savage switch barrels

[72chevelle]

Anyone have any experience with  midways switch barrels?  What is required toolwise?  Do they shoot very well?  Any information appreciated.  Thanks.

[gunnut69]

I've had no direct experience with the Midway kits but have a fair bit with Savage rifles.  The switch barrel kits are in essence just replacement barrels.  Set up within wide chamber depth limits they rely on the use of a headspace guage and the Savage barrel locknut system to be safely changed.  A barrel wrench, headspace guage (in both calibers) are needed to change out barrels.  This assumes casehead diameters remain the same.  The rifle is field stripped, the wrench is used to loosen the barrel locknut and the the barrel is then simply unscewed.  The new barrel is scewed into the action and a headspace 'GO' guage is inserted into the chamber.  The stripped bolt is then inserted into the receiver and the barrel is scewed into the receiver ring until the 'GO' guage halts it's motion.  The locknut (already on the barrel) is then tightened against the receiver and the rifle is re-assembled.  Some caliber changes may also require other parts also be changed out.  All the tools required are the headspace guages and a wrench to handle the Savage barrel locknut plus the normal tools needed to strip the rifle.  Sounds simple and it is but please remember, each time this is done the headspace of the rifle is being set.  This CAN create very dangerous situations and deserves the greatest of care in execution...  good luck from the gunnut69

[Steve L]

Gunnut pretty much covered all the bases, one thing I would like to add is that purchasing or having access to a barrel vice and, or action wrench could be a must. I have only taken the original factory barell from two Savage rifles but both were very tight from the factory and not near as easy to break free as I thought they would be after reading posts from others who claimed to have done the conversion.

One other thing, make sure you take the scope base screw that is closest to the barrel out, it is likely against the threads of the barrel.

[gunnut69]

I suppose I really didn't say it right.  The barrel wrench for a savage 110 is really to grab the barrel lock nut.  A barrel vise is a good idea but once the original barrel is broken loose, changing the barrels should become much easier.  On the savages I've dealt with the barrel was locked in the barrel vise and the 'action wrench' actually grabbed the barrel nut.  Midway sells the heaspace guages, action wrenches, etc. that you'd need to make the changes.  Not really cheap but much less expensive than a built to order switch barrel gun would be!!