Really tight barrel

[rjn]

Hi,

Any suggestions how to get the barrel off 1917 Eddy. Also need to figure out how to untwist receiver once I get it off. Thanks.

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[browningautorifle]

Untwist...pretty funny! Do a relief cut in the RECIEVER ring just behind the barrel. It's hard to do but it'll make the barrel come off by hand. Use a sharp hacksaw blade and just cut 1/8th back. Just not quite through to the barrel shank...very careful now...

[rjn]

Thanks for suggestion I may give it a try. I found a crack in the receiver right at 9 o'clock position at barrel to receiver interface about 3/8" long. I read numerous times about Eddystones prone to cracking so I have been watching for it. I had just finished firing about a eighty rounds of reduced loads and barrel was really hot and probably what initiated crack. I know it was re-barreled at some point in the past and looks like arsenal work so probably around WWII.

I ground the area around the crack to verify it wasn't just surface ding and gave it whack with a hammer it is opened up even more. I decide to see how hard it was to remove barrel and it was or should I say is crazy tight. I thought it might be easy to remove given it was cracked but nope.

I removed barrels from other firearms so I have a reference point. This was my shooter and I don't know how many thousand rounds I put down 'er and still had superb accuracy, especially with cast bullets.

I was surprised at how tough the rear portion of the receiver was as I expected it to be brittle but it is really some good stuff. Not sure I totally understand what causes the crack (other than tight barrel) give such a tough receiver.

[Chuckindenver]

if you want to save the barrel, a large pipe wrench will work, then you can clean the wrench marks off,
likely the crack was from the gorilla force being used with whatever tool was applyed to the wasted action..

as iv said...hundreds of times...Eddystones , Winchester, and Remington were all made the same way, and only surface hardened.
they by gun standards are soft, and bend easy..the pic is proof of that.
all three manufactures, used the same steel, from the same supplier.
all will crack just the same...some jackwagon someplace, that likely didnt like 1917s and or Eddstones, started the whole cracked Eddystone myth.
though i have seen a few cacks...all are from using the wrong tools, rather then from crush pressure.
do you think they used the right tools to try and remove this barrel?

[rjn]

Well I guess I need to clarify a few things.

There were no cracks in this receiver prior to yesterday as I have been careful to watch for cracks given this was an Eddystone rifle. I fired a lot of rounds yesterday evening and barrel got really hot. Hot enough that I became concerned about crack forming from stress due to expansion so I stripped it down and lo & behold I found a light crack running back from edge of receiver. It was very light so I ground area to see if there was depth to crack and there was so gave whack with hammer and the crack enlarged. This tells me the metal is too brittle in this area.

I figured I would remove the barrel since I considered the receiver 'bad' at that point. I tried a number of different barrel jigs I have to remove the barrel. Nothing worked. Finally put a pipe wrench on barrel and you can see the result. I guess I didn't use the right tool since the barrel is still on. I was too lazy to setup my lathe to cut relief. This was a 'kick around' rifle so I don't really care and figured I might learn something by doing a little experimentation.

Anyway, I wouldn't call the metal soft by any means. I would call it tough. Nickle steel is tough and tends to stretch under high pressure rather than fracture. I have had some '98 mausers that were soft and there is a difference. However, in this case while the overall receiver is tough I suspect there are brittle areas.

While it may be true that Win, Rem and Eddy all used the same steel supplier, the case hardening treatment was done after receivers were fabricated so I suspect Eddystone may have had lower quality control for this process and likely overheated the thinner sections of the receiver which is where the cracks are known to form.

What did I learn: Eddystones receivers do crack, Eddystone receivers are impressively tough, Eddystone barrels are put on very tight, I don't understand the metallurgical reason Eddystones crack, if I buy another enfield it will be a winchester and remington.

[Chuckindenver]

i have pictures of 3 Winchesters with cracks, one Remington, and one Eddystone, now 2 with yours.
iv done a bit of research on these...they were surface hardened...
and though very strong...very soft...the twisted mess you have there is proof of that,,, had that been a 1903 or small ring Mauser, it would have broken into bits. every crack on a 17 iv seen was from wrenching, or miss use. not from the shoulder crush.
i could remove that barrel without an issue...no lathe would be needed...

[WarPig1976]

I live 2 miles away from where that rifle was made.

[rjn]

chuckindenver, one question for you. Do you know if the P14's had issues with cracks? If not I wonder why?

[Chuckindenver]

yes, they did, they as well were made the same way, with the same steel, in the same plants..
same reasons for the cracks..
though i dont work on as many P14s i have seen a couple with cracks from barrel removal with the wrong tools.

[rjn]

Ok, so I might be rethinking my conclusions based upon your input. Thank you for that. Now, I am trying to understand how barrel removal with the wrong tools produces a crack.
I can imagine a couple ways that might happen but wonder if you can elaborate on the sequence that leads to a crack?