Barrels

[Mt203]

Have all the No.1 Mk3 barrel sources dried up? I've looked high and low and can only find a barrel here and there, mainly on ebay. Does anyone else know of good sources? Also it's been a few years since I played around with my No.1's but we still don't have a new barrel making barrels, is that correct?

Information

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[Havenot]

I bet Criterion would do a run if somebody ordered enough barrels to tool up

[Mt203]

I bet Criterion would do a run if somebody ordered enough barrels to tool up

I've seen years of talk and comments from them about it but seems like it's never materialized.

[WillSarchet]

I believe Sarco still has some barrels available. I purchased three from them a couple years ago, in excellent shape, packed full of cosmoline and they have the sight bases already attached.

I bet Criterion would do a run if somebody ordered enough barrels to tool up

I asked them specifically about No1 barrels at SHOT 2020 and they said there are no plans to do them. Not sure what the minimum order would be but I'm sure it would not be small.

[GeeRam]

I believe Sarco still has some barrels available. I purchased three from them a couple years ago, in excellent shape, packed full of cosmoline and they have the sight bases already attached.

They sold out of them late last year IIRC.

---------- Post added at 07:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:22 PM ----------

SMLE's are really going up in price in the UK now, they seem to be all at the £600 to 750 mark for a good shooting example.

Can't recall seeing any with decent bore's for sale under £750-800 for a while now.

[GeeRam]

Have all the No.1 Mk3 barrel sources dried up? I've looked high and low and can only find a barrel here and there, mainly on ebay. Does anyone else know of good sources? Also it's been a few years since I played around with my No.1's but we still don't have a new barrel making barrels, is that correct?

Lothar-Walther make barrels for SMLE.....a mate of mine used to own a rebuilt SMLE that had been fitted with a new L-W barrel by a UK gunsmith.

[Surpmil]

No one left in the UK with the equipment or motivation?

[GeeRam]

No one left in the UK with the equipment or motivation?

Armalon are the only ones in the UK that could do it, as they have all the old Enfield and Parker-Hale equipment.
They've just built a batch of straight-pull L1A1 SLR's from parts kits and new non-ported hammer forged barrels made on the same Parker-Hale equipment that the last lot of FTR'd SLR's for the MOD were done on.

[Surpmil]

Armalon are the only ones in the UK that could do it, as they have all the old Enfield and Parker-Hale equipment.
They've just built a batch of straight-pull L1A1 SLR's from parts kits and new non-ported hammer forged barrels made on the same Parker-Hale equipment that the last lot of FTR'd SLR's for the MOD were done on.

That's the name I was thinking of. Didn't they get one of the hammer-forging machines from RSAF Enfield?

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Forgot one more detail:

The Breech thread on a No1 is NOT Whitworth, UNF or anything else "standard".

14 TPI; nothing too odd about that, BUT the thread form (profile) is pure Enfield Special.

It looks like a giant BA form but the included angle is Not 55 degrees or 60 degrees, but 49degrees 40 minutes

Other No 1 Barrel, Breech thread details.

Outside Diameter:- .9995"
Root Diameter:- .9024"
Effective Diameter:- .9574
TPI:- 14
Radius at Root:- .00804"
Radius at Crest:- .01411"

Final note:

No1 rifles and all their antecedents, breech up on the INNER breech ring, like Mauser 98's etc. are supposed to. No4 and 5 types breech up on the front outer face of the breech ring.

Just sayin'.

Time for another coffee!