.22 Lee Enfield Barrel

[tiriaq]

Given that a No. 7 .22 barrel is just about impossible to find, lining a .303 barrel is an option.
Liners are generally 5/16" in diameter. The .303 bore is no problem, the chamber is. The .303 chamber must be filled. Here is one way to do it.
A scrap .32RF barrel was used as material. It was turned to duplicate a .303 cartridge, and fitted to the chamber. It will be bonded in place with epoxy. Seating the insert to full depth requires gentle persuasion with a hammer. The fit is close. Tried the insert in a different barrel, and more fitting would have been required.
The liner drill is then run through, cleaning out the old rifling, and sizing the bore from end to end for the liner. This particular barrel has a bore that would grade "sewer pipe". Not much use as a .303 barrel.
Note the cylindrical portion just to the rear of the cartridge shaped part. This will project from the .303 breech face, bringing the .22 barrel breech back to the bolt face, eliminating the gap where the .303 rim would have sat.

 

[granite]

I'll take two LOL

 

[tiriaq]

There probably is a market for .22 barrels - those reparked .22 receivers are still showing up.
The expensive parts for making a No.7 clone are the rear sight and the stock set.
Use Brit parts and get a No.9 lookalike.
The muzzle on this barrel has some deep pitting right on the bevel. That will clean up when the barrel is crowned, if I go ahead and install a sleeve. The bayonet lugs could be turned off.
A cut sporter barrel with a crappy bore could be used to make up a .22 version of the No. 5.

 

[gaff]

the old Winchester 69s have barrels with the same contour as the No4 and 7 barrels and are slightly longer , easy to sleeve them into No4 barrel stubs.
some Mossburg barrels work aswell but require more work.

 

[tiriaq]

Yes, that is another approach, using the original breech as a bushing. As far as that goes, it isn't difficult to machine a bushing to adapt a barrel which is too small in diameter at the breech.

 

[XRCD011]

It never fails to impress me seeing folks study a problem and then go to work making the solution to the project and building something cool in the process.

 

[can14]

Are the stock sets different from a standard no4 wood set?

 

[tiriaq]

No, standard No. 4 Mk. I* stock sets. Don't think anything but walnut was used when manufactured.

Specific No. 7 parts are:
Receiver has a small hole drilled and tapped for the windage knob detent spring. Appropriate markings on left sidewall.
Barrel.
Bolt head, extractor and firing pin. Striker is adapted to impact the rimfire firing pin.
Rear sight assembly.
Magazine follower is a loading platform. Magazine box is a .303 unit, but ".22" is stamped on the left side.
Center swivel is fitted to allow use of a two point sling.

Otherwise parts are standard No. 4, as used in late war period construction. Trigger guards are usually the fabricated pattern.

When I have lined barrels, I have made chamber inserts as shown in the photos. The British Parker Hale conversions used a larger diameter liner about 1/2" in diameter. Consequently, the chamber disappeared when the bore was drilled out. The only liners I've ever used are the small 5/16" diameter ones. The Brit conversions had the liners soldered in. I use epoxy.
A while back I posted photos of a SMLE conversion I was assembling out of odds and ends of parts. It is now complete functionally, but needs to have parts prepped and finished. Parts being salvaged, there are cosmetic issues to deal with, including pitting. I cannot use open sights any more, so I have installed an adapter so a Central No. 4 aperture sight can be used. A PH5A would also work.
On a No. 4 based project, a PH4, 5C or Central, etc. could be used in lieu of the No. 7 sight. Easier to find these than original No. 7 sights.

 

[enefgee]

What's the rear sight assembly worth - pretty sure I have one kicking around that I'm not using. This is the 20/100, right?

 

[bearhunter]

tiriaq, iMHO, you're doing it the hard way.

I agree you need something to fill the chamber area and do it in a manner that looks good at the same time.

I put one together for a fellow last winter. He had all of the parts on hand and it looked like a fun project. He had found a barrel that was badly pitted from corrosive ammo and lack of cleaning.

