SMLE .22 tube update

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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 

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Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: SMLE .22 tube update Posted: April 06 2024 at 4:52pm
	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)

SW28fan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: July 02 2007 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 3388	Post Options Post Reply Quote SW28fan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 06 2024 at 5:16pm
	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

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Georgia, USA Status: Offline Points: 8404	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 06 2024 at 5:57pm
	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!

A square 10 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 16998	Post Options Post Reply Quote A square 10 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply 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 ,

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 06 2024 at 6:41pm
	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)

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Georgia, USA Status: Offline Points: 8404	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 07 2024 at 6:14am
	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.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 07 2024 at 3:08pm
	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)

Sapper740 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: July 15 2021 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1737	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sapper740 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply 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.

Sapper740 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: July 15 2021 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1737	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sapper740 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 07 2024 at 3:39pm
	Next pic:

Zed Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 6460	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zed Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 08 2024 at 1:03pm
	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!

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: April 08 2024 at 1:19pm
	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)