Barrel Contour Comparison - Lee Metford/"Long Tom" v. No.4 Mk.1 Enfield?

[Nailcreek]

Well ... email sent to Omega. For $50, it's worth pursuing.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

In the "good -old-days", some creative types in Oz were using "surplus" and suitably reprofiled Vickers barrels in their target rifles.

I have NO drawings for either Vickers or Bren barrels, however, based on the reading of drawings for later 7.62 and 5.56 rifle and MG barrels, there MAY well have been differences in chamber and throating arrangements. As a comparison, does anyone have the data for the barrels from .303 Browning aircraft M.G.s?

Regarding "full-length" L.E. barrels, I have patched together the sad remains of a drawing for said barrel.

The first difference from a No4 barrel is the Knox form on a L.E. barrel; parallel (with a driving flat "bump" on top, vs, tapered with the driving flat machined off the taper for the No4 (and SMLE).

However, from the Australian drawing for the No4 barrel:
Distance from Shoulder / Diameter
3.68" (high) / 0.787" (high)

For the L.E. barrel:
Distance from Shoulder / Diameter
2.38" (Basic) / 0.791" (Basic)

Closer to the muzzle you can see the slightly greater taper in the No4 barrel:
Australian drawing for the No4 barrel:
Distance from Shoulder / Diameter
20.780" (high) / 0.640" (high)

For the L.E. barrel:
Distance from Shoulder / Diameter
22.74" (Basic) / 0.671" (Basic)


So, a No4 barrel has a very similar nominal profile to the old L.E.

Still searching for my Oz "H" barrel drawing remains to do a "3-way" comparison: in the meantime I will run the measuring stick over a real barrel.

[Nailcreek]

Bruce, any chance of sharing some photos of the barrels you're measuring? I'm trying to visualize the differences, but am having "issues" LOL