Long Branch desporterizing quandry...

yorgi

yorgi

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A 1943 sportered LB followed me home. Matching bolt and receiver, pristine bore but sadly, cut barrel... sigh...

What would be the approximate cost for an uncut barrel as well as having a gunsmith install it for me ? Not in a hurry to dress it up with proper furniture, for now, just wondering if it's worth saving.
 
I would rather hunt down another LB sporter with uncut barrel; even if you may slightly overpay for that one, in the end it likely will be cheaper than buying a barrel and getting it installed. Very often the only source for a barrel comes with a receiver attached to it anyways... in my humble opinion.
 
louthepou said:
I would rather hunt down another LB sporter with uncut barrel; even if you may slightly overpay for that one, in the end it likely will be cheaper than buying a barrel and getting it installed. Very often the only source for a barrel comes with a receiver attached to it anyways... in my humble opinion.
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Always listen to and appreciate your expert advice Louis, thank you!
 
How cut is the barrel? A muzzle from a scrap barrel can be sleeved on.
About the only relatively easy way to get a replacement barrel is to obtain another sported rifle, and salvage the barrel. Might make sense if the donor rifle had an altered receiver.
There may be replacement barrels floating around, but there is no regular supply, and the price might make the restoration unattractive.
You could start collecting the wood and fittings that are going to be needed for a restoration, but nice LB sets are not plentiful, and prices have risen dramatically.

You might have a perfectly good hunting rifle that is beyond reasonable restoration.
 
tiriaq said:
How cut is the barrel? A muzzle from a scrap barrel can be sleeved on....
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Had no idea this was even possible.... please tell me more. By my rough estimate, the last 2" of the barrel have been cut.


Edited to add: Currently don't have the rifle with me, will try to post a pic of it later. There's a "step" close to the end of it, the original sight (minus ears) is placed 1" to 1 1/2" from that step. I think there are remnants of the bayo lug, barely protruding from front edge of sight. Pardon the childish doodle...
 

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The existing muzzle can be turned down, a piece from a scrap barrel bored out and sleeved on. Joint made with silver braze. Rifling bored out of the extension. The joint is hidden by the front sight base, or the wood, depending on where it was made.
I recall that a US barrel maker was doing No. 4 barrels, complete with bayonet lugs. This would have been a rather expensive option.

Doesn't help you, but Tradeex is offering fine SM|LE barrels, in the grease, @$250. I am unaware of a similar source for No. 4 barrels.
 
tiriaq said:
The existing muzzle can be turned down, a piece from a scrap barrel bored out and sleeved on. Joint made with silver braze. Rifling bored out of the extension. The joint is hidden by the front sight base, or the wood, depending on where it was made.
I recall that a US barrel maker was doing No. 4 barrels, complete with bayonet lugs. This would have been a rather expensive option.

Doesn't help you, but Tradeex is offering fine SM|LE barrels, in the grease, @$250. I am unaware of a similar source for No. 4 barrels.
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Given the number of alternate rifles out there, hardly worth while and still not original. :confused:

Grizz
 
Finding a decent set of matching wood is going to be more of an issue than the barrel especially if you want LB wood to match the rifle. I would look for this first before spending money on a barrel....
 
There is a guy on here that has done a few , where he has replaced just the last couple of inches of the Barrel as tiriaq has suggested . Maybe a quick search will bring up the posting..
Cheers
Brian
I
Have one like yours... maybe an inch off the end. Still has the lugs on the end of the barrel, someone tried to make it into a no5 look-a-like... looks good, but still just a No4 that someone cut up!
 
tiriaq said:
The existing muzzle can be turned down, a piece from a scrap barrel bored out and sleeved on. Joint made with silver braze. Rifling bored out of the extension. The joint is hidden by the front sight base, or the wood, depending on where it was made.
I recall that a US barrel maker was doing No. 4 barrels, complete with bayonet lugs. This would have been a rather expensive option.

Doesn't help you, but Tradeex is offering fine SMLE barrels, in the grease, @$250. I am unaware of a similar source for No. 4 barrels.
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I think that was Criterion.
 
This may be a minority opinion, but I think you should scrap the idea of a restoration, save your money and buy a proper LB No. 4 in original condition.

Even if your rifle had an in-cut barrel, by the time you're done you'll only have a look-a-like rifle that won't hold it's value as well as an original.
 
quinnbrian said:
There is a guy on here that has done a few , where he has replaced just the last couple of inches of the Barrel as tiriaq has suggested . Maybe a quick search will bring up the posting..
Cheers
Brian
I
Have one like yours... maybe an inch off the end. Still has the lugs on the end of the barrel, someone tried to make it into a no5 look-a-like... looks good, but still just a No4 that someone cut up!
Click to expand...

I did two of them and wrote it up in November, 2016.
The posts are still there.
I have one scrap barrel left for another one, but I'm thinking of trying to make up simple extensions, since barrels are scarce.
 
slug said:
I did two of them and wrote it up in November, 2016.
The posts are still there.
I have one scrap barrel left for another one, but I'm thinking of trying to make up simple extensions, since barrels are scarce.
Click to expand...

You are the man!...or at least the man I was trying to remember...lol nice work!
 
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