Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Switch Barrel Rifle - who’s built one?

A PF Model 70 is the most inexpensive way to begin as the standard ebay rejected barrels usually screw right in.
If you are fussy, a 'smith can make a few alternative chamberings in the same profile with the same bolt face and headspace them to your action.

Either way, as stated earlier, it gets tiresome changing out the barrels.

I put together a multiple barrel rifle on a Savage action over a decade ago. It was an interesting exercise, but not very practical, as you needed dedicated scope with QR mounts for each barrel.

Years ago around 2000 Sig came out with a switch barrel rifle whereby the bolt locked up directly to the barrel. It was a cool setup and review showed very acceptable hunting accuracy at 1 - 1.25 MOA upon removing and replacing. Below is their owners manual. Somewhat funny that only the 308 Win was offered and no supporting 243 Win. Back then I think long action and magnum were more in vogue. Bolt faces came in 0.473" and 0.532" Anyway it was a nice entry system switch barrel that never caught on here in the states. I handled a 270 Win back then, it was around $470.00, extra barrels were around $110.00. Wish I would have bought one in 25-06 with a 30-06 extra barrel. I think there are a few around still for sale out there. Extra barrels however may be hard to come by.


Sig SRH 970 Owners Manual

I have many switch barrel rigs, most remington 700's, some Stolle Panda's and Hall M's, couple of Ruger 77's, and Savage target actions.. I have made switch barrel rigs out of Sako A1's,

There is a lot of ignorance out there concerning switch barrel rifles and a guys needs vary from person to person.

The basic concept for my use is based on the fact that I save money, I buy one good scope, trigger, stock with just barrel replacements.

I use over size recoil lugs and none of them are pinned, one recoil lug for all barrels on a particular action. I have two options for a lug locator, I can order one from Pacific Tool and gauge, or bed the recoil lug(freefloat the bottom on Rem's), and use the stock as a lug locator.

I use a Bushnell professional bore sighter to get a reading on the (X,Y) axis when a particular barrel is sighted in, then go to that reading from barrel to barrel as each will have it's own (X,Y) coordinates. Using this method will get me to within 1 Inch.

If you go to a different contour, a larger stock maybe needed or you can order the stock set up for the largest barrel contour you would use, then the stock will work on smaller contours, even though it maybe unsightly, practical vs emotional preferences will vary from person to person on this.

One major point of misunderstanding is headspace on a switch barrel rig. ON non Savage or Remage type of barrels, the gunsmith will set the headspace with a particular recoil lug when he chambers the barrel, so the headspace will remain the same as long as you use that particular recoil lug.

The practical use of a Savage or Remage type of set up is that a person can just order the barrel without mailing in his action.

I use a barrel vise and a rear entry action wrench for each action maker, the change over is simple and easy.

When I was shooting 25K rounds a year on various varmints, I had a barrel vise welded to the grill guard on my pick up with barrel changes being made in the field within minutes including using the bore sighter.

For guys that like to chase a fantasy of playing with a lot of calibers, switch barrel rigs are very, very practical. The barrels do not go bad, just store them in a closet indoors.

If you have any questions, send me a PM.

When I want a new chambering,twist rate or whatever...I want a rifle to go with it.

Hint.

The LAST thing of "interest" to me,is a "Good Deal" on a piece of fhuqking schit and playing Ring Around The Rosie.

Pass the good stuff(and LOTS of it) and hold the Fluff.

Bless your heart.

Laughing!..............

I had a Sako with a 358 Winchester barrel on it and decided I needed a 257 Roberts. I converted the rifle to 257 Roberts and was reminded by my brother that I now had a switch barrel rifle. It has since been switched back and fourth a few times over several years but has settled on the original 358 Winchester option. What was amazing to me was how the rifle stays within hunting accuracy with the switch. Headspace is always right on the money but I always check anyway. This last time I didn't even need to adjust the scope. It's one of those rifles that satisfies a whim every other year or two.