Why do Military Surplus Rifles have so much Wood??

[sail32]

To avoid barrel heat.

The Austria-Hungarian army's 1886, 1888, 1888/90 Mannlichers had no hand guard, but a canvas lace on hand guard was issued.

The 1895 Mannlicher that replaced the earlier Mannlichers had a wooden hand as part of the design.

The long to short Lee-Enfields went through much the same process.

 

[sunray]

Really has nothing to do with barrel heat. Rifles(and muskets) had full length stocks long before there was such a thing as a magazine fed rifle(or a rifle for that matter). It's about parrying when fighting with a bayonet. The wood protects the rifle/musket from such damage.
Mind you, there's a great deal of 'That's how they've always been." when it came to the design of anything military.

 

[nw mb]

View attachment 15952

...to stop winter warfare from double-dog dares (nothing is more debilitating to a troop's morale than being attacked with all your comrades mackin' a rifle barrel, i tell ya)

 

[the11]

The full wood stock served a number of purposes. They protected the soldier's hands from barrel heat. And yes, this was even the case when they fought with muzzle loading muskets. After 5-10 minutes of continuous fire, the barrels would get too hot to touch. Not a problem for firing, because of the bottom wood. But definitely a problem for reloading. During the heat of battle the British infantry were known to use their sling as a sort of pad to protect their hand while reloading. But there was always the risk of a cartridge catching fire ("cooking off") during this process. If things got really bad, soldiers would pour water, or even piss down their barrels to cool them, and to clean some of the fouling. Then if they needed to keep firing they would pour in the powder from a cartridge, leave it unrammed, and touch it off to dry the barrel.

But back to the topic at hand. The wood also kept at least some of the mud and water off the barrel. On some rifles they served as the anchor point for the bayonet, so as not to affect the way the rifle shot depending on whether bayonets were fixed or not. They also often served a purpose in barrel bedding, or (as in the case of the SMLE) to place upward tension on the barrel. And sometimes they even housed parts of a rifle's mechanism (eg: the upper handguard on an SKS).

But I think the main reason is that it looks badass.

 

[Desert_Fox]

The full wood stock served a number of purposes. They protected the soldier's hands from barrel heat. And yes, this was even the case when they fought with muzzle loading muskets. After 5-10 minutes of continuous fire, the barrels would get too hot to touch. Not a problem for firing, because of the bottom wood. But definitely a problem for reloading. During the heat of battle the British infantry were known to use their sling as a sort of pad to protect their hand while reloading. But there was always the risk of a cartridge catching fire ("cooking off") during this process. If things got really bad, soldiers would pour water, or even piss down their barrels to cool them, and to clean some of the fouling. Then if they needed to keep firing they would pour in the powder from a cartridge, leave it unrammed, and touch it off to dry the barrel.

But back to the topic at hand. The wood also kept at least some of the mud and water off the barrel. On some rifles they served as the anchor point for the bayonet, so as not to affect the way the rifle shot depending on whether bayonets were fixed or not. They also often served a purpose in barrel bedding, or (as in the case of the SMLE) to place upward tension on the barrel. And sometimes they even housed parts of a rifle's mechanism (eg: the upper handguard on an SKS).

But I think the main reason is that it looks badass.

That's the answer!

End Thread.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

So now we can go on discussing why barrels were so long even after the original reason was no more.

Grizz

 

[plinker 777]

The full wood keeps the barrel the same uniform temperature when firing, if these rifles did not have full wood, the top of the barrel would be cooler causing the barrel to warp upward and shoot high.


It gets worse when you are tasked with giving suppressive covering fire and firing long bursts of ammo.

Ed, you just made my day!

 

[Mr. Dynamite]

I thought it was just so Bubba could cut it down when he brought it back from the war! Hahaha

 

[BeaverMeat]

I thought it was just so Bubba could cut it down when he brought it back from the war! Hahaha

I thought it was for resale value. No one wants a military rifle for collection purposes.

 

[points]

Really has nothing to do with barrel heat. Rifles(and muskets) had full length stocks long before there was such a thing as a magazine fed rifle(or a rifle for that matter). It's about parrying when fighting with a bayonet. The wood protects the rifle/musket from such damage.
Mind you, there's a great deal of 'That's how they've always been." when it came to the design of anything military.

"Nothing to do with barrel heat" ????? I don't know how to resond to that. I am an old X armourer and I do have to dissagree.

 

[silverfoxdj]

The full wood keeps the barrel the same uniform temperature when firing, if these rifles did not have full wood, the top of the barrel would be cooler causing the barrel to warp upward and shoot high."
.................................
Wow, they thought of that in the 15th century????

Makes sense though these guys were pretty smart..

 

[sunray]

Barrels stayed long because that's how they always were. Prior to the 20th Century there wasn't much ballistics research happening.

 

[crash277]

too much of a pain to carry a rifle and a louisville slugger.

 

[fenceline]

Barrels stayed long because that's how they always were. Prior to the 20th Century there wasn't much ballistics research happening.

Seriously. You've got to be kidding.

Sam Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862), John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926), and Henry Leon Nagant (1833 - 1900) among others did much to advance ballistics and firearm design in the 19th century.

Benjamin Robins (1707 – 29 July 1751) in the 18th century did extensive work involving rifled barrels in small arms to advance ballistics. He even developed a "ballistic pendulum" which was a type of early chronograph.

Ballistic science is constantly being developed. The 20th century is just a continuation of work done in centuries past.

 

[woodchopper]

needed a long barrel and bayonet so the squaddies could poke calvary off their horses and remain outside saber range.

 

[vinver]

The full wood keeps the barrel the same uniform temperature when firing, if these rifles did not have full wood, the top of the barrel would be cooler causing the barrel to warp upward and shoot high.


It gets worse when you are tasked with giving suppressive covering fire and firing long bursts of ammo.

Big Ed, is that an actual experimental belt feed or somebody's home modifucation>? I can feel a bruise starting.

 

[purple]

Well these old rifles tend to outlast the old soldiers who used them. Old rifles still have a lot of wood; old soldiers, not so much.

 

[bigedp51]

Big Ed, is that an actual experimental belt feed or somebody's home modifucation>? I can feel a bruise starting.

It is a gag photo, a joke, I'm pulling everyone's leg.............its surplus linked 7.62 NATO ammo and the bottom of the magazine on this Ishapore 2A1 was removed for the gag photo.

 

[plinker 777]

Big Ed, is that an actual experimental belt feed or somebody's home modifucation>? I can feel a bruise starting.

...oh boy...some bruises never heal. I'll let the smart a$$ comment be, I'm banking my Karma for something I really need it for. You're welcome, and thank you!

 

[plinker 777]

...I have enough Karma in the bank (couldn't resist).
What Ed has actually posted is the first known prototype of this...

Apparently it took 100 years to get design from A to B, the problem is that the Enfield prototype didn't jam. The other...?