.532” and .473” switch barrel feed lips

[TaperPin]

This is pre planning for a switch barrel Remington 700 long action with bdl floor plate, an -06 bolt and magnum bolt, multiple internal magazines and half dozen barrels.

I‘ve never had a reason to get a rifle to feed different case head diameters and know nothing about center feeding internal magazines other than functionally they look like a real pain to load and would be a last resort. The assumption at this point is staggered magazines with feed lips will need to be sourced or made. Currently the rifle has -06 action rails intact, but it’s not an issue to open it up as needed.

My eyes have crossed looking at as many internal magazine options as I can find, but the only staggered internal magazines I’ve come across for the 700 require action rails to be intact. If it’s the best way to go I’m not bothered by having to make a few one-off staggered magazines with lips, but I’d rather buy them. This must be a regularly sourced part for those getting rid of detachable magazines, but I’m coming up dry for some reason.

 

[Edd]

Defiance told me the action feed rails are the same on their actions built for a 7mm Remington Mag and a 280 Remington.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Theres nothing you can buy to do what you want. Making it will not be easy either.

 

[TaperPin]

Theres nothing you can buy to do what you want. Making it will not be easy either.

Thanks for confirming what my gut was feeling - on both availability and level of difficulty. I stopped looking for an off the shelf solution and will have to put big boy pants on and put some hours in experimenting and building bending jigs.

Yesterday morning the project scope grew with the addition of .223 and .458 Lott barrels - doesn’t make it harder, just more time consuming. The Lott should have an extra deep dropped magazine and bottom metal, and the 223 is the one exception to detachable magazines and will get long action bottom metal that takes mag pull mags one way or another.

 

[Walt Krafft]

You will be time and money ahead to buy more actions.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

You will be time and money ahead to buy more actions.

I agree. I have one switch barrel gun, with only three barrels, and it ends up being a pain. I always seem to have the wrong barrel on for whatever it is that I want to do.

 

[TaperPin]

You will be time and money ahead to buy more actions.

Having an action for each barrel kind of takes away from the switch barrel idea.

 

[TaperPin]

I agree. I have one switch barrel gun, with only three barrels, and it ends up being a pain. I always seem to have the wrong barrel on for whatever it is that I want to do.

You are definitely right that it’s more convenient to not have a switch barrel at all. The one for me is mostly a conversation piece and probably won’t get shot much - the budget is pretty good so a wide variety of configurations will probably get incorporated into this one.

The second switch barrel is a gift and started out as a simple presentation case and inexpensive Remington for a kid’s first centerfire hunting rifle. My profession is mainly woodworking and overthinking what will go in the case started me down this rabbit hole. A takedown rifle fits in a much shorter case - if the barrel is easily removable it’s not much more work or space to add a second or third or fourth barrel. It’s human nature to learn more about something you actually own, so hopefully a variety of old and new, saami and wildcat, overbore and nearly straight wall, accurate and factory barreled will stimulate some deeper thinking than a simple rifle. Of course the odds are he won’t give a rats ass about any of it and secretly will trade it to a friend for some cool trendy AR variant.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

Haha! Kids are so ungrateful sometimes.
The switch barrel idea is really intriguing, and if it was made up as sort of a take-down kit, that adds to the charm. However, if I was to do it again it will be set up like a Dakota Traveller. Maybe not interrupted thread, but no barrel vise required, and quick detach scope bases(Talley?), so that switching could be done in the field, by hand.
If only there was a good way to deal with the forends, without having to have them mounted on the barrel...
More daydreaming required.

 

[TaperPin]

Haha! Kids are so ungrateful sometimes.
The switch barrel idea is really intriguing, and if it was made up as sort of a take-down kit, that adds to the charm. However, if I was to do it again it will be set up like a Dakota Traveller. Maybe not interrupted thread, but no barrel vise required, and quick detach scope bases(Talley?), so that switching could be done in the field, by hand.
If only there was a good way to deal with the forends, without having to have them mounted on the barrel...
More daydreaming required.

Those Dakotas are really slick - definitely a jump up in complexity, but very classic.

I have the Talley quick detachable rings - definitely a more refined design than a NATO rail. At some point there may have been some issues with metal quality or a machining error causing weak spots based on random internet gossip, but it’s most likely grossly over torquing screws or whatnot.