Hello,
I was told by a local gunsmith that switch barrel rifles are not a good idea. He said that if you shoot one barrel more than the other, the little used barrel will not be true to the wear pattern on the action threads caused by the more commonly used barrel. This "sort of" makes sense, BUT I have known bench-rest shooters who make quite good scores with switch barrel guns. What is the real story here?

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Safety & Ethics,Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
Joe M

Joe,

We use many rifles with switch barrels, and have encountered no problems as your gunsmith says.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

Saeed,
Thanks a lot. I kind of got the feeling that I was being set up for 2 rifles not one.

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Safety & Ethics,Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
Joe M

Saeed, what type of switch barrel mechanism do you use?

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Robin
from Tucson, AZ

Robin,

We do not have any specific mechanism. Just screw out one barrel and screw in another.

You do not have to have a workshop to do this, a small barrel vice and wrench can be used on the back of the truck.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

If more shooters knew how simple it all was more would be doing it.

As to the original question, it is very common to have several barrels set up and not even use them for year, while the rifle is being shot with other barrels.

Actually, in my opinion, a true switch barrel rifel is one in which you can change barrels without removing the stock.

With the right barrel contour and scope size, this can often be done with the type of systentic stocks that come with M70 and Rem 700 Stainless rifles.

Mike

I am having a Rem 700 setup for switch barrel. For Rem 700s and other rifles like it that have a recoil lug that is held in place by the barrel, the job of switching barrels is made much easier by installing an alignment pin in the front of the receiver for the recoil lug. It is much easier to screw in the barrel if the recoil lug does not rotate has you tighten the barrel.

I'd go find me another gun smith, thats just pure crapy theory.....

I don't like switch barrel guns because I always had a 30-06 when M'bogo charged and a 416 when a world class Kudu was 500 yds away, if you know what I mean...They just never worked for me....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Hello All
Yes, I was just thinking that there are several rounds that I would like to use or experiment with, but not sure enough about any of them to commit to an entire rifle. Seems that most of them fit within 2 bolt diamters and one or (maybe two) action lengths so I figured a switch barrel would be just the ticket, then if I found I really liked one I could build up a complete rifle for it. I looked at some of the equipment in Sinclair's and it seems like simple technology, barrel vise and a wrench to fit the action. One more question? Once the barrels have been set up for the action they are going on, do you have to get go-nogo gauges and re-check the headspace every time, or do you just thread the barrel on?

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Safety & Ethics,Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
Joe M