Sniper LE Barrels Bedded in Bee's Wax

mkrainc

mkrainc

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In my teen years, I worked with an old well driller who sniped during the second world war for the Canadian forces. The old guy had many stories, and I wish I had listened alot closer when he was talking about the sniper Lee Enfields.

I do recall him describing how the rifle's barrel he used, was bedded in bees wax. Any thoughts, stories, theories, or facts known about this out there in our CGN community?
 
mkrainc said:
In my teen years, I worked with an old well driller who sniped during the second world war for the Canadian forces. The old guy had many stories, and I wish I had listened alot closer when he was talking about the sniper Lee Enfields.

I do recall him describing how the rifle's barrel he used, was bedded in bees wax. Any thoughts, stories, theories, or facts known about this out there in our CGN community?
Click to expand...

"it's hooey, Hughy"

Target rifles often had their finishes sealed against moisture with wax or varnish. The wonders of polyurathane did not exist until recently.

No it would not be possible to bed any rifle with or in wax...

Having stripped a few Enfield snipers I've never found anything more exciting than cosmoline...
 
OK, never believe well drillers as they are notorious liars- "the water's right over there and only 25 ft down, and it's going to be sweet".;)

When I was a kid we used to have a couple of well drillers, who used a horse powered drill, back to find something other than alkalie water every 2 years or so, and they always failed. I think my grandad kept having them back just for entertainment's sake as they sure provided a lot of that. I remember the one guy telling us how he had shot a bear square between the eyes with a .30-30, and all it did was blink at him.:eek: So he drove up along side of it and shot it in the ear, and that did it. the other one used to like telling us about the hoop snakes that he had seen. You know, the ones that take their tail in their mouth and race away like a self-propelled bicycle tire.:rolleyes:

I'd be betting on crusty cosmo more than a crusty well driller on this one.
 
Bee's wax would never be used for bedding EVER!

Bedding has to be rock solid and have zero flex, sounds like cosmo to me
 
What, you never saw a hoop snake? We used to keep them as pets and race them when I was a kid. 'Course, there was no TV back then, had to make our own entertainment... Pull up a sandbag, while I light the Tilley lamp.
 
Hoop snakes are common...now snow snakes on the other hand are really remarkable creatures...rare and wonderful.

It's a long story...
 
AdrianM said:
Hoop snakes are common...now snow snakes on the other hand are really remarkable creatures...rare and wonderful.
Click to expand...

Common as hoop snakes around here.....we have the right climate for snow snakes, since they are cold blooded anyway.

But back to the original post, there was no variation in the way rifles were bedded in service. It was done by removal of wood in certain areas to give the proper tension at the end of the barrel. No bees wax, firberglass, accurabed, or snake poop.
 
jdman said:
i have to ask, what is a snow snake?f:P:
Click to expand...

Ask your friendly First Nation Guide!

Hint: A good competetor can throw a Snow Snake up to a mile or more. Several movies on U-Tube.

There is also a reference to a different kind of Snow Snake here in Manitoba.

www.naturenorth.com/winter/snwsnk/snwsnkF.html


If you still do not have the answer, try "Google".Laugh2
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I have seen a snow snake- (First Nations variety). Used to be one at Ont. Forest Ranger School in Dorset. Shaped wooden "stick" which was slid along on the snow in some type of competition. Ranger School's last diploma course was in 1968 (my year). Continued as Leslie Frost Center for MNR in service training and public outdoor education center till early 2000's.(managed by Ont MNR). Closed by MNR. Was under private management for a few years. Not sure of the status right now.
 
Gawd, but some of you city guys are noobs! Never even SAW a snow snake!

Next thing you'll tell me is that you don't know about Ratchet Owls and Sidehill Gougers!

I knew all about that stuff before I was 14; my Dad told me and my Dad would never tell a fib.... unless there was a good story to tell.

STENCOLLECTOR, Hoop Snakes are nowhere near as common as they were when I was growing up. I wish you had seen it around here back in those days.

As to the OP's rifle, it is entirely possible that his friend's rifle had been bedded with 4x2 cleaning patches which had been soaked in Boiled Linseed Oil and Japan Dryer. When it sets up, it LOOKS very like Beeswax but it is MUCH more solid. I have seen a couple of rifles which were bedded like that in the 1950s for the Commonwealth Matches.

The Linseed Oil used was actually BOILED. It was not the hardware-store stuff which is SOLD AS BLO, which is generally chemically treated in order for it to mimic the qualities of BLO for painting. It was actually BOILED.

Japan Dryer was added in order to get the stuff to set up relatively quickly. Japan Dryer added to BLO shortens the drying time drastically with just a few drops. Addng more can make the stuff start to set up positively FAST.

A BLO/JD bedding job would still take days to do right but it is capable of micro adjustments just with a bit of sandpaper. Otherwise, it is solid. Barrel pressures and such may be increased by adding another thickness of cleaning patch/BLO/JD and then thinning to perfect adjustment with sandpaper. In the barrel channel, of course, you wrap the sandpaper around a dowel.

Hope this helps.
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