One rifle 2 bbl's

[Weldor]

If you could have 1 rifle with 1 extra caliber quick change barrel. Who would you have build it?

 

[wind gypsy]

The same as I'd have build 1 rifle with 1 barrel? I don't see why there'd be a distinction.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

You could manage this yourself. For example, in a Tikka you could simply have two different prefits chambered for the same rifle. This would get a little tricky if you were swapping between LA and SA due to potential bolt stop, mag, and bolt changes. "Quick" is relative in this case, and to make it easier, a guy could get prefits with a barrel nut instead of standard shoulder. You would need to pay attention to head spacing, but it's doable.

I'm not sure if that helps, but one way to skin the cat.

 

[ID_Matt]

If you could have 1 rifle with 1 extra caliber quick change barrel. Who would you have build it?

Just about any competent gunsmith should be able to chamber 2 barrels for 1 action. Define quick change... are we talking barrel vise and wrench or the quick types like the terminus zeus?

 

[Weldor]

No vise field changeable torque wrench.

 

[SloppyJ]

Tough one and it totally depends on what you want to do. My assumption is you can swap bolt heads. If not that makes it harder.

You could go a lot of different ways but I like these:
.223 and 6 creed
.223 and 6.5 prc
22 Creed and 6.5 prc

I have built a long and short action origin and can really swap out to anything that I want. Problem is that I don't want to swap them and keep looking at buying more actions for the barrels I have.

 

[Axlrod]

I bought my first T/C Contender 40 years ago. I have owned many barrels for both Contenders and Encores since. I rarely change back and forth, and have mostly acquired additional frames for the barrels I keep. It sounds neat to switch barrels, but in practice it just hasn't happened for me. I would change once or twice, then just leave one barrel on the frame. With the T/C's I have from 22LR to 416 Rigby.

 

[TaperPin]

I think it’s ridiculously fun to have a variety of barrels that could be used. Like axlerod said, they don’t get switched all that often once installed.

I was going to make a three barrel rifle for one of the kids, but they have no interest in it - many just don’t like that it’s not just one caliber.

My current fun new-to-me switch barrels are 22 creed, 6mm-06, and an upgraded 308 win.

For a new shooter, a 22-250 paired with 243 and 7 mag covers everything well.

If someone already had those two, adding a 300, 338 or 35 cal would be fun.

The BR cartridges are fun to mess with - I have a 6br and 30 br and won’t complain when a 22br and 20br fall out of the sky.

Dad hunted all over Alaska with a 17 Rem, so I’d like to get a series of barrels (and bolt) with that 223 case head. 17 Rem, 221 fireball, 204 Ruger, 222, 223, 6-223.

 

[wind gypsy]

No vise field changeable torque wrench.

as in Terminus Zeus? WTO switchlug? If you specify what system you're looking to use it would help people recommend smiths well versed in it.

 

[Weldor]

The same as I'd have build 1 rifle with 1 barrel? I don't see why there'd be a distinction.

To clarify on my side, I'm thinking it would be nice to have 1 action and two calibers.

 

[Weldor]

as in Terminus Zeus? WTO switchlug? If you specify what system you're looking to use it would help people recommend smiths well versed in it.

Thinking WTO, seems reasonable.

 

[david2duck]

I just had WTO do a switchlug setup on a tikka action. 22 creed and a 6 creed (Oregon says .243 for elk). Haven’t had it long but so far I’m really liking it. Only bummer, WTO mentioned this as a possibility, was my brand new factory 7mag barrel couldn’t be retrofitted to work with the switchlug setup. Sometimes the barrel will work sometimes it won’t.

 

[Weldor]

Cost?

 

[david2duck]

Off the top of the head $1850 for all WTO work and then the cost of a rifle. I could PM you my build details after work.

 

[Weldor]

Off the top of the head $1850 for all WTO work and then the cost of a rifle. I could PM you my build details after work.

Thanks, that would be much appreciated.

 

[Weldor]

Thinking a 280 rem and 6mm rem long action of course.

 

[TaperPin]

Thinking a 280 rem and 6mm rem long action of course.

The 6mm doesn’t get mentioned very often! Great cartridge that should have been more popular - I can’t remember the last one I ran across it’s been so long. I think the 25-06 really slowed sales of the 6mm - by the early 80’s it seemed everyone wanted a 25-06 for anything a 6 mm was good at, and if they had a 6mm it stayed in the closet once the 25-06 came home. Lol

 

[norenorse92]

I have a 223ai and a 308 for my tikka

You won't switch them as often as you think you will. It takes less than 10 minutes at home or the range with a barrel vise clamped to a table or bench.

 

[Weldor]

My thought process is something like this. At 63 one action with calibers mentioned fits my hunting and shooting at this point. Thinking of selling out what I have and keeping a shotgun, pistol, rifle (2 bbls). and 1 rimfire. That will leave a bunch of room on the bench, easier to keep powders, bullets etc. More time also because I would only be loading for 2 not 6 or 8. Just a thought.

 

[wind gypsy]

Seems like any good smith should be able to chamber barrels for a switch lug. Its probably harder finding one that has 280 and 6mm rem reamers but a guy can rent them.

But yes, a guy could machine flats into barrels so all you need is a wrench for on/off or just clamp a barrel vise to a bench or put one on a hitch is another option. I've had a very simple to change quick change setup (desert tech) and find that I'd rather just have 2 rifles than mess with switching between cartridges and adjusting zero and such.