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    Legacy Member Centurion's Avatar
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    No 4 Barrel Replacements

    A large European barrel maker is planning on making a run of No. 4 Barrels. These will be threaded and chambered. They will have 4 groove rifling and will also have the bayonet lugs machined as per the originals. Anybody interested can check out: Welcome to Lee-Enfield Rifles. The more barrels in the first run, the better the price. Anybody interested in replacement No 1 barrels should also let Brett know when you email him.
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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    Think they could be talked into making a run of H barrels for No1 Mk3?, lol,

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    Legacy Member Centurion's Avatar
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    He's not sure about this. However, the same maker does Gew 98, K-98, and G96 barrels as a stock item. if they get a sizeable enough request, they are apparently prepared to make a run of whatever barrel contour and calibre is requested. For the No 4 barrels, their initial minimal run will only be 20, so I don't think it'd be too tough to get them to do some No 1 H-barrels. I've already expressed an interest in this to Brett myself and I'm sure he'd love to hear from you. He also provides adjustable two-stage trigger retrofits for both No. 1 and No. 4 rifles, if you were so-interested.

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    The website doesn't say anything about barrels.

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    Contributing Member Brian B's Avatar
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    Had to dig a little to find it:

    Welcome to Lee-Enfield Rifles

    Brian B

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    The trouble with barrels is that you'll occasionally get a real old beaten up barrel thyat shoots like a dream. Stick it on the Enfield rest and it groups likje a champ - but still fails the gauge limits. It's usually the shot-out muzzles that really condemn a barrel in my opinion. Worn muzzle and you don't even need to range test it!

    Still, I suppose that if the rifle is a concourse bling example for show, then a pristine barrel is one of the things you need. But a good competitive shooter, then an accurate one is all that counts.

    For sniper rifles, we'd always let the sniper be the best judge. ON the other hand, the shooting teams could be a real pain in the bottom. One bad days shooting was ALWAYS blamed on the rifle, barrel, slippery handguards, sling loop loose, wobbly backsight axis pin, glossy foresight, too much sun, rubbish breakfast but one thing you could NEVER blame - and that was the shooting team starlet himself

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    Already have an early pre-production lother Walther barrel fitted to my 4T. They sent a batch of 10 for evaluation, they do shoot too.

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    In UKicon, the Lothar Walther barrels fitted cost about the same as a decent shooting No4 in its entirety. I imagine that, across the Pond, you'd be able to buy at least three very decent Enfields for the fitted cost of one of these barrels!

    Lets hope they make the barrels a stock item and do a run of a thousand or so. Maybe that'll make them more accessible.

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    Don't think we could import tham to the USAicon - Brian Dickicon will be able to give the official verdict there I'm sure but I recall that we're not able to. Of course when you can go out an buy a to all intents and purposes unfired No.4 for about $300 here you have to question whether it would be worth it as thunderbox indicates.

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    Doing a "drop-in" barrel will present a few challenges, especially if the receiver threads have been a bit "stressed". I understand that in the later days of "service" No4s, there appears to have been provision for two grades of barrel: "fit to new" and "fit to used". An advance offset of about 11 degrees of the breech thread on the tenon was the only difference. Torque in the barrel and then choose a bolthead to headspace.

    It's a bit of a tap-dancing act with the No4 barrel because of the front sight and bayonet lugs. If you cut the breeching shoulder a bit short so that it can be adjusted to achieve correct torque and alignment, what effect will that have on the headspace?

    The civilian market is nothing like an ordnance system in which the armourers, with their gauges, have final say on whether to rebarrel or not. If a receiver is "past it" then, as long as the receiver is destroyed by the authorised folk and paperwork is done correctly, that's it. Not many civilian shooters would be too happy with that.

    A better solution is an "almost finished" barrel that requires the attention of a good gunsmith to index and headspace. At least with No4s you have multiple bolt head sizes to play with. Doing replacement barrels for SMLEs is a bit different. Nothing that a competent, Lee Enfield savvy gun plumber can't handle.

    Then again, if your bolt is dancing around in the receiver like a frog in a sock, it may be time to get a new rifle.

    A while ago I got some .303 blanks made by my local barrel maker. They have 1:10: LEFT HAND, 5 groove rifling. The rifling form is a variation on 5R form found in match barrels. Bore is nom. .3025", groove is .311"; a bit tighter than the original spec. The first couple went into P-14s and shoot quite well with Yugoslav ball and various handloads. A couple of "bitza" SMLEs are being lined up for the treatment soon. Still fine-tuning the process for the No4 barrels; Those little lugs at the front tend to complicate things.

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