Avis barrel thoughts

[RH Scott]

I have the opportunity to purchase one of two AA rebuilds. Pretty much both the same mixed parts rebuilt weapons.
One is a 1.16m Mk1 SA with a (SA 12-19) barrel. The other is a nice later steel 1.35m SA but with a Avis (AV 12-18 A ) barrel.
Bore condition of both is excellent but leaning towards the 1930 made weapon due to the getter steel, but it has that Avis barrel.
What gives, not all Avis barrels were bad were they? To put what looks like a reclaimed serviceable one on a rifle in 1930 or during a rebuild someone had trust in them,...didnit they?

Thoughts

[John Beard]

Unless you intend to shoot magnum-powered reloads, the Avis barrel should be fine. All underwent and passed high-pressure proof testing. I am not aware of any effort to withdraw Avis barrels from service.

J.B.

[RH Scott]

Excellent. Danke

[Cosine26]

Here is something from Hatcher's Notebook
FWIW
Avis Barrel Usage
I would agree that a M1903 rifle in the 250K S/N range with an Avis barrel had received a replacement barrel. I would say that any rifle with an Avis barrel and a receiver numbered below 700K had received a barrel replacement. However after carefully reading Hatcher’s notebook and his description of the Avis barrel situation and subsequent use of these barrels, I believe that Avis barrels were used in the assembly of new rifles. Probably not much before the 1M S/N range. As a matter of fact I believe that at one time I read where Avis barrels were used in the building of some NM M1903’s.
Looking at the list of failures of M1903’s reported by Hatcher I find a couple of examples that my give some credence to my point.
5/18/1923 – S/N 1254701 had a failure characteristic of Avis failure at the USMA. According to Hatchers’ NB, the rifle was of early 1923 manufacture and would not really be expected to require a barrel replacement by May of 1923. Barrel is not identified as Avis manufacture but experienced the characteristic Avis failure.
9/3/1929 – S/N 1271923 (1926/27 build) in use by the ROTC at the 1929 National Matches had a characteristic Avis failure using 1929 NM Ammo. This rifle could have had a barrel replacement. There were no National Matches in 1926 so the rifle was probably not built up as a NM. It may have been built in 1927 but could have been rebuilt after the 1927 Nationals. I believe that the ROTC were issued NM’s at Perry.
The discussion on page 201 in the chapter “The Strength of Military Rifles” indicates that after WWI, some of the commercial blanks were used in manufacture and the proof pressure was raised to 75K from 70K to eliminate the weak barrels. The Avis barrel situation is also discussed in the chapter describing M1903 failures-page 445. Nowhere in the discussions does it give the date that the higher pressure Proof round was introduced.
Just some random thoughts. .

[p246]

Had a couple Avis barreled Rifles over the years, shot them liked them sold for next Gun. I never had an issue they shot as well as any other. Almost picked one up a year ago but bore was pitted terribly and seller was proud of it,

[RH Scott]

Thanks. I am most likely going to get the 1.35m 1930 SA with that Avis barrel. It is sitting in a nice 1942 made SA scant stock cut only for the 1903.

[Cosine26]

From Hatcher's Note Book

https://imgur.com/rRSflEz


https://imgur.com/77Iwz6V

FEIW

[RH Scott]

From Hatcher's Note Book

https://imgur.com/rRSflEz


https://imgur.com/77Iwz6V

FEIW

Damn...

[Cosine26]

Avis
As previously .indicated, SA bought barrel blanks in a round form and rolled them in a set of tapered rollers to alter them into a tapered form. with the large end big enough to accommodate the breech end of the barrel.

Avis on the other hand bought round stock and through a process known as “upsetting” enlarged the breech end as shown below.

https://imgur.com/H5LKgBV

Depending upon the size of the round stock initially procured, a second round of “upsetting” may have been required. This would have required a second round of heating. See below.

https://imgur.com/TS2JHPD
From
Materials and Processing
John Wiley and Sons, Inc
Secondedition, fifth printing 1947
FWIW

[Art]

On your newer rifle.

Your 1.35 million rifle was built on a spare receiver out of salvaged parts, very likely from the same rifle. You might check that. I have a rifle built on a 1.38 million receiver with a 1919 Avis barrel and a lot of really old S.A. parts, I'm talking pre WW1 along with a WW 2 C stock with a stamped butt plate. The 1919 barrel was very likely a replacement barrel used on the rifle the original rifle and was salvaged when the receiver was scrapped then assembled on the new receiver into a "new" rifle. The War Dept. was much more frugal than the current Department of Defense.

This rifle gets shot a little bit, most of my '03 shooting is done with an '03-A3. Except for the '03-A3 my USGI mil surp rifles are never shot with anything except G.I. ammunition or ammunition loaded to G.I. "spec." I do baby the old girls. I figure they've been through a lot.