To switch or not to switch

[Glenn Powell]

Now that I have made the decision to use a gunsmith to install my barrel, should I go the distance and have him do two? The action I have for this project has a pinned recoil lug so it should work, right? My real questions are,what do I need to switch barrels? How difficult is it? How hard is it to re-zero after a change? Any info will be very helpful, and answers to any unasked questions are welcome.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

If you have the money and/or barrel on hand and plan to eventually do another barrel then yes do them at the same time. It is much easier to do two barrels back to back off of the same drawing than doing them years apart. When I go on vacation I am sending out an entire sleeve of barrels to get chambered and turned. I have a problem with getting barrels whenever I get paid.

As far as switch barreling goes get a good vice and a rear entry action wrench. I have both a trailer hitch vise and a stand alone vise in the garage. The garage vise is what I use on everything except for one day when I get that dream varmint shoot. Re-zeroing as long as you use a quality action and have good beading it should be minimal change. And even if it does change you can record the change in a log and it should repeat each time there after.

 

[Eddie Harren]

Drawing????????

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

Depends on what you are looking for. We build alot of switch barrels with no issue. The questions are: do you want supreme accuracy and do you have the proper tooling for removal and replacement. The BEST accuracy wont come from a switch barrel but if you are having fun and can accept a smaller degree, go for it. If you want BR type accuracy, its a roll of the dice sometimes. YMMV

 

[MarkS]

Glenninjuneau,

I have 2 Long range Bench guns, that I have many barrels for. I see no issue with accuracy. Most all short range bench gun are switch barrel guns. you need a barrel vice and a action wrench side or rear. I have all side entry.

Mark Schronce

 

[Glenn Powell]

When built as a switch barrel, are the barrels indexed? How do I know the barrel is screwed on properly? Do I need go/nogo gages? I'm sorry, I have a lot of questions, but I only want to do this once, and I want to get it right the first time. Thanks for all the great feed back. And the action I have is a stiller precision predator, which I feel is a very, very good action.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

Sorry for the late reply I draw out all the dimensions for when I am doing a threading job for an action the first time. I keep the drawing under the butt plate. From then on all I have to do is reference the drawing and check to make sure that nothing has moved like the receiver face from repeated tightening. I used to use head space gauges every time I changed out a barrel but it never changed on me at all so I just marked them for their rifles and stored the gauges after the first time check. You can put an index mark on the barrel and it makes it easy to torque it down to the exact same position but I just screw the receiver up till it touches then back off a quarter turn add some more grease and twist it in with a bit of force and speed by hand. I however do not shoot bench rest and don't care to as competing takes the fun out of it for me so if I am loosing a slight accuracy edge I don't notice it or really pay attention for it.