Vintage USMC M40 Rifle Barrels in Detail

And now for something different ... I’ve posted some rifle scopes from my son’s collection and thought to show an often overlooked part of a vintage rifle ... its barrel. As I’ve noted in other posts my son (the Marine - no longer active but will always be a Marine) collects lots of rifle parts and does tons of deep research. Shown here are authentic USMC M40 barrels; some are good but most are “shot out” (heavily used).

The barrels themselves are somewhat fascinating (for those into vintage firearms) and photography was easy for the most part. Most are 24” in length and have markings that often detail their history. I don’t know how to translate the barrel codes but if you have the charts, it is possible to ascertain the production year, repair dates (if applicable), repair inspector, final inspector, proof mark, test detail and so forth.

The first picture shows a typical M40 barrel’s rifling; James Bond style. Rifling are raised ribs (“lands”) and spaces between the ribs (“grooves”). The barrel shown here has 6 “lands” and 6 “grooves”. The third picture is a close up of the barrel end showing 3 “lands”.

I learn a lot while photographing this stuff and hope some of you find this interesting as well.