Aftermarket Barrel with (L) On It

Nemesis · 03-03-2014, 01:14 PM

I know I'm asking a lot of questions about this old, unmarked Savage I recently got. Don't know the model number of the rifle or who made the barrel. However, I was looking down the breech of it today, and saw what appeared to be a (L) stamped into the end of the rifle where the rounds load. At first I thought it was a (1), but after taking a small pick and following the path of it, I'm pretty sure it is an (L).

Does this ring a bell with anyone? There are no manufacture markings on the barrel that can be seen with the naked eye. Unless their is something under the barrel nut, and the (L) has no meaning to it, I'm still at square one. I'm currently trying to get up with the guy who traded the rifle in to see if he maybe knows who made the barrel. Any help is appreciated...Thanks

**Hotolds442** · 03-03-2014, 01:43 PM

I'd bet there's more than just the "L" there. The only way you'll know though is to pull the barrel. Savage didn't mark any barrels there, so you at least know for sure it's aftermarket. Lilja would be the first to come to mind, but I'm not sure how they mark their barrels. I'd also suspect there's no markings under the barrel nut. Without seeing the breechface, your guess is as good as anybody else's as to the origination of the barrel. Have you shot it yet?

Nemesis · 03-03-2014, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Hotolds442

I'd bet there's more than just the "L" there. The only way you'll know though is to pull the barrel. Savage didn't mark any barrels there, so you at least know for sure it's aftermarket. Lilja would be the first to come to mind, but I'm not sure how they mark their barrels. I'd also suspect there's no markings under the barrel nut. Without seeing the breechface, your guess is as good as anybody else's as to the origination of the barrel. Have you shot it yet?

As far as I can tell and feel with the pick, there is nothing else there. And I thought Lilja also after seeing the L also, but don't know for sure. I know it's not a Savage though based on the absent of markings. Not even a caliber marking on it.

**sharpshooter** · 03-04-2014, 01:00 AM

What does the bore measure?

Nemesis · 03-04-2014, 02:13 AM

Originally Posted by sharpshooter

What does the bore measure?

It's a .243, Sharpshooter. I did see that on the barrel. I missed that when I checked it the first time as it was in a place I must have not moved the pick. So there is a (L) along with 243 WIN stamped in the chamber side of the barrel. I looked it over good this evening while cleaning it, and there is nothing else on it unless, again, there is something under the barrel nut. It's a 24" heavy, fluted, SS barrel.

Here is the OP with pictures of the rifle and barrel when I was deciding on the rifle or another when I didn't know if I was going to be able to buy it or not because another person had paid money down on it, but ended up not taking it.

http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...at-To-Do/page2

**Hotolds442** · 03-04-2014, 12:28 PM

See post #4 here: http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...-identify-this
It will give you some idea how Shilen marks their barrels. A krieger: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f1TTfqxVUw...0/DSCN7410.JPG, way down the page, and a Benchmark:http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/benchmark2x350.jpg As you can see, there's a lot of info on the barrel, and you can only see all of it with the barrel removed from the action.

emtrescue6 · 03-04-2014, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Nemesis

As far as I can tell and feel with the pick, there is nothing else there. And I thought Lilja also after seeing the L also, but don't know for sure. I know it's not a Savage though based on the absent of markings. Not even a caliber marking on it.

I have a Lilja barrel on a Rem 700....Lilja barrels are typically manufactured to have about 1" cut off the chamber end of the barrel...which my smith did when chambering the barrel...I have the "cut off end cap" of the barrel and it has several letters and #'s stamped on it that indicate twist, cal and manufacture date....no "L"...

Nemesis · 03-04-2014, 02:52 PM

Nothing like that on this one. Just the (L) or possibly a (1) and 234 WIN. Nothing else I can see, and I've looked all over by shining a bright light in the chamber. I can see all the way around it. The barrel is a 1:10 twist from my measurement with a cleaning rod. Ah, no big deal....I guess as long as it shoots tiny groups...LOL

**Switchbarrel** · 03-04-2014, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by emtrescue6

Lilja barrels are typically manufactured to have about 1" cut off the chamber end of the barrel...I have the "cut off end cap" of the barrel and it has several letters and #'s stamped on it that indicate twist, cal and manufacture date....no "L"...

I have three Lilja barrels (and numerous other's as well) and never heard of cutting anything off the chamber end. Lilja barrels have a saw cut at the muzzle end which is meant to be cut off. The chamber end is usable because it will be threaded and chambered, removing the oversize portion(s) of the barrel. Unless there was something special about your barrel, you cut an inch off for no reason (unless you said chamber end by mistake).

From Lilja's site:
A. Almost all of our barrels have a bandsaw cut one inch from the muzzle end of the barrel. This indicates that the barrel is not useable beyond that point. When we hand lap our barrels, we do so from each end of the barrel. Because the lapping compound is applied to the lap directly next to the ends, the bore becomes worn slightly oversize. This oversize condition does not extend more than .50"-.75" into the barrel but we put the saw cut one inch back to ensure that you do not use any of the oversize bore.
This same condition occurs at the chamber end of the barrel too, but when the chamber is cut into the barrel, all of this oversize portion is removed with the chamber.
For example, most of the barrels we send out are 28" overall length. With the saw cut one inch back from the muzzle, these barrels will finish up to 27". With some special contours or exceptionally long barrels however, we may have already trimmed the barrel to its maximum finish length. For example, a 30" finish length barrel in a #5 contour (long and skinny for its length) will already be trimmed to make the contouring phase of machining easier. If there is not a saw cut, the barrel has already been trimmed to its maximum finish length.

emtrescue6 · 03-04-2014, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Switchbarrel

I have three Lilja barrels (and numerous other's as well) and never heard of cutting anything off the chamber end. Lilja barrels have a saw cut at the muzzle end which is meant to be cut off. The chamber end is usable because it will be threaded and chambered, removing the oversize portion(s) of the barrel. Unless there was something special about your barrel, you cut an inch off for no reason (unless you said chamber end by mistake).

From Lilja's site:
A. Almost all of our barrels have a bandsaw cut one inch from the muzzle end of the barrel. This indicates that the barrel is not useable beyond that point. When we hand lap our barrels, we do so from each end of the barrel. Because the lapping compound is applied to the lap directly next to the ends, the bore becomes worn slightly oversize. This oversize condition does not extend more than .50"-.75" into the barrel but we put the saw cut one inch back to ensure that you do not use any of the oversize bore.
This same condition occurs at the chamber end of the barrel too, but when the chamber is cut into the barrel, all of this oversize portion is removed with the chamber.
For example, most of the barrels we send out are 28" overall length. With the saw cut one inch back from the muzzle, these barrels will finish up to 27". With some special contours or exceptionally long barrels however, we may have already trimmed the barrel to its maximum finish length. For example, a 30" finish length barrel in a #5 contour (long and skinny for its length) will already be trimmed to make the contouring phase of machining easier. If there is not a saw cut, the barrel has already been trimmed to its maximum finish length.

I believe mine had saw cuts on both ends about 1" back from the ends....hmmmmmm But now you got me wondering....I know for a fact I have about 1" of the chamber end of the barrel (where all the stamps are) in my possession....haahaha