled and are often not good at stabilising modern bullets!

I would be tempted to try and reinstate it to the original calibre.. You can make .577/.450 cases out of brass shotgun cases, and Lee make the dies. You need to find a good TIG welder, and use a copper heat sink in the chamber.

[mmppres]

Yes I thought of doing a weld an heat sink. But to get a proper weld I would have to open up the cut and then rim the chamber. My thinking of sleeving would be that a newer steel barrel would give the orginal the strength. I feel if done correctly as in boring out barrel an trimming down barrel, then welding together there would be strength.

[NORTHOF60]

O.K., just a thought. What is the barrel shank diameter of the Martini-Henry vs the barrel shank diameter of a Lee-Enfield? It was common practice to leave a nub of the existing barrel of a Remington rolling block in the receiver, and thread it to take the smaller shank of a new barrel. You may be able to do that with your Martin-Henry. You could then bore out the remaining length of Martini Henry barrel and slide it over the un-reduced Lee-Enfield barrel, as a shroud (without the negative connotation).

[vykkagur]

O.K., just a thought. What is the barrel shank diameter of the Martini-Henry vs the barrel shank diameter of a Lee-Enfield? It was common practice to leave a nub of the existing barrel of a Remington rolling block in the receiver, and thread it to take the smaller shank of a new barrel. You may be able to do that with your Martin-Henry. You could then bore out the remaining length of Martini Henry barrel and slide it over the un-reduced Lee-Enfield barrel, as a shroud (without the negative connotation).

Absolutely agree, except I wouldn't waste my time with any sleeving. Finish the cut right through, face off the stub ahead of the polygon, then bore out and thread it. Forget about Lee-Enfield barrels; get a plain .303 blank. Turn and thread the end to match the stub, trimming the threaded length to match the headspace of the original barrel. Inlet for the extractor. Profile the blank to match the original barrel, then cut and crown to length. Transfer the sights. Done. You now have a modern steel .303 barrel, but outwardly matching the original .577/450. Contrary to a lot of stupid old wives' tales that litter the internet, stub adapters are a perfectly safe practice, if properly done. I've used them myself for years.

[browningautorifle]

I've used them myself for years.

I've done a couple or so. One was for a Delisle and the others I forget.

[mmppres]

Never thought to go that way.Thanks will look into that aspect.

[NORTHOF60]

Sometimes its like dogs with a scent. So busy with whats in front of you, you don't see the rabbit run behind you.