Long Branch No.4 ..2..4..5 & 6 groove barrels

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x westie

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Maybe some of our CGN Long Branch No.4 experts can explain as how it was decided when making No.4 barrels that there was to 2,4,5,and 6 groove barrels..also was this because of production delays or barrel making machinery breakdowns..lack of experianced operators.etc...am interested in hearing your feedback or opinions..thanks ..
 
5 groove is "standard". 6 grooves were made by Savage and used in Savage and LB production, because the barrel making machines they got at the start of production were already set up for 6 groove rifling, so they made a bunch that way before switching over to 5 groove. Both performed about equally.

The 2 groove barrels were a wartime expedient. Interestingly, testing showed that with ball ammo, there was no significant difference in performance between the 2 groove and 5 groove except that the 2 groove was actually less susceptible to throat erosion. After the war, they reverted the 5 groove bores.

Not sure what the deal is with 4 grooves. I suspect it has something to do with the Springfield being 4 grooved and the use of that machinery after the introduction of the M1 made the Springfield obsolete???
 
The late LB 6 groove barrels were rifled using machinery originally used for production of Bren barrels. These barrels had a following among DCRA target shooters.
 
My Dad raves about the 6 grove every time we talk about Enfields.
Does anyone know how many came with the 6 grove?
 
Not very many. LB production was in the 50s, so most would have been replacements. Savage made them early in their production, and then went to 2 groove for most of their run. These barrels were cut rifled, and a 2 groove barrel requires about 40% of the stock removal of a 5 groove barrel.
 
Claven2 and Tiriaq have the 2 and 6 groove down pat. The 5 groove barrel was the 303 standard. The British introduced the 4 groove barrel early in the game and I have one on my 1941 Maltby No4 MK1......only have seen a few. The 2 groove barrel was a war expedient designed by Long Branch; used by them and Savage. Not seen on British rifles however, undoubtly, a field repair is out there! The 6 groove was a post war late 1950's barrel manufactured by Long Branch, then Canadian Arsensals "CA" and was made with the Bren Gun tooling in limited quantities. The one I have was made in 1958 and stamped "CA 58" on the barrel knox and a "6" on the baynot lug. These were used mainly by DCRA and other target shooters as replacement barrels. Reportly known for their accuracy!
 
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rgg: Savage also made some early 6 grooves. They are rather rare. Brit rifles ARE seen with 2 groove from the factory. LB and Savage shipped thousands of barrels to the brits through lend lease as replacement parts. Shortages caused many of these to be used on new british made receivers though ;) I've seen several examples.

I've not personally seen a 4 groove though... but I know they exist.
 
Savage started the 2 groove production first with permission from Brit Gov't Longbranch followed and it's not uncommon to see Savage barrels and other parts on LB rifles since when thier Brit contract was done all spares were sent to LB .LB 6 groove barrels as a rule are 1950 early production and most if not all have a small 6 stamped on one of the bayonet lugs I think the left one .
 
If memory serves me, the 6 groove post war bren tooling barrels were also right twist, as opposed to the left twist on all other LB Enfields. Ive seen these barrels on all the EAL rifles I have ever owned, albeit factory sporterised.
 
stencollector said:
If memory serves me, the 6 groove post war bren tooling barrels were also right twist, as opposed to the left twist on all other LB Enfields. Ive seen these barrels on all the EAL rifles I have ever owned, albeit factory sporterised.
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The EALs I've checked have all been standard 5groove CAL produced barrels.

As previously stated: Savage Mfg 6groove LEFT hand barrels as standard (roughly 10K from reports). According to Skennerton Savage also got the OK to produce 4 groove barrels as they were already set up for a French contract (never seen one, they may not exist). The vast majority of Savages from 1942 on are 2-groove.

Long Branch produced 5groove barrels from 1941 on. They apparently had some problems & started producing 2grooves almost immediately (I've seen a 4 digit gun w/42 dated 2groove). These are of course all left hand twist.

The LB 6groove RIGHT hand twist barrel production apparently started by 1949 (breech date). The majority of 6grooves I've seen are dated 1958. According to my plug gauges, they don't seem any better than any other 5groove LB. 5 & 6groove production seems to have been concurrent ( c.49-58 6gr, c.41-52 5gr).

The only 4groove LB barrels I've seen are on 7.62mm DCRA No4s. These are of course right hand.

LB apparently produced No1 SMLE replacement barrels during WWII, but I've never seen one. Anyone???

BSA produced 4groove barrels for the No1 SMLE during WWII (had one). I've never seen a 4groove No4 barrel.

3groove barrels were produced by Accles & Pollack for the No4 rifle during WWII. These were the first "hammer forged" barrels. These were not fully shaped so they had a barrel reinforce (nocks form) heat shrunk & pinned onto the barrel. Because the reinforce had a tendency to expand & loosen, these were removed from service & destroyed as found. (I really want one by the way...)

Most of the British 2groove Sten barrels were produced by A&P using this method (9MkII & .303 are different kettles as they say).

The British also produced 2groove barrels as standard during the war. I've observed them on Faz & Maltby actions (I don't recall seeing any on BSAs).

D
 
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add to the list the british produced 3 groove barrels that were pressfit into a sleave at the barrel knox. They were determined to be dangerous (like a certain batch of press fit SKS barrels) and recalled and replaced. I've never seen a 3 groove barrel

I will have to check my enfields and make a few notes, I'm fairly sure that my EAL is a 5 groove as well.
 
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