What is a Switch Barrel?

[BooBear2U]

This gun is a switch barrel, and all barrels are the same contour and length, and each barrel also wears a muzzle brake.

The recoil lug is tapered, .375" thick and is pinned in place with 3 pins in a triangular pattern.

The action has of course been blue-printed, and the match trigger is adjusted to a very crisp and safe 6 ounces.

The scope base and receiver have been modified to the larger 8-40 screws, and the scope never has to be removed from the gun when changing barrels.

This gun has barrels chambered in the following calibers:

22 B-R

6mm B-R

25 B-R

7mm B-R

30 B-R

338 B-R Improved

6mm-284

All barrels will shoot 1/2" or less at 200 yards.

The 6mm-284 averages 2" @ 600 yards with its favorite load.

Competition, B-R matches, hunting or just punching paper on my property, by going with "switch barrels" and staying with just one action, one stock and a good scope, with these 7 barrels, I saved over $20,000 compared to what it would have normally cost if I had build a complete rifle in each of the 7 cartridges that I now have.

My next 2 barrels will be a 338-284 and a 284 Winchester Improved.

 

[nksmfamjp]

With a REM 700, generally everything will need to be one bolt face and one action length.

So, the idea you can cover a large range of cartridges is kind of fictional.

For example, with a std bolt face, a 270 Win, 280 AI, 30-06 & 35 Whelen is quite easy. Adding 6 Creedmoor and 6 dasher are possible but may leave you with a long action you are pulling your hair out to make feed. An RPM could fit, but if it doesn't feed, will you change that action and jeopardize the feeding of your other rounds? Maybe an AICS conversion would fix this.

It is these struggles and limitations that make folks consider something like a Zermatt Origin with custom mags or multiple rifles.

 

[Tommy T]

As it relates to a R700 action, what is a switch barrel setup? Can someone please explain AND post pictures of the components that make something a switch barrel? What tools are needed (in comparison to just swapping out two different factor barrels on a R700 action with an action wrench and a vice.

What are the things that you need to be converned with, like head spacing? Pretend like I'm a 10 year old in explaining all of this.

Thanks in advance

Just buy yourself a terminus action Joel has been making his action that you can quickly change them out ,you can change out fro a 6.5 PRC to a 28 nosler in just minutes