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Legacy Member
Relief cuts?
Warning / Danger, Will Robinson!
Metfords, Lee Enfields, SMLE etc all breech up on the INNER breech ring, as do ALL Mausers up to and including the Model 98.
No4 and five series "Lee-Enfields" breech up on the front face of the body..
Also beware neatly done "Pins' used to "stabilize a poorly set-up "replacement barrel
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03-14-2024 04:38 AM
# ADS
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Advisory Panel
Relief cuts as in undercutting a stubborn No.4 or No.5 barrel Bruce. In the case above I slit the receiver ring along the extractor slot as deeply as possible without impinging on the threads using a cutting disc on a Dremel Tool and then cracked what was left with a cold chisel. Takes the tension off and allows the barrel to be unwound. Didn't want to undercut the barrel itself and make a breaching washer.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
Edward Bernays, 1928
Much changes, much remains the same.
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Legacy Member
I guess if the body is "unuseable", a slice along the breech ring will loosen the "grab!
Probably OK for assembling a totally neutered "wall-hanger".
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Other way around, the receiver is the desired part for me, the shortened barrel was wanted by a martini builder intact separately. Brian successfully pulled the barrel with the armourer tools. Unfortunately the barrel fails gauging standard throat erosion, which may change the deal I had with the martini guy.
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Legacy Member
As the rear of the barrel will beed to be "adjusted to work with the Martini extractor and this is a "freelance" model, whu not machine a 3 or so threads length off the back of the barrel, recut the shoulder to the bew required length, cut the breecjh thread ato meet the shoulder and re-cut the chamber.
I fit is a "hobby / "love" job, who cares. Commercially, it would make no sense unless the owner were a true eccentric.
The breech thread is the same 55 degree job. Lots of Martini Enfields ended their days with "surplus" Lee Enfield or SMLE barrels blacksmithed in. There are probably a few still floating about.
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Legacy Member
Quick rewrite / expansion:
As the rear of the barrel will need to be "adjusted to work with the Martini extractor and this is a "freelance" model, why not machine a 3 or so threads length off the back of the barrel, recut the shoulder to the nbew required length, follow / cut the breech thread also to meet the shoulder and re-cut the chamber.
If it is a "hobby / "love" job, who cares. Commercially, it would make no sense unless the owner were a well-heeled true eccentric.
The breech thread is the same 49 and a bit degree "Enfield special" job; NOT 55, NOT 60, NOT 47.5 degree. Lots of Martini Enfields ended their days with "surplus" Lee Enfield or SMLE barrels blacksmithed in. There are probably a few still floating about.
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Advisory Panel
Undercutting works on the No4 and 5 where the compression on the shoulder bearing against the front face of the receiver/body, but here where the compression is on the rear face of the barrel, I don't see an undercut doing much for you.
Unless is just so happened coincidentally that the rear face and the shoulder share the compressive forces somewhat equally. In such a case, undercutting the shoulder might remove enough of the compression to allow your wrench to overcome that on the rear face of the barrel.
As with rusted bolts & nuts etc. if you can get the barrel hot enough to expand it against the female threads it will "crush" whatever rust and carbon etc. may be currently locking the threads, and probably break the compression "bond" between the male and female threads. Of course you'll want to do that fast enough that the receiver does not get too hot. An oxy-acet. torch directed into the chamber would be your best bet. Not a cutting flame, but close to it and large enough in diameter that the flame contacts the chamber walls rather than going mostly down the bore.
You could try that a few times gradually getting hotter each time. An infrared thermometer to check the temps of the body as you go would help. You could also fill a pipe with cold water and have it standing by (vertically obviously) so that you can immerse most of the barrel and draw the heat out of it faster than out of the body/receiver. That might also help to break the bond.
Your last option is to cut off the barrel and bore out the stub larger and larger until you can pick out the remains of the male thread. Probably not worth the trouble.
On the 1896 LSA body I have sitting on the desk, the depth from outer shoulder to inner face is 23/32" if that helps at all.
Last edited by Surpmil; 03-24-2024 at 12:00 PM.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
Edward Bernays, 1928
Much changes, much remains the same.
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Legacy Member
The L42A1 and L39a1 use indexing washers on the barrel installation, so the bearing must be on the front face of the receiver.
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
scharfschutzen63
The L42A1 and L39a1 use indexing washers on the barrel installation, so the bearing must be on the front face of the receiver.
They are both based on the No4 rifle, and as stated in post #18 they do bear on the front face.
The original question is about an LSA (Lee Metford Mk11) which does NOT bear on the front face.
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
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