SSAA Barrel length clarification

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SSAA Barrel length clarification

Post by hombre_naranja » 28 Oct 2022, 2:28 pm

I just had a query regarding minimum barrel length for competing in matches.

https://ssaa.org.au/assets/disciplines/ ... e-book.pdf states:
This shall be any rifle having a barrel not less than 18 inches (457.2 mm) long, measured from the bolt face to the muzzle


If I attached a 2" tuner to the threaded barrel and brought it up to 18" would that suffice?

Reason for my query, I was looking at purchasing another rifle. My LGS is sold out of 20" and only has the 16" version in stock.
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Re: SSAA Barrel length clarification

Post by No1Mk3 » 30 Oct 2022, 10:38 pm

G'day hombre_naranja,
First off welcome to the forum. With regards to your query I would contact the Discipline Chairman for your State and ask them, for myself if I were Comp Officer I would not allow it on the basis of my interpretation that "muzzle" means that portion of the tube where the rifling ends, and the tuner was not part of the barrel length. Also S.4.11 of the Rules states "muzzle attachment may be added to the rifle barrel when used as a tuning device" and what you propose does not meet that purpose but rather is a barrel lengthening device. Your Discipline Chairman may hold another opinion, Cheers.
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Re: SSAA Barrel length clarification

Post by bladeracer » 30 Oct 2022, 11:32 pm

hombre_naranja wrote:I just had a query regarding minimum barrel length for competing in matches.

https://ssaa.org.au/assets/disciplines/ ... e-book.pdf states:
This shall be any rifle having a barrel not less than 18 inches (457.2 mm) long, measured from the bolt face to the muzzle


If I attached a 2" tuner to the threaded barrel and brought it up to 18" would that suffice?

Reason for my query, I was looking at purchasing another rifle. My LGS is sold out of 20" and only has the 16" version in stock.


As No1mk3 already mentioned, you would need a verdict from whomever is in charge of the rules for what you're shooting. Your own club might allow you to shoot with them perhaps, a state or national competition probably wouldn't.
The rule states _barrel_ length, and a tuner, or any other muzzle device is not the "barrel".
But perhaps the spirit of the rule might allow simply including the added length - I have no idea what the spirit of the rule is though. It might be that a permanently-attached device might be fine.
Perhaps it's a handy excuse to buy a rifle and have a custom barrel fitted to it ;-)
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Re: SSAA Barrel length clarification

Post by Apollo » 31 Oct 2022, 3:40 am

Again "Blade" has made a statement when he simply doesn't have a clue, just has to make a post.

As best I know of the SSAA Rules is that "Barrel Length" is measured from the "Bolt Face" to the "Muzzle" and anything attached does not count (Barrel Only) so to measure 23mm (1") is added to the measurement from the receiver/action face to the end of the barrel/crown even though the crown may be concave (rifling end has nothing to do with it) and reduce the measurement. It's not rocket science...it's a National Competition rule. If it's not a Registered Competition then Club Rules prevail.

No attachment can be included since it is not the actual barrel, even if it was welded on..... If you actually removed the barrel from the action and then measured you may in fact come up slightly short but that is not implied in the rules.
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Re: SSAA Barrel length clarification

Post by bladeracer » 31 Oct 2022, 11:24 am

And yet again we agree with each other...

Apollo wrote:Again "Blade" has made a statement when he simply doesn't have a clue, just has to make a post.

As best I know of the SSAA Rules is that "Barrel Length" is measured from the "Bolt Face" to the "Muzzle" and anything attached does not count (Barrel Only) so to measure 23mm (1") is added to the measurement from the receiver/action face to the end of the barrel/crown even though the crown may be concave (rifling end has nothing to do with it) and reduce the measurement. It's not rocket science...it's a National Competition rule. If it's not a Registered Competition then Club Rules prevail.

No attachment can be included since it is not the actual barrel, even if it was welded on..... If you actually removed the barrel from the action and then measured you may in fact come up slightly short but that is not implied in the rules.
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Re: SSAA Barrel length clarification

Post by SCJ429 » 01 Nov 2022, 6:11 pm

I am guessing it is rimfire since you are putting on a tuner, why not build a rifle and order a barrel to suit your ammo? Even a 20 barrel is going to be too short.
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