Log In
December 27, 2007
Offline
I noticed in a couple rifles with a serial number just over a million, that the grooves in the bores don’t show up as distinctly as in the 500,000’s and under. I don’t know where the change occurred. My bore-vision is not so good anymore, or I would attempt an accurate description.
In Renneberg’s book, he states that Winchester experimented with groove widths and depths.
Is there one type of rifling/groove configuration that shoots more accurately than other types?
Does one type work better with jacketed bullets? –with cast? –slower/faster bullets? –stays cleaner/dirtier?
Differences in wear/life of the bore?
Twist rates for individual calibers has not been influenced by the groove depth changes?
In my old set-in-your-ways personality, I’d choose the standard distinct grooves of the earlier rifles over the slick/can hardly see them newer grooves.
June 5, 2015
Offline
If would take a considerably large book to answer your questions. In fact some of them, concerning Winchester’s experiments with twists and rifling, can not be answered because nobody saved the ballistic research papers. After all, who would be interested in all the failed trials? And much of the results were manufacturing secrets. Why let competition know what does and doesn’t work. They had to develop groove numbers, ratios between grooves and lands, and twist rates for every new or experimental rounds. They tested existing designs to try and improve designs and get an important leg up on the competition. To me, the most fun experiments would be the “what happens if we….”
I couldn’t think of a more interesting job than being in the Winchester lab during the glory days of Winchester. They were the first to photograph a fired bullet head on as it exited the barrel. And they did that just for fun out of curiosity.
Has anybody here ever visited the, now long gone, underground firing range Winchester had? Or is that just another fable told to a Connecticut youth a long time ago.
Vince
Southern Oregon
NRA member
Fraternal Order of Eagles
“There is but one answer to be made to the dynamite bomb and that can best be made by the Winchester rifle.”
Teddy Roosevelt
1 Guest(s)
