SMLE .22 tube update
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: .22 Caliber Enfields
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with .22 caliber Enfields.
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13304
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 7:10pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: SMLE .22 tube update
Posted By: Shamu
Subject: SMLE .22 tube update
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 4:52pm
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The way, way high pattern from My 14 Beezer SMLE with the Morris .22 RF conversion was caused by barrel tension! I finally go to the range & started by firing a 3 round group just as it was set before It was still massively high. Next I started taking tension off the muzzle nut 1/4 turn at a time stopping to fire another 3-round group. There was a slight difference then suddenly after about 1 1/4 turn its dropped drastically. I spent the next hour or so tweaking tension for the best zero. After that once it seemed I was done & re-zeroed the AGP 9W sight for that set of circumstances. I think I can get even more with maybe different ammo I was doing the rough work with Remington Thunderbolt which I have a lot of, & not shooting in a 15MPH wind gusting to 25! Either way I'm not too embarrassed to have shot a 25 Yd, 10-round slightly under 2 3/4" group from a 110 year old, sleeved SMLE with a 104 year old folding sight using 73 year old eyeballs   ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Replies:
Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 5:16pm
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I have one of those conversion tube in a beater SMLE and it shoots 22 shorts the best for some reason ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 5:57pm
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Well, glad to see progress! I would not have thought that the torque on that nut would cause a large elevation POI increase. It’s so refreshing to see results that are believable! |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 6:14pm
| ill second that , you have it well in hand it seems , one day i need to take all of mine to the range in a fixed bench position to see just how accurate they really are , back 20 years ago when i bought them they all performed extreemly well , but i was younger then , with better eyes and a steadier hold - not i have a decent bech vise that will allow the rifle to speak for itself , |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 6:41pm
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Its funny I got the idea from a Dan Wesson revolver  I'd noticed that when switching from my 6" Vent rib Heavy barrel to the 4" Vent heavy I had a vertical change of 32 clicks @ 25 yds! I did some researching & discovered that I could actually "walk" the 2 barrels much close to each other by using different, but repeatable tensions  The guns were radically different, A bolt action Rifle vs a side swing revolver, but the barrel mountings were virtually identical. Both were attached at the breech end & mounted by a nut at the muzzle, the rest was free floated. I guess its like tuning a guitar string. I could tune barrel harmonics simply by tightening or loostening the barrel nut torque ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 07 2024 at 6:14am
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Did you remove have to remove the “shark fin” foresight blade, or is it still shooting a bit high? Maybe try with the nut just barely snugged to take up any slack in the tube and then go from there. I wonder if the tube might lengthen as it heats altering the tension…tho I wouldn’t think a .22 puts much heat into the barrel either.
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 07 2024 at 3:08pm
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The original "Shark Fin" is on the Lithy which is still in .303, with The Central sight. The one I made is on the .22 converted one. Its still there. It was mostly to elevate the sight plane higher than the original open irons. Agreed the nut needs amazingly little tension. I'm going to p***k punch it for a "witness mark" so if it stars vibrating out or something I can see it & remedy it. As a single-shot .22 rim-fire I'm not going to be doing any "Mad Minutes" with it but as a target rifle/ trainer I'm in no hurry anyway. Good point though, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe next time I'll whip of a dozen rounds as fast as I can into the bank & then go back on target & see what happens. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 07 2024 at 3:30pm
I assume sleeved .22 RF trainers are inherently less accurate than one piece barrels? Reason I ask is my non-sleeved Sht .22 MkIV* shoots ragged hole groups at 50 yards (1 called flier) and a non-sleeved Sht .22 MkIV that shoots 3/4" at the same range. Granted, I added a PH5A sight to the MkIV* and the MkIV came with a Cooey 10A rear sight. I don't mean to demean the group you shot, far from it. It's just that my experiences with my two non-sleeved .22 trainers has been very satisfying.
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Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 07 2024 at 3:39pm
Next pic: |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: April 08 2024 at 1:03pm
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Yes, the standard .22 rifles with either parker-rifled or original .22 barrels are generally excellent! Especially if fitted with a dioptre rear sight. But the Morris tube is a cool idea and an interesting collector item. Probably just as much fun to shoot! ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 08 2024 at 1:19pm
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No problem, this is what I'd call "acceptable accuracy", way better than off the top of the paper at least! I'm gong to try more fine tuning of the barrel tension & different rounds to see what its capable of. It won't be "dedicated .22 bore" IMO, but I'll see how close to it I can get. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |