Mauser change barrel rifle?

bullpup44

bullpup44

New member
I just recently read an article in a magazine about change barrel bolt action rifles and it got me to thinking... I have a 98 Mauser rifle in .30-06 which, thanks to the guys here, I have recently got back to shooting order. I have always wanted a .243. Is there a way that I could make this a change barrel rifle. For example. Put a mark on the receiver and the barrel for my .30-06 barrel so I know where it is headspaced. Then take the .243 barrel to a gunsmith for installation and then make matching marks on the barrel and receiver for that combition? The idea is that I would have one receiver for two barrels that I could change rather quickly. I know it is common to change barrels, and the article explains how many have done this with custom rifles, I'm just wandering if this application would work for me and my rifle. Thanks for any and all information.
bullpup
 
Could you please explain to me why it is impossible. I'm just curious. The article I read was in Rifle Shooter Magazine and the author had done this same thing to a Remington Model 7. He actually had four different barrels.
 
I think it could be done, but it wouldn't really be a "switch barrel" rifle.

The .243 is a short action cartridge based on the .308, but I think the bolt face size would be the same. Properly machined and indexed, head spacing shouldn't be a problem and it should hold zero, at least in theory (though sure I'd want to check both).

The biggest problem I would see off the top of my head, is that with most "normal" rifles the action has to be taken out of the stock, and a "barrel vice/wrench" used to install/remove barrels. Not something most gun owners have.

Talk to your gunsmith. He should be able to give you a better idea of the pros and cons.
 
anything is possible. i have 2 243's built on long actions. one is standard 243 and the other is an ackley improved. no problem there.

as far as switching barrels, you would have to check headspace every time you switched. merely marking the barrel would not cut the mustard. but go and no go gauges would cure that problem.

your gunny can clue you in about this. i agree with the above post. talk to the gunny first.
 
You do not have to check the headspace. If the action is true the barrel will screw in to the same place each time. You don't even need register marks. If the barrel is free floated all you need to change barrels is one of the small barrel wrenches that the benchrest guys use at the range.

Many benchrest shooters switch barrels to switch between the LV and HV classes.

Jack
 
Jack-thanks for chiming in. I was hoping you would. I have read where bench rest shooters have done this. You gave me the answer I was hoping for. Thanks everyone for the help.
Jack- If I decide to do this project, where would I find a barrel wrench?
Thanks again everyone. I always like asking questions here because I always find out what I need to know.
bullpup
 
Why not just buy a surplus rifle - they are INEXPENSIVE - no one can but JUST ONE /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
And then you can have em in several calibers. Type "Custom Mauser" and "Surplus Rifles" into google and you might be amazed. One thing about Mausers (the mil spec ones) - excellent overall but they have a long firing pin "throw" and don't have the lock time that newer modern guns have. NOT that this would matter to me - I can miss just as good with a modern rifle /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Check this out - WARNING - Enter at your own risk. This could start a entirely new obsession!

http://www.surplusrifle.com/

Jay
 
Totally possible. As far as zero goes, if the smithing is tight your always gonna be close. How close is up to your standards of deviation and your wallet.

Im in the midst of having a gunsmith put something very similar together for me. Ive got a mauser in 6mm-284 and Im having a smokeless muzzleloader barrel built for it. We are robbing the savage lock nut idea to keep things simple.
 
bullpup44,
I did the same thing a few years ago to an Interarms Mark X Mauser, I ended up with .243, 6mm/06 .338/06 and 7x57 barrels for it. It was not complicated at all. All the barrels shot well and indexing was not a problem. I used the same contour barrels (#3 Douglas) and cut minimum headspace chambers in them. The switch was accomplished with a home made aluminum barrel vise and a Hart style action wrench. Changing barrels was a little more complicated than changing Contender barrels but was not hard, simply remove the stock, clamp the barrel in the vise and un-screw the action then clamp the barrel you are changing to in the vise and screw the action back on. I used a torque wrench on both the action screws and the action wrench. You will need to re-zero the scope when you switch but if you have a collimator you can keep track of your previous setting for the barrel and it will get you really close. Since I'm a machinist by trade I did the metal work myself. I had a gunsmith friend to consult with on the chambers (he let me use his reamers but he is a really good friend!) and it worked great. The only drawback is cost. There are gunsmiths out there who can make switch barrels using an interupted thread and take down lever that folds flush into the forend but they are very expensive (at least to me)ie. H.S. Precision. Pachmar made some beautiful 98 Mauser based take downs that could be fitted with extra barrels so the sky is the limit if you have the $$$!
Bob
 
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