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View Full Version : What twist??



shooter2
02-15-2007, 06:29 PM
My good friend and gunsmith, Ernie, asked me this question. He is restoring a Winchester model 90 in .22 long (not long rifle). He thought that the earliest .22's in .22 short had one turn in 20". When they started chambering for S, L and LR, they went to 1 turn in 16". Logically this sounds right as they would want to stabilize the longer bullet in the LR round. The .22 long has (I think) the same weight bullet as the .22 short. Here's the question, to be authentic in relining this barrel would you go with 1 in 20 or 1 in 16? Keep in mind that if this gun is shot, and I think it will be, it will be shot with .22 longs only. Thanks...

leftiye
02-16-2007, 01:25 AM
Depends if authenticity is the main thing or not. He may spend the rest of his life finding a 1 in 20 twist barrel, I don't know. If authenticity is everything, then I'd contact Numrich Arms. they might have an original barrel.

If authenticity isn't worth-your-life important, then either twist will do fine functionally. If the action will cycle 22LRs then maybe you might want to chamber it for them.

leftiye
02-16-2007, 01:28 AM
If he hasn't bored the barrel out yet, and there's enough rifling to measure, then wedge a cleaning rod in tight with cleaning patches, and see how far it goes while making one turn.

mhb
03-01-2007, 12:56 PM
is customarily about 1 in 22", which will work for the Long as well. Since this is a re-bore, and will in no case be original, just use a 1 in 16" standard .22 LR liner, which is readily available, and will shoot at least as well.
mhb - Mike