Black ring near muzzle
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Gunsmithing
Forum Description: Submit any how-to's or other gunsmithing suggestions here.
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13193
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 7:11pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Black ring near muzzle
Posted By: makrato
Subject: Black ring near muzzle
Date Posted: February 09 2024 at 6:42am
| he!!o everyone, I would like to kindly ask about dark ring (bulge?) under the bayonet lugs area on my Long Branch No.4. I’ve seen a few topics on different sites but I never found an answer if the rifle is safe to shoot. Other than this the Bore is tight and looks in perfect shape. Thank you all in advance.[IMG]uploads/7192/IMG_3192.jpeg[/IMG] |
Replies:
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 09 2024 at 6:04pm
|
I'm afraid you need (IIRC 20 posts) to upload images. Sorry its an anti-spam thing. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 12:55am
|
Oh, okay no problem. I will go and try it out on the range with a string i guess. I |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 3:48am
|
Do you think it’s an actual bulge in the barrel or just visibly appears that way? Is it noticeable from the outside (can you measure an increase in diameter at the location of the bulge compared to away from it)? Bulges are usually caused by an obstruction that was in the barrel when a shot was fired.
|
Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 6:01am
|
I would think at the very least a bulge caused by what ever reason would effect accuracy. If it was my rifle and was not to military spec, I`d probably lop the barrel and re-crown it and use it.
|
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 6:05am
| I’m not able to measure it because it’s located under the bayonet lugs and in that place the barrel is thicker. But when I shine the light from the chamber there is black ring so I assume that must be bulge since the light can’t reach there. I can send you a photo via email if you want. |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 6:09am
| I haven’t shot it yet, so I dont know if it’s accurate or not. The story is that I bought a farm and found this rifle in an 1932 wheat cutter machine, wrapped in cotton bag, It’s a Long Branch 1943, 2 groove, stock is full of trench art and it is marked N^Z, how this rifle ended here in Czech Republic I have no idea. |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 6:59am
If you are describing the area I have circled in red makrato then, there is no issues. That, "dark ring (bulge)" is part of the barrel machining process...
|
Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 7:15am
|
If so, then that makes sense as to what he may be describing. |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 7:18am
| But the ring is in the bore, not outside the barrel, it doesn’t seem right to me. I have a photo but I’m not allowed to post pictures since I’m new, But I can send it to you via email if you want. |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 7:20am
| Shiloh you have a PM from me. |
Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 7:27am
|
Here`s a pic of the issue he pm`d me. There appears to be a flat ring inside the bore. Does this go right out to the muzzle??  |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 7:34am
| Nope, it is only under bayonet lugs. Muzzle is tight almost as new. Thats why I dont get it, I’ve seen at least 3 indepent topics on different sites where people have this ring exactly on the same place as I do. |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 7:39am
| Huh. No guesses on that one except, from the picture, it looks like there is no rifling from the muzzle inwards to that dark ring, suggesting that someone has drilled out the issue and now the rifling ends where that dark ring begins?... |
Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 8:01am
|
My thought exactly. A possible reactivated dewat maybe. which would suggest it was drilled out to accept a plug. But why would you ever want to plug the end of a barrel.... Interesting mystery. Any hole repairs in the breech that look as though it might have be deactivated at some point??? All questions that need to be answered by Makrato.
|
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 8:32am
| As I said above, the muzzle is not counterbored it passes the bullet test as good as my Lothar Walther barrel on my second rifle. Also the rifle was def. not deactivated, I found it when I bought a farm house. With original canvas sling that was trashed and also with pouches and WW2 ammo, it was hidden in old wheat machine. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 12:07pm
|
I suggest looking close at the muzzle for rifling, see if a .311 diameter bullet can be inserted in the muzzle. If it can be, all the way to the base of the bullet, someone did drill that out. That “dark ring” could be a shadow caused by an actual bulge in the barrel, which would be detected externally on the barrel outer profile. Either way, I wouldn’t shot it… |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 12:36pm
| As I said earlier, muzzle is tight, bullet stops exactly like on my other enfield with new barrel. And there is no external sign of bulging. |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 1:14pm
Hope its a long string...
|
makrato wrote:Posted By: BJ72
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:01pm
| Maybe I’m not seeing the picture correctly but to me it looks like the barrel has been counterbored. Usually done to repair a damaged or worn crown/muzzle without shortening the barrel. If that’s all it is, the rifle should function fine. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:06pm
|
Try this. take a cleaning rod & a TIGHT fitting patch on a round, not loop type jag. Oil it well. Take a cleaning rod & lay it alongside the barrel marking with tape or something similar where the beginning of the suspected bulge is. Slide it in from the breech end, like you were cleaning to JUST SHORT of the beginning of the suspect area. SLOWLY slide back & forth feeling for any change in resistance as you pass through the suspect area. If it noticeably changes your barrel is bulged. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:13pm
Did you measure the barrel OD with calipers? Check to be sure there is no measurable outward bulge at this location. If not, then I don’t know what this could possibly be. The barrel cannot have been made this way, boring tooling could not have done this. Barrels can indeed bulge if it was shot with some form of obstruction, even a cleaning patch left in the bore can do this. Can you feel this area with a cleaning rod and snug fitting patch? If it is a bulge, you will feel less resistance with a cleaning rod. Post some photos of the rifle once you have your 20 points. Curious to see what it is. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:15pm
| Seems Shamu had the same idea I had, just noticed his post. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:17pm
|
Try this! I manipulated the image a bit to see the interior shot of the bore better. You can see the rifling restarting again after the "dark area". If it is a bulge, that's exactly where I' expect it if the muzzle were "poked in the dirt" & a round fired. Not conclusive but a possible clue.  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:23pm
|
Maybe Just go shoot it to check accuracy. If it shoots fine stick with
it. I see reason not to. barrels not obstructed, no real physical sign of
and actual bulge. If it won`t shoot accurately /consistent to point of aim then there`s something going on in the muzzle area.  |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:39pm
|
BRITRIFLES: Great minds & all that stuff!   ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:51pm
| Shamu, you have DM from me with photo of the bore, would you care and insert it here since i cant please? :) |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 2:57pm
|
I will try to shoot it tomorrow and let you guys know :) I live on Czech/German border and a lot of fighting was done around here, swamps are to this day full of rusty K98s etc. I also found an stock holster from C96 Mauser, K98 when I was making a new roof. When I’m able to post photos I will post them here, the stock on Enfield is full of trench art and barrel was painted with green baby poop like paint :) |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 3:42pm
I would at least make certain everything functions properly and the headspacing is within specs before shooting it makrato...
 |
Posted By: makrato
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 3:59pm
| Headspace is fine, I borrowed 303 gauges and tested it of course. Rifle is all n all in good condition except that dark ring. I will send you a DM with the ring up close |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 5:33pm
The OP's barrel from a different angle. From a machinist perspective, that dark ring looks like a heat treatment issue after the rifling process...
|
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 10 2024 at 6:51pm
From a PM. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: February 11 2024 at 4:45am
| Make a feeler out of a paper clip like we use to test for incipient head separation in a cartridge case and see if you feel an increase in diameter of the bore at that point. |