I have a barreled action, VZ-24 in 404 Jefferys. I have a 90% inletted stock done by WGG. Before I send it off to my stockmaker, I'd pose a question here.

The barrel is a bit over 24". Would you shorten it, and if so; how much?

Rich

Rich send Hoot Murray a PM hes an expert on this matter .I believe hes building a 404 jeffery rigth now for his next elephant hunt.

Rich,

The original 404 Jeffery rifles had 24" barrels:



If you must cut, then just cut that "bit" off and make it 24 inches.

Try to ignore any ugliness here (I stocked it myself with a short-action Brown Precision M70 stock
that I rebuilt to fit the RUM M70 action),
and concentrate on the barrel length below, 24 inches, that is quite nice on a 404 Jeffery:

My only 404 is actually a 450/400 Ruger No1 with a factory barrel but I think the real question is how long should ANY barrel be. It's very easy to calculate the muzzle energy produced by any caliber and then the question is what is 'enough' energy for the animal you are hunting. Once this is determined it really becomes a study in esthetics which can only be determined by you personally. I happen to LIKE short heavy barrels. My 416 Rigby CZ and my 375H&H 602ZKK both have 21" barrels which I have used quite successfully in Africa. I also have a 458WinMag built by A&M Barrels with a 16" barrel and an 03 Sprgfld with a 16" barrel built as a backup for Alaskan fishing.I like the fit and balance of all or I would not have them. The only 2 actual customs I have ever commissioned have 22" barrels. One is a 7x57 on a 1909 and the other is a 257Robts on a Mdl70. So with all this YOU tell ME what the length should be on 'YOUR' 404.

RIP has me dead to rights. If they could make the 24" barrel work way back then, who am I to change...

thanks, she stays the same.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I have a barreled action, VZ-24 in 404 Jefferys. I have a 90% inletted stock done by WGG. Before I send it off to my stockmaker, I'd pose a question here.

The barrel is a bit over 24". Would you shorten it, and if so; how much?

Rich

NO way

My 404 Jeffery has a 26 inch barrel!

Mine's got a 23" tube. Points well and handles easily.



But you might also want to consider the M.V. of your .404J ammunition in relation to choosing barrel-length.

While the original Jeffery-built .404s were sporting 24" barrels, the early generation of 400gn loads was doing 2100-2150fps. Today the Hornady & Norma 400gn .404J ammo is doing every bit of 2300fps. Handloads can, of course, exceed this.

So if you wanted to, you could go a bit shorter on barrel-length than 24", and whatever large and/or dangerous critter you shoot with a 400gn bullet @ 2300fps+ isn't going to be made any less dead with proper shot-placement.

Mine also has a 23" barrel.

For me, seems just perfect.

My Dakota Safari 404 Jeffery also sports a 23" barrel. Perfect compromise of a 22 vs. 24" barrel.

Not all Jefferys had 24 inch barrels, I have owned two that had 27 inch barrels and they balanced and handled like a Boss 20 ga., but getting in and out of the pickup was problematic!

I have had 404s with a 20 inch barrel, 24 inch 26 inch barrels and the aforementioned 27 inch barrels. I have had a lot of 404 over the years. I still have no clue which one I liked best as to barrel length..I was a dyed in the wool 26 inch barrel person for many years, but lately I'm liking 20 inch handy tubes, and the 404 does give up anything with a 20 inch tube, you can still get 2400 FPS with a 400 gr. bullet easy..

For some reason known only to the Red Gods of hunting H4831 isn't mentioned in many reloading books for the .404, but it will give you more velocity and less pressure than any other powder out there, plus it fills a case nicely and prevents recoil set back to a degree thus requiring only a very light crimp.

quote:

For some reason known only to the Red Gods of hunting H4831 isn't mentioned in many reloading books for the .404, but it will give you more velocity and less pressure than any other powder out there, plus it fills a case nicely and prevents recoil set back to a degree thus requiring only a very light crimp.

Agreed.
Ironically, H4831 is often used in the 450/400 with great results so there is no reason to think that it wouldn't be as useful in the 404.

When Mike had NOrth Fork bullets he tested all my 4831 loads in his pressure barrel and found the loads I had to be mild and faster than anything he had tried..My all time fastest and most powerful load is 95 grs at 2653 in my Jeffeys 27 inch barrel, and got the same in my 26 inch Lothar walthar barrel, Mikes pressure barrel and sophisticated equipment got 2598 as I recall..and all this at less pressure than he got with my RL-15 loads..I got that load out of one of the African magazines from an article on the 404 by a well known PH whos name escapes me for the moment..Also my 4831 is a batch of the old world surplus that Jack O'Connor pimped, and that may explain why I had a little higher velocity than Mike got?? then again could be bore tightness or who knows what, and thats not unusual..

My 404 has a 23,5 inch barrel. Think it balances the rifle perfectly.

M