Barrel Band tightness

[jek279]

On any rifle-musket that has the fitted barrel bands, such as the model 42, 55, or 61 Springfield's. Should they all be very tight, or just the bottom, leaving the middle and top band slightly lose. The idea would be to have the tang screw and bottom band secure the barrel, and then allow the barrel to heat evenly through the rest of the barrel without constricting the barrel in two other points. Any advice?

[Guenther C Brandes]

I have found that the most important thing is consistency. Always have the tang screw 2 fingers tight and continue doing that ever time you disassemble. My barrel bands are tight and the gun shoots consistently hot or cold. My barrel is glass bedded.

[jek279]

So, do you need all three barrel bands tight? Has anyone done the research.

[dfbowers]

So, do you need all three barrel bands tight? Has anyone done the research.
It's a known fact that putting a rifle barrel in tension anywhere but in the breech area can mess with the harmonics of the barrel. That's why modern rifles commonly have floating barrels. With that said, I bought a 3 band Armisport '61 Springfield 20 some years ago and played quite a bit with the barrel band tension. I was never able to prove it to myself either way. But.. you need to wonder why original barrel bands have a slight taper and had a "U" stamped on the lock side of the band.

[jek279]

So, what Should I be doing, have them all tight or have the lower band tight and the last two loose.

[jonk]

I tighten mine just tight enough so they don't slip. I also removed some wood under them to let them ride higher up- just a tad mind you- to take the tension off the top of the barrel. Unfortunately, this is the sort of thing you will have to work out for your gun(s). I would recommend doing what I said- loosening them, then tightening just enough so they don't slip under recoil. Fire 5 shots. If not happy, tighten an eight of a turn, and try again. This is of course assuming you have a bullet/charge combo that already shows some promise. I would say you would want at least 3-4" at 50 yards and then mess with band and screw tightness and see what happens; and if all else fails, glass bed it.

[Pat in Virginia]

What follows is an excerpt from Managing the Enfield in the section on bedding, last paragraph.

http://www.researchpress.co.uk/firearms/british/enfield/management09.htm

I recognize that a Springfield is not an Enfield, but they do bear certain similarities:

"When dealing with original Enfield rifles, it will usually be found that the fit of wood to metal does not need adjustment but there is one tip that should be followed. When finally re-assembling the barrel to the stock, replace the tang screw only loosely. Put the barrel bands into position but before tightening them, bump the butt on the floor to set the barrel firmly back into its place in the wood. Then tighten the bands and finally screw home the tang screw but NOT TOO HARD. Do not swing on the screw driver, the tang screw should be merely "nipped up" to position. Over-tighten it and there will be a stress on the rear end of the barrel. These comments about the tang screw also apply to the Parker-Hales."

Bill Curtis is a well recognized authority on the subject of British Militaria, Enfields, Whitworths especially, etc. So the source is reliable. That being said I am sure other Brits do other things. But, do pay attention to the barrel to stock fit before worrying too much about how much to tighten the bands. Try putting a long, thin slip of paper under the barrel at the breech so that you can see both ends of it sticking up and see if you can move it about side to side easily. If so, you have a bedding problem for sure that needs to be fixed. Then see how far you can work the paper strip forward. If it doesn't slip about easily with both ends sticking up see if the barrel is too tight against the wood on one side by putting one end of the paper under the barrel and gently pulling it out. Etc., etc.

[gmkmd]

This advice can vary depending upon the model of musket. If it is a musket with split bands (like most Enfields, and some Springfields), then the bands have to be snug enough that they don't shift while you are shooting. If they are solid bands (i.e., spring retained), this isn't usually an issue.

The reference quoted in the previous posting discusses primarily shooting British military muzzleloaders, according to British rules. Glass bedding is prohibited according to the British rules, so the way they usually make sure their bands are tight enough is to shim the barrel channel of the stock with slips of card stock in the band areas. While this may theoretically effect barrel harmonics, it is still better than having the bands walk up the stock with every shot. Obviously this is most crucial on a gun in which the stock has shrunken or become worn, such that even when the band screws are tightened all the way, they are still loose.