I just happened to have a 22cal bore liner and access to a long shanked drill bit, 5/16 diameter.

We looked at that chamber and knew something had to be done with it. I suggested an insert similar to the one you made up but it didn't really appeal to us. Your insert will have to be installed before you drill the barrel to the proper diameter. Not a big deal and very doable.

What we ended up doing was make up a partial chamber insert and press fit it onto the receiver/chamber end of the barrel. Then, we coated the liner and the inside of the barrel with Titanium Putty, completely filling the chamber with the putty. When that stuff hardens up, there is little if any measurable shrinkage.

After the putty cured properly, we left it at 22C for two days, we then cut the 22LR chamber and trued the face of the barrel and cut the extractor groove. Then installed the barrel. That was a bit tricky, as it didn't come off the same receiver. It all worked well though.

To make a long story short, Titanium Putty is plenty strong enough to take the pressures around that liner, generated by any 22LR round, thousands of times. Likely longer than most will live, even with lots of shooting.

The owner of that rifle tells me he's put close to a thousand rounds through it and it shoots very well.

 

[tiriaq]

Filling most of the chamber with the epoxy putty, combined with a small steel breech piece for the mouth of the chamber would work very well for a .22.
Making and fitting the full length chamber insert takes me about 45 minutes.
As far as using a breech bushing with a new replacement barrel is concerned, I have 3 target quality brand new .22 barrels salted away. A Stevens 416, and two Remington 513T barrels.
I can recall using the breech bushing plus barrel for a .22 project a couple of times. One involved installing an Anschutz sporter barrel on a Brno Model 1 action. The Brno breech is more complicated than most center fire rifles. Other breech plus barrel projects involved 7.62x39 conversions.
Anyway, making up a .22 training rifle is an interesting project.

 

[bearhunter]

I know you have this under complete control and am positive the end result will be excellent at the very least.

Just thought I would throw the epoxy method your way.

I agree, it's pretty easy to make up the chamber insert.

 

[tiriaq]

In this photo, the chamber insert is too long. It would need to be trimmed to fit close to, but not touching, the bolt face. Also in the photo is a 1944 Long Branch .22 receiver, a usable Savage No. 4 Mk. I* forend, a NOS LB butt, and a barrel liner.
In the second photo is the muzzle a a .22 SMLE conversion. Note that the 5/16" liner drill left traces of the rifling.


Here is the breech of the SMLE conversion.

The bolt head is a converted centerfire unit. The extractor is a No. 7, which fit without alteration.

 

[Rdrash]

Very cool. I have been keeping an eye open for a sporterized no4 with a cut down barrel to do this. I was thinking of converting it into a Jungle Carbine 22.

 

[tiriaq]

Years ago I obtained an unfinished No. 7 barrel from Gun Parts Corp. It had serious rust toward the muzzle (priced accordingly). Eventually sold it. It was used to make a .22 version of the No. 5. Shortening the barrel to 20" got rid of the pitting. I have a sported 2 groove No. 4 barrel with a ho-hum bore. I've thought about a .22 No. 5. Problem is getting the muzzle unit.

 

[tiriaq]

Chamber insert is bonded in and cleaned up. Ready to be drilled and lined. Still projects too far, but that won't be corrected until the bolt head is installed.
Barrel is turned into '44 LB receiver, bolt is a LB .303 unit I blasted and parked.

 

[tiriaq]

Well, the bits and pieces are falling into place. Might be a functioning rifle soon.

 

[enefgee]

Looking forward to seeing it.

 

[tiriaq]

Ran the drill through the barrel this morning. Liner fits nicely. Turned the bayonet lugs off. Note the pitting near the muzzle. I may take another pass, and flat crown the muzzle to get rid of it.

 

[tiriaq]

The liner drill is 5/16". .3125". Once again, there are traces of rifling left in the barrel. This bore was dark and rough, so corrosion had probably deepened the grooves a bit, but this indicates that .303 barrels may well have groove diameters greater than the .311" standard.