SOWR

[Rab]

Well it's not really a SOWR it's a rather nice all matching Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 stamped 1946, thing is though it's a really funny bugger because it doesn't like having the barrel cleaned. Last summer I noticed that after being cleaned and shooting the handload that it really likes, it would pattern like a shotgun with rounds going everywhere over the target.

I noticed that after around 50 rounds down the barrel the groups would start to tighten up to the point that around about the hundred rounds mark the groups would be really tight, out to 400m and I'm seeing 1 inch groups and tighter groups the closer the targets. Also I will add here that the rifle is scoped as my old eyes aren't as good as they used to be.

Anyway I had the rifle out this afternoon, I am keeping a round count for when accuracy begins to drop off at which point I'll give the rifle a clean, so far the round count is 620 rounds without being cleaned and she's still grouping tight. Does anyone else on here have a similar thing going on with any of their milsurp rifles?

[ovenpaa]

Rab, I have come across exactly this issue with SOWR's and I think it was Dromia who used the word 'season' to describe what is needed for the barrel if you do a serious copper strip. Basically you need to put a good few rounds through the barrel with only light oiling in between to bring things back where they should be.

Something interesting is a SOWR with average performance when seriously copper stripped gets worse when fired however after a few dozen rounds accuracy returns abd is better than before the full copper strip. Incidentally, I have only found one cleaner that will clean the barrel this thoroughly.

[snayperskaya]

Excuse my ignorance but what is a SOWR?....genuine question.

[ovenpaa]

Erm, Sh!te Old Wooden Rifle - it is a term of endearment and I am the proud owner of a few examples.

[snayperskaya]

Erm, Sh!te Old Wooden Rifle - it is a term of endearment and I am the proud owner of a few examples.

Ah....thanks . That'll be my '39 91/30 then!.

[ovenpaa]

Exactly!

[snayperskaya]

Translates roughly as "der'mo staryy derevyannyy vintovka" in Russian so my 91/30 is a DSDV!

[Rab]

Ovenpaa, 620 rounds and it's still grouping really well. Come time to clean it I will use the old electronic bore cleaner after giving it an initial clean. That method really does strip out the copper and the crud. I knew the rifle had a good barrel on it but for a while there last year it was making me nuts trying to get it to produce something that even resembled a group, I even went as far as changing the scope, the rings even when I knew the scopes and rings were perfectly good.

Well I know now that it's a little fickle, never had anything like this with any of my other SOWR's.

[Rab]

BTW you wrote

I have only found one cleaner that will clean the barrel this thoroughly.

What was it?

[Maggot]

Rab I think I have the same problem.

I recently have mine a damned good clean....Oh Dear.....

It used to group 2MOA easilly and now....shocking.

I was advised to simply clear the carbon if I have to but ideally just patch through then use an oily patch which, to be fair, it what it would have got unless it was boiled out.

This falls in nicely with the comments made by an old gent who basically stopped me blowing myself up as a teenager. He was our local range warden who, resigned to the fact he could not keep me away fostered the interest so I stayed and helped out getting to fire and strip all sorts of interesting gear.

He was Exe SAS (Genuinely and known to me to be correct, he served in Norway and finally Berlin and I still have some of his trophies) and told me of his theory that he never cleaned his No4(T) and the thing stayed accurate right the way through, he just used an oily patch.

Thinking back the process was just this, followed by another quick dry then oily pull through a fae days after firing as the barrels are supposed to sweat (I can only assume this is a term they used).

It was also normal to dry the bore and fire warming shots before commending any zero practice or application shooting.

Even in the current JSP for the L98A2 it refers to simply dragging a well oiled bore brush through the barrel if its really bad, otherwise its just dry and oily patches, no copper solvent or carbon remover in sight.

Now I know this may not be the gold star treatment, but I have been warned a few times about solvents on older barrels and I am going to heed that for now and see if the accuracy comes back.

I know battle accuracy is not what we would term accuracy, but what would be the point of issueing a rifle dependant on solvents after every firing to keep it viable in this situation? It was well known that some cleaning methods rendered necessary by the military desire for bullshit really dont do the weapons any good (I was a kid of the L1 era so I know carbon!!!).

Do what works, I am going to simply field clean for now and oil.