Thread: Origin of 0.319 4 groove barrel

Hello Folks

I have a rifle with a replacement barrel liner that slugs at 0.319 and is 4 grooves. It is very smooth (the bore is perfect) and a 32-20 cartridge will chamber. I'm wondering what the origin of the barrel might be . . . Maybe a from a Besa machine gun, they were the British version of 7.92mmx57. Anyone know if they were about in NZ? Other possibilities?

Some detail on the rifle would help. Also the twist. 32-40 or .32 special perhaps.
GPM.

I suspect 310 cadet which had nominal bore of .320.
I had at one time a heeled bullet mold that cast .320.

I agree 310 Cadet is very likely, but this barrel is like new, I've seen several Cadets but never one with a 9/10 bore. The American 32's are nominally 0.312 so I don't think it's an American barrel. It's fitted to a very nice conversion from a single shot 16g back action hammer gun - by Thomas Bland and good quality, the walnut is very nice and finely finished.

The conversion hasn't been done in the UK, it's not been reproofed!

The Aussies were good at rebarrelling many post-war rifles - 310 Cadet was a common calibre so maybe it came from there .

More than one 310 Cadet rifle I have seen would happily chamber a 32-20 cartridge.

Originally Posted by Tentman

I agree 310 Cadet is very likely, but this barrel is like new, I've seen several Cadets but never one with a 9/10 bore. The American 32's are nominally 0.312 so I don't think it's an American barrel. It's fitted to a very nice conversion from a single shot 16g back action hammer gun - by Thomas Bland and good quality, the walnut is very nice and finely finished.

The conversion hasn't been done in the UK, it's not been reproofed!

You can't say things like that and not put up some pics

I've seen a new old stock never fired Cadet barrel before
So they do / did exist

The twist rate is 1:10.5" as far as I can tell with the tight patch method, that's way off the published 1:20" rate for a Cadet.

Hmmm. Maybe it's an 8x57js repurposed barrel, they were 1:9.45"

310-cadet-pt-1-1.pdf

Hey thanks for that Ted, it's an awesome article. Funny enough I was going to contact Jeff to see if he'd played with one.