Making a true switch barrel (tools).

[libertyman777]

I'd like to have a switch barrel rifle. I have my eyes on a LA savage in 30'06 as my donor. Just ordered a barrel nut wrench. I know I'll need an action wrench but with the clamp on type it looks like I can't have a picatinny rail attached when I clamp it to the action. That's okay for the first removal but after I swap out the original barrel and work a load up for caliber #2 I'd like to move on to the next one without removing the pic rail and preferably without removing the scope. Is it pretty easy to change out after the first one? Should I use a barrel vise instead? I'm I over thinking this?

Thanks,

Paul

[barrel-nut]

Savage rifles are not really the best platform for a "true switch barrel" rifle. They would more accurately be described as a rifle which can be somewhat easily rebarreled by a competent person with a few specialized tools.
I'm not saying that what you're wanting to do isn't doable, just not quite as easy as it seems. Your barrel nut will need to be fixed to the barrel solidly after head spacing in order to get repeatable correct headspace. You will have to hold the action somehow while you tighten the barrel/nut assembly to it, which means using the clamp on action wrench you mentioned and removing the rail and scope. Or there are wrenches that hold on to the bolt lug abutments. This would allow you to keep the scope rail in place. I'm not sure if these can be used with the action still in the stock or if it must be removed. Someone who has experience with these will hopefully chime in. The barrel nut wrench will have to be a spanner-type wrench to be able to be used without removing the action from the stock. Good luck

[libertyman777]

Thanks barrel-nut. Perhaps I was a bit over enthusiastic. I didn't mean to imply a change at the range or with the action sitting in the stock. I just want to be able to swap barrels without removing the scope rail or perhaps even leaving the scope in place.

[libertyman777]

Will this one work?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/816232/ptg-mar-free-action-wrench-remington-700

[big honkin jeep]

If you plan on swapping without removing the scope pay particular attention to the front scope base screw. If it goes all the way through and contacts the barrel threads you could wind up with a real mess on your hands.

[Balljoint]

But will the Rem action tool work in a Savage action.

[barrel-nut]

Will this one work?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/816232/ptg-mar-free-action-wrench-remington-700

I don't use that style wrench so I couldn't say for sure. I use the over-the-outside style wrench, and remove my scope and base. But I rarely swap barrels anymore.
If you use Picatinny-style rings and a one-piece Picatinny rail, one with the beveled style screw heads that self-center in the mounting holes, you should find that removing and replacing the scope and rail is relatively painless. You will need to re-zero the rifle either way after rebarreling, even if you don't remove the scope, so that's a wash too.

[short round]

I modified a nut wrench so that the scope can be left on when changing barrels, by cutting out a section. As said above, be sure mount screw is not into threads. Modified wrench will probably break if used on gorilla tight barrel. Check out Sinclair Int, they have rear entry & port entry wrench's.