6 groove Lee Enfield

[CINDERS]

I had heard there were 6 groovers Rt Hand twist once for the 303's is this a myth or did they at one time try it.
I have heard a fo par how true it is I do not know but the Brits decided on a left twist due to their geographical location and the coreolis affect

Just a general question anyway some one may know

Information

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[smellie]

Bullets coming out of a rifle with left-hand twist tend to drift left because of pressure on the point of the bullet. This has to do with gyroscopic effect. Bullets coming from barrels with right-hand twist will tend to drift right. In either case, once you know the direction of twist, adjustment to compensate is simple. In the case of the Lee-Enfild there was sufficient adjustment in the basic design for it to pose no real problem.

There were two batches of Number 4 Rifles made with 6-groove barrels. The earlier was the first production by Savage, which was set up already for a 6-groove barrel. It would have taken considerable time to build the equipment for standerd 5-groove Enfield left-hand rifling and Britain was nearly out of time, so they said to go ahead.

The later production was by Long Branch, well after the war, when some 6-groove barrels were made using Bren Gun machinery from the old John Inglis plant. These barrels were peacetim-made and beautifully done. They were VERY much in demand by the DCRA crowd but, at $60 plus installation, they were never common. They were very hard to beat out to at least 600 yards. These also were Right twist. A fellow just ran into one on a 1950 Long Branch rifle; I think he is happy.

Hope this helps.

[5thBatt]

I have heard a fo par how true it is I do not know but the Brits decided on a left twist due to their geographical location and the coreolis affect

Just a general question anyway some one may know

There is an (negligible) effect on the path of a projectile by the rotation of the Earth but the effect the direction of the rifling combined with the rotation of the planet depends on the direction you are shooting.

[CODFan]

A fellow just ran into one on a 1950 Long Branch rifle; I think he is happy.

Yes I am - still got that grin on my face :-)

[Curator]

Also many Pre-5C Savage/Stevens No.4Mk1 (no *) were made with 6-groove, right hand twist barrels.

[Detroit-1]

My 1942 Savage No.4 MK1 not MK1* serial in the 10c range has a 6 groove barrel that is left hand groove not right.

[RobD]

Lee Enfield sighted their rifles to take account of the coriolis effect in the Northern Hemisphere, but the Boers insisted on fighting in the Southern Hemisphere, thereby clearly cheating and this was obviously the reason the Boers beat the British Empire into a cocked hat.

[muffett.2008]

Who won that war again?

[CINDERS]

Well if the Brits shot from North to South and the Boers shot from the South to the North wait or was it the other way, no I have it Moriarty they will both shoot from the East to the West that way they wont hit a thing ! Dang it another Trigger Gripper .................. sorry just feel sparking up threads as sometime it is a bit flat, had a WTF moment with a fox today @6 feet blimey and crikey we were both supprised guess he never had seen a Ghillied human!