.22 barrel shortening

mickjgardner

Well-Known Member
Hi ,i have a brno .22 rifle.It is quite old but the prevoius owner obviously left it in the cupboard and never used it as it is mint and everything is still tight.Had it for a few years now and use it on the farm to shoot bunnies.My only complaint with it is that it is too long.I just wondered what would be the shortest i could cut the barrel down without reducing velocity and accuracy.I only use subsonics which i think are all much of a muchness in terms of velocity.Has anyone on here shortened theirs and tested it
 
Hi,
I think shooting times did an article on that a few years ago. I also have an older BRNO rifle. I had the length of a parker hale mod taken off it.


Ian
 
If you look at the proof marks on the barrel it will have two numbers and thta's the date it was proved and so made.

Now if you cut it to 16 1/2 it will be fine that is providing it's not a Brno model 2 or Model 1 as then it would be a cryign shame to chop one of those.
 
I think 16" will give you coplete powder burn in the .17hmr so i would think you could go shorter than that ok with .22lr,would't like to say how short though,should think there must be some good info somewhere on the www.
 
Hi mate i got my CZ.22 cut down to 13" last year screw cut with a SAK mod fitted and it shoots 3/4" groups 10 rounds @ 60 yds just as good as when it was the full 20" barrel
 
Anschutrz offer a 14" factory barrel, and 16" seems quite popular for many people in .22lr.
 
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I rekon all the powders been burnt Steve its the residue from cruddy Lil-gun,mines the same i strip it every 50 rnds or so,you'd have thought by now they'd have come up with some cleaner powders for it.
Neil.
 
Neil, when I examine the crud closely, it reveals little grains of unburned powder, maybe yours is getting all of it burned up? the colour is similar to Hogdons Benchmark.
 
I was told by a well known and trusted gunsmith who specialises in .22 autos that 12" will burn all the powder in a .22lr case. That's the legal minimum though so it pays to go a smudge over. 16" is more than enough, 14" is still fine. I think the over all length of the gun has to be over 24", but check that first! Mine's cut to 16" and it makes a vast difference in the handling.
 
Neil, when I examine the crud closely, it reveals little grains of unburned powder, maybe yours is getting all of it burned up? the colour is similar to Hogdons Benchmark.

Steve it looks to be all burnt in mine but i do have 17" barrel on mine,the crud looks like a mixture of dark green and mustard bits,i've not used hodgdon benchmark so don't know if its the same.
 
Just looked at the barrel marks brithunter and it was made in 1987 is a model 2E whatever the E means but got walnut stock so main be a better model
 
Just looked at the barrel marks brithunter and it was made in 1987 is a model 2E whatever the E means but got walnut stock so main be a better model

Ahhhh I did read somewhere what the E meant but cannot recall it now :doh: however it would appear that's the same model they still make if I am not mistaken so I cannot see any conflict in shortening the barrel.

I shortened the barerl of a BSA Supersport Five to 16 1/2", this particular rifle had already been butchered by some unknown :rolleyes: who drilled and tapped the round top action but not in line :eek:, I managed to get some P-H blocks to work on it though ;). The factory spec one is untouched and will remain so ;). Hopefully this summer it will be shot in the clubs postal bench rest rimfire competition.

I could not bring myself to have the 65 vintage Model 2 Brno shortened so I just cleaned it and reapaired the worn stock finish :).
 
Perversely the shorter you cut the barrel the louder (with no moderator fitted and using subsonic or "zimmer" cartridges) the louder the noise at the muzzle! Why?

Because with these subsonic and zimmer cartridges the powder is all burnt in the first twelve inches of barrel. The reaminig inches therefore are acting EXACTLY like a moderator. Being an expansion chamber for the gases.

I first realised this years ago when I out of necessity I used a full twenty-nine inch barrel BSA Martini to shoot squirrels.

That in that long barrelled gun "zimmer" cartridges actually made less noise report that did a BSA Airsporter 22 air rifle and subsonic cartridges less than in a conventional true sporting 22 rifle fitted with its moderator!

The same will be true but not as marked with your BRNO.

Personally - if using subsonics - shortening a barrel then (because of the louder report it will make) screw cutting it for a moderator to give an expansion chamber (which by default the long barrel rifle already had) is a waste of money and the necessary evil of a re-proof with its delay and cost.

If you are patient the rabbits either soon come back if they don't see movement or often don't move at all. It is the "crack" of a high velocity bullet passing that puts them off not the report of the gun firing at over seventy five yards or so.

I'd save your money and the time and effort and try and learn to live with the extra length.
 
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