Gunsmithing switch barrel bolt guns.?

K

Kgun

Private
Minuteman
Oct 20, 2007
15
0
#1
Hi,
I was thinking of making my existing bolt gun a switch barrel . I would need a barrel vise and internal action wrench, and of course barrels. I do not have any experince with these.

From what I was told you clamp the barrel in the vise and then use the internal action to remove the barrel. Then screw on a different barrel. Tap the back of the wrench to make it tigh and Presto you now have a gun in a different caliber/case size.



Am I being unrealistic? Seems too simple. Is there more to It?
If I get a new bolt could I use even more calibers/sizes?
Safe to do, say 200 times? Wear on threads?
How tight do I make the barrel? I know some smiths use 100ft-lbs for permanant installs. But for a switch barrel?
Any other caliber/case size suggestiong for a tactical rifle originally chambered for 338 lm


Please chime in.
appoligies for bad spelling

Mahalo
Kgun
 
#2
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

Im working on one right now and will be schooled on it once I get the rifle together but barrel torque does matter....if I remember right the guy who is going to help me put the thing together said he would set them so that they were both at about 75-80 Ft/lbs using the method you stated above.

The only thing I see with switching Multiple calibers is how many do you really need? The more you change it out the more wear you are going to get....

And if you let this on to the wife then your excuses to buy more rifles goes right out the window....
 
#3
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

This is where the Savage barrel-nut system may have an advantage over the more conventional barrel-shoulder-against-the-receiver-face method. With the barrel nut, you take the barreled action, slip the nut wrench over the barrel then clamp the barrel in a barrel vise. Take the wrench and fit it over the barrel nut. Pop the barrel nut loose and unscrew. The action can then be unscrewed from the barrel. To rebarrel, put your barrel in the vise with the wrench and a barrel nut already on it. Screw the action on almost tight. Insert a proper case/dummy round/GO headspace gauge and close the bolt. Screw the barrel down tight on this gauge then tighten the barrel nut. Reinstall barreled action in stock.

I have probably missed something in the process here, but those are the rudimentary steps of switching Savage barrels. If you want a switch-barrel on the conventional system, each barrel will have to be fit/chambered and headspaced individually, by the gunsmith. Torquing the action to the barrel the same every time becomes the biggest variable in the process and it probably won't be exact everytime, but probably close enough that the differences won't matter.

Larry Racine is a Palma shooter/gunsmith in New Hampshire who machines a hexagonal "nut" on the muzzle to aid in barrel switching on the conventional system. You can see it here: http://www.lprgunsmith.com/lpr_switch_rifle.htm

Any type of switch-barrel system has a lot of appeal as you can set-up the basic rifle configuration to your tastes then switch from caliber to caliber as the situation demands. On the negative side, you lose a reason to buy new rifles once your wife learns all you really need is a new barrel - as was pointed out above. Your best bet there is to buy your wife a good rifle too.

Keep us posted.
 
#4
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

I made a switch barrel system for switching barrels in the field for a guy I hunt with. He was always talking about this idea. The barrel vise and action wrench were made from 2x2 steel. The 4' long handles were made from 2x2 ironwood. The fasteners were 1/2-13 thread. I bought the nut wrench.

I took a Sav 110 and showed him how I take the barrel off and put it back on.

I loaded the 30 pounds of gear in his truck.

He has never used it.
He even tells me that his famous gunsmith friend has a better barrel vise.

What did I learn from this?
Water seeps it's own level. You gotta let people be on the level they get themselves to.
Switch barrels are not for everybody.
 
#5
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

For me it is that easy. I used a Surgeon SA, with dbm and AI mags on one rifle and a single shot Barnard on my other swap barrel and bolt rifle for F-class. For the tactical rig I run 7WSM on one bolt and barrel, and .260 on the other. For the F-Class rig I run 7WSM on one bolt and barrel and straight .284 on the other. No problems so far for either rig.

Jeffvn
 
#7
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

Kgun....you remove the action from the vice clamped barrel, then screw the action on to the other clamped barrel.......no cheater bar, just a nice slap to a firm snug fit with a correct head spaced barrel...then clock the muzzle brake if you got it......simple
 
#8
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

Bolt tripper,
Can you explain a little more in detail. Was told the internal wrench slips inside the action and the stock does not need to be removed. Sounds like I need to remove it.



Mahalo,
kgun
 
#12
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

I have a switch barrel rifle that uses a trued Remi-700 short action, Devcon'd into a MAK tube rifle, have 223, 308, & 6.5x284 barrels & small and large bolts. Takes 15 minutes to switch barrels, barrel torqued to 75 ft-lb. Here's some pics of my tools & rifle:
Holland Remington 700 Action wrench
700ActionWrench.jpg

Barrel vise
IMG_BV_450.jpg


Rifle
logan1000yds4.jpg

Tuberifle001a.jpg


MAK Tube rifle uses short action AICS 5 & 10 round mags.
 
#14
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUxkzApG7...t=1&index=3

http://www.impactguns.com/store/ai_rifles.html

That accuracy international video makes me think of:
1) Interchangeable parts for rifles 1790 Eli Whitney, Jr.
2) Mosin Nagant rifles made in 1891 will swap bolt heads and headspace with M44s made in 1959.
3) Gluing the stock to the receiver is standard practice with benchrest rifles.
4) Specifying a barrel, that will screw on and headspace, can be done on the back of an envelope.
5) The shock to a rifle bouncing it off a recoil pad at velocities lower than the recoil velocity is no stress test.
6) One piece rings and mount with return to zero is available for $29.95 from China for AK47s. No lapping needed there. I weld the upper half on 91/30 receivers.

But the salesmanship technology to charge $5k for a nothing special rifle and stay in business is very impressive.
The demonstration seems to be so good that he could maintain the interest of a kindergarten class on field trip.
 
#16
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

To address a question you asked but never got answered you cannot use the Lapua Mag for a switch barrel the bolt face is too large and will cause you problems with the smaller calibers.
For what its worth doing this switch barrel rifle i have found it to be a larger PITA then just using different rifle. I know it sounds like a great idea but the hassles of re zeroing and worring about shoving the wrong round in their way outway the cost of the new receiver and barrel to me... Just my thoughts.
 
#17
Re: switch barrel bolt guns.?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pete Lincoln</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Clark, i had to chuckle at your post,.

but AI pros and cons aside,

the vid does show a basic barrel swap in detail that would take many words to post here. and could be a regarded as a barrel swap for dummies guide i guess.


all the best Pete
</div></div>

I was being serious.
Some guy in 1980 said he was a photographer and held fashion shows in the lounge of condo.

His photographs were terrible in composition, but he was getting beautiful girls to take their clothes off for free.

I was not impressed with his photography.
I was impressed with his selling his photography to the volunteer models.
 
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