Rifles with extra barrels/calibre options?

Tartan_Terrier

Well-Known Member
I've heard the old adage "Beware the man with only one gun, he probably knows how to use it" a few times, and then I think about the fact that my gun cabinet seems to be bursting at the seams ..... :confused:

I've seen a few rifles that give you the option of switching barrels and calibres (for example the Schultz & Larsen Classic DL or the Sauer 202). Are there many members here who own rifles like this? Do you change calibres often? Or do you tend to have one calibre for UK deer and another heavier for boar or larger species abroad?

What do you have, and in which calibres?

I'd also welcome any input as to pros and cons.

Cheers
T_T
 
Accuracy International AT or AXMC has that ability. I have an AT, but have only changed the caliber once. The beauty of the new AI's is there not being a need to send the rifle off for a rebarrel (not so much changing caliber/cartridges all the time, though it can be done). I can just order one now, and it will headspace correctly from the barrel vendor/manufacturer. No sending the whole rifle back for a new barrel anymore...
 
Nice rifle! Bit heavy for stalking though I can imagine it would be great for use in a high seat, or for longer range prone shots.
 
I have a 222 and a 30/06 barrel for my Blaser. I use the 222 mostly, I really only use the 30/06 barrel for a once a year pig trip.
 
Sigarms SHR 970 in .308 and a second in .280 Remington, and a .270 barrel which I have never used. I bought it for $120 USD for my .308, then found a mint second-hand .280 in walnut for 1/4 the price of a new rifle, because the price has gone up 4X since I bought the .308 until now.

Sauer 200 with just one barrel. I bought it for less than the price of an extra barrel.

Don't have a Browning BLR takedown but am intrigued, as I have several Savage 99 takedowns.

A 98 Mauser I built with the help of a friend ( we built several ) using a Holland & Holland system, but I only have it in 6.5x55 SWE at this point. I have the mechanism to at another barrel, but may never do that; may just keep this as a takedown.

The biggest advantage to me is not in changing, but in taking down for travel.

The only barrel change that would make sense for me would be a 9.3x62mm for my .280 SHR 970, which I will never find. Something like a BLR in .270 Win and .325 WSM would be a great travel rifle for big game.
 
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I am not convinced by the switch barrel concept on rifles. Cost of barrels are not exactly cheap, and you can often have a complete rifle for similar money. But more to the point you are only able to switch calibre, rather than style. Take the .222 and 30-06 example above. To my mind a .222 should be built on an action and rifle scaled for the cartridge it can make into a very nicely balanced little rifle and that's its beauty. Alternatively you may want it as a long range rifle for shooting off a bipod - here you did a heavy long barrel to maximise velocity and steadiness, together with a straight stock with a wide forend. For a pig or a big game rifle you need something very differently balanced - you will be shooting off hand, probably at a moving target. You will need some weight, but it needs to be more between the hands. Move up from 30-06 to say 375 h&h - it needs to be a big rifle to manage the recoil, and this same rifle wouldn't be correct as a .222.

Not sure if there is a real need to switch between deer calibres. The 6 and 6.5 mm are good for all British deer but you need to be picky in shot placement on big deer, the.270, 7mm and 30 calibres are very good on big red deer, but possibly a bit too big for the smaller deer. But by having one rifle with switch barrels I think loose a lot of versatility, and you certainly loose the redundancy factor. Given the limitations of our licensing, I would rather have two different rifles set up for different jobs, than have two slots taken up with one rifle with a spare barrel.

But I understand in Scandanavian countries you are limited to just a few guns, but extra barrels don't count, so for example the Valmet/tikka/ fin classic 512 (whatever it's now called) system makes sense - one action to which you can pair of shotgun barrels, a deer and vermin calibre rifle combination and a double rifle in 9.3x74 for moose and it only counts as one gun as far as licensing, but is it a bit of a compromise?
 
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Heym, you would be right if the 222 was on a big heavy Sauer steel action. However, the Blaser is very compact and has no action as such.

How you configure the rifle with various barrels is more important. The 222 is a 22" spotter barrel with a Swaro 8x50. The 30/06 has 20.5" Attaché barrel, and with a smaller scope it handles very well.

Yo be fair, it works better than it should on paper.
 
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