Krieger Lee-Enfield Barrel update

I have a nice #4T that I would like to shoot more, but that would mean wearing out a barrel that does not have much life left in it. It would not hurt the barrel to switch in a new one, putting the original in storage.

I did a somewhat similar thing with an ordinary #4. An old match 308 match barrel was machined at the muzzle end to look like a #4 barrel, complete with bayo lugs. Here is a picture of a real #4 and the 308 British ( a 303 Brit reamer with a 308 neck).

comparator020.jpg


In this case, we left the barrel nice and fat, and just hogged out the barrel channel. The step-down in diameter can be seen in this picture.

comparator015.jpg



I think the big demand will be a drop-in barrel. From Kreiger's point of view, the big deal is the outside contour. I will likely want to buy a barrel or two, but would prefer a stainless barrel. The part showing can be painted black. Stainless will last twice as long.

Also, I bet a number of shooters would prefer a 308 blank. When they run a 303 reamer into it they will have a rifle easy to load with a much wider selection of bullets.

When I worked for CIL, we used to make a round for the Aussie amrket. I think it was the 303 necked down to 6mm. We assumed it was roo medicine. Sort of a old school 243.

I always wanted one of those. Since I have a few thousand 7mm match bullets on hand, mabe a 7-03? or 7mmBrit?
 
John Sukey said:
For a NEW barrel you had best have a FAT wallet. add to that what the gunsmith is going to charge to fit it.

Of course you folks up north are all rich anyway:D
Click to expand...


That's because we aren't out at the range blowing .303 out of Brens and Vickers guns all day - it's an expense our government saves us from :D I'm looking forward to these barrels being available, we might see some very accurate and very interesting rifles.
 
tiriaq said:
Lots of cheap, bubba'd, rebuildable No. 4s around. The expense will be in the barrel, and the fitting.
As described, installation will be very straightforeward. Once the original barrel is off, No. 4s are not hard to work on. With the short chambered barrel, it will not be necessary to search out different boltheads, and the chamber will be a nice SAAMI one, which will minimize case stretching, and excessive resizing.
A properly set up No. 4 WILL shoot.
Click to expand...

Yes that is true. That might be the better route to go. Working with a bubba'd sporter to start with may give some more options. Hmmmmm, I'm starting to like Ganderite's idea of a heavy contour barrel, with a short sporter forend....maybe making a poor man's L42, complete with no smith scope mount and cheek rest. Interesting.

What are the chances of getting some barrels left in heavy contour instead of turned down to match milspec?
 
One can have a Lee-Enfield re-barreled with whatever you want. It is no different than rebarreling a Ruger #1. It is only a question of what the gunsmith will charge you.

I would love to be able to offer a number of different options, and depending on demand, Krieger may be willing to add them to a list of options, but in the interim - just as with their Springfield 1903 replacements, they are trying to appeal to a majority.

bear in mind, these barels will be a drop in the bucket of that they produce. They will not be willing to devote an inordinate amount of time to produce low-demand barrels, without charging accordingly. Just the fact we got them to do this is a huge accomplishment. We can be proud of the fact that we Canadians are responsible for the availability of 5R rifling and now LE barrels.
 
Obtunded

You are exactly right of course. What you are working on is a significant development. I personally am just dreaming a little. Those of us that want to will buy what is offered. You will never please everybody

Now, how about some barrels in 218 Mashburn Bee, fluted? :)
 
Fitting a custom barrel to a Lee Enfield is pretty much like fitting a barrel to any other bolt action rifle.
Being able to get a properly contoured, high grade barrel with front sight lugs in place is special.

Now how about prethreaded, short chambered, contoured replacement barrels for Mk. III Ross rifles?.....;)
 
tiriaq said:
Fitting a custom barrel to a Lee Enfield is pretty much like fitting a barrel to any other bolt action rifle.
Being able to get a properly contoured, high grade barrel with front sight lugs in place is special.

Now how about prethreaded, short chambered, contoured replacement barrels for Mk. III Ross rifles?.....;)
Click to expand...


I get a surprising number of requests for Ross Barrels...

I would go so far as to say that if someone can rustle up a large group that would buy them - and could provide Krieger with a receiver - It could conceivably happen.

It so happens, Helmut was able to obtain a #4 Mk.1 receiver which - in combionation with two barrels from CGN - made this possible.
 
The Austalians are reproducing the Lee-Enfield rifle in many calibers.

How about requesting their price/availablilty of new barrels for the # 4 ?
 
OneBarfly said:
Hummm... Just how short chambered will they be? Please say short enough to cut a 7.62x39 chamber. Also, what twist?
Click to expand...

The chamber would have to be REALLY short to work with 7.62x39 and .303.
Generally speaking, a short chambered barrel can be finished by hand reaming once it is indexed.
 
snowhunter said:
The Austalians are reproducing the Lee-Enfield rifle in many calibers.

How about requesting their price/availablilty of new barrels for the # 4 ?
Click to expand...

Assuming that they would sell them (they don't seem to be able to supply spare magazines), would they even work on an original No. 4? The AIA uses a counterbored bolthead, so breeching would be different.

Then again, this thread is about arranging for a supply of Kreiger barrels.
 
I did look up the AIA, and came to the conclusion that these chromelined barrels, in different contours and Savage style set ups, might not substitute for the original, military barrels, in which the Krieger is attempting to reproduce for the readers of these fine pages.
 
The barrels will be .311. That is not up for negotiation at this point. When more details become available, then I will take orders. Until then, the debate about caliber, material and non-krieger barrels is irrelevant - at least as far as my invlovement is concerned. These will be 10" twists.

I appreciate that you can't please all of the people all of the time, so to those who are not happy with the proposed product, I guess you'll pass on them.
 
may I ask why 1:10? Would not 1:12 be more appropraiate for the range of bullets we would shoot? The tracers might need 1:10, but I suspect that is not an issue for us.

1:10 would work just fine, as would 1:12. I am wondering what the reason for this choice was.
 
Ganderite said:
may I ask why 1:10? Would not 1:12 be more appropraiate for the range of bullets we would shoot? The tracers might need 1:10, but I suspect that is not an issue for us.

1:10 would work just fine, as would 1:12. I am wondering what the reason for this choice was.
Click to expand...


Quite simply because you have a choice of 1:10 or 1:20 twist as a standard twist rate with Krieger 303/311 blanks. I could arrange for a different twist, but it would jack the costs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom