Short SMLE barrels?

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Ontario Hillbilly

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My beat up old SMLE sporter is a decent shooter, but I am thinking it would be really handy with a 16 inch barrel. As the only legal way to do that is to acquire a barrel made in that length, I was wondering if they are available.
 
Umm they can be legally cut back and recrowned by a gunsmith.

Who's going to ask anyway????

My bad, I misread that the OP, wants "16" inch length.

That being said, if a barrel is turned from a blank, by a gunsmith, that should be considered a "manufactured barrel"
 
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They can be cut back to the legal limit by anyone. Less than 18" would result in a prohibited firearm.
Creating and installing a custom 16" barrel would cost waaaaay more than the rifle is, or would be worth.
 
Are we sure a bolt action rifle barrel needs to be 18" or longer? Semi automatics got roped into Restricted when the feds changed from 18" ie M1 Carbines to 18 1/2" minimums. I don't think that measurement applies to bolt actions as long as the overall length is more than 27".
 
Less than 18 inches is going to be prohibited, but it's an interesting idea, look at tanker Lee Enfields, they are cute looking, wish I had a second to mock up, no barrel haha
 
Firearms and Other Weapons
Interpretation
Definitions

84 (1) In this Part,
.....

restricted firearm means

....
(b) a firearm that

(i) is not a prohibited firearm,

(ii) has a barrel less than 470 mm in length, and

(iii) is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner,

(c) a firearm that is designed or adapted to be fired when reduced to a length of less than 660 mm by folding, telescoping or otherwise, or

////

prohibited firearm means

......

(b) a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so adapted,

(i) is less than 660 mm in length, or

(ii) is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length,

...

So, if it comes from the factory short then it is not Prohibited? But would a gunsmith with a Manufacturing Licence be able to shorten a bolt action rifle barrel?
 
If a barrel on a firearm is cut to less than 18", the firearm becomes prohibited. Doesn't matter who cuts it. The cut barrel itself has no particular legal status; it is only when it is installed on a firearm that there is an issue. The only specifically illegal short barrels are the under 105mm handgun barrels, when not associated with a registered 12-6 handgun.
There is no minimum barrel length for a manually operated firearm, so long as the overall length exceeds the 26" minimum, and the barrel has not been cut down.
Short replacement barrels are common for some firearms, the 10/22 and Remington 870 being examples. A 16" - or 12" - or whatever - barrel could be installed on the OP's SMLE. Cost would be a primary concern.
 
tiriaq said:
If a barrel on a firearm is cut to less than 18", the firearm becomes prohibited. Doesn't matter who cuts it. The cut barrel itself has no particular legal status; it is only when it is installed on a firearm that there is an issue. The only specifically illegal short barrels are the under 105mm handgun barrels, when not associated with a registered 12-6 handgun.
There is no minimum barrel length for a manually operated firearm, so long as the overall length exceeds the 26" minimum, and the barrel has not been cut down.
Short replacement barrels are common for some firearms, the 10/22 and Remington 870 being examples. A 16" - or 12" - or whatever - barrel could be installed on the OP's SMLE. Cost would be a primary concern.
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That extra 2 " is insignificant for actual use, I have mine at 18.25 just to be sure.

Grizz
 
Such a short barrel might have a terrible, ear-damaging bark (depending on the powder used).

I made a short sporter last year on a #1 action, and selected 20" because of the noise concern. My logic is that I can always cut off more, later, if I want.
 
coincidently the headstock on my lathe is about perfect for cutting and crowning a barrel at 20"

I need to dig out those pictures of my shortened No4

its almost the same length as an SKS



found the thread back from 2008, looks like all the photo links are gone https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/250456-Enfield-Tanker-project-NOW-95-done



I have a No1 that I did a little work on but its still sitting in the project pile waiting for me to build a nose cap :)
 
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I’d love to build or get manufactured a 12 inch tunnellers SMLE from WW1. They were to replace the full length SMLE’s, until a shipment of American shotguns arrived.
 
Below my No.4 Longbranch and my Winchester 30-30 trapper model with a 16 1/2 inch barrel. If I had to do it again I would have gotten the standard rifle with a 20 inch barrel. And as Ganderite stated my short barreled 30-30 had a very loud bark and muzzle blast. I have a Savage Hog Hunter .308 with a 20 inch barrel that is more pleasant to shoot with far less bark.

eNMuChI.jpg
 
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R711 said:
I’d love to build or get manufactured a 12 inch tunnellers SMLE from WW1. They were to replace the full length SMLE’s, until a shipment of American shotguns arrived.
Click to expand...

??!!! Do tell. Pics of these beasts?
 
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