I have my eye on a left handed Weatherby in 375 Wby with a second barrel in 340 Wby. The barrels must be changed by a gunsmith. I am wondering if if would be feasable to make a switch barrel rifle out of it. I had never considered one before but this rifle has me thinking it might be a fun project with a useful outcome and other barrels could be added to the list. Any comments or advice.

Actually, it is fairly easy to change out a barrel if you have a couple of simple tools and a gunsmith has fitted the both barrels so the headspace is correct on the barrels. You don't even have to take it out of the stock if the barrel contours are the same and you have allowed for the diameter of the barrel in the barrel channel, but it's only two or three screws to keep the stock from getting dinged.

Have your gunsmith make you a big "L" shaped piece of 5/8" thick x 1 1/2" or 2" wide flat stock. Mill one end of the "L" to fit inside the action where the bolt rides so it fits almost to the chamber. Then be sure he puts a witness mark on each barrel to match any point or mark you want on the receiver. Steal, beg, borrow or buy a barrel vise from Brownells or Midway.

Basically all you have to do after that is clamp the barrel into the vise, stick the "L" handle down the bolt raceway and turn off the one barrel, turn on the other barrel and tighten to the witness mark and you're ready to go shooting. If you write down your scope settings for both barrels you can be back to within an inch or so or whatever accuracy your scope maintains.

Just be sure not to tighten the barrels too tight so they will be relatively easy to turn off and you won't twist your receiver into a pretzel. You can also buy a similar removal tool with a bolt head on it and you can get port action wrenches that fit into the ports of particular actions, but I find the "L" handle works better as it gets you away from your stock with things that can make the wood work look all ugly it you slip. Check out Brownells and Midway for the action wrenches also.

This isn't my original idea, I've seen benchresters in the past swap several barrels during matches. Now, I'm doing a form of it with my Savage 110 action and barrels. Enjoy your new toys

Just to think it out the other way it's a beutiful thing when a rifle stays sighted in and will group well. Switching the barrels is not my idea of how to get there.

Both of those cartridges overlap also. Consider carrying two loads in your pockets for just one of them. Then you can have a switch bullet gun right in the field. Of the two the .375 will shoot factory .375 H&H's. The other is not a popular cartridge so it would not be a good one to take far from home.

So it comes down to the price of the gun. If it's right and you like Weatherby's then make an offer.

[ 02-16-2003, 20:49: Message edited by: Savage99 ]