"Custom Bolt rifle with interchangeable barrels at a modest price."

 

LowTech Manufacturing captured my attention way back around the turn of the century with an ad in Shotgun News, "Custom Barreled actions, $285.00."  My interest was peaked, I had been trying to get a 6.5/284 on a farmers budget for a long time.

 

I have been hunting and shooting all my life, killing numerous deer, squirrels, rabbits, etc. on a small Kentucky farm.  Somewhere around 1995 the 6.5/284 cartridge caught my eye, a flat shooting varmint and big game cartridge in the 6.5 caliber.  I called Fred and before I knew it, we had an agreement for medium heavy barrel, Turkish Mauser action, fitted to Fajen Ace Varminter stock, (of my own purchase), bedded and everything.  The way I figured it, I had about $450.00 in the whole rig, scope and all.

 

It's shot like a dream ever since and in the past two years, the better part of 35 coyotes have been taken anywhere from 25 to 450 yards with it.  The 450 yarder was a pretty lucky one for me, but the gun is capable of a lot farther in better hands. 

 

There have been several other project's since then, and 2 or 3 real interesting ones.  A .450 Marlin on a Mauser action was the first of these.  When I asked Fred about it, I already had an action and barrel, I figured it to be a no-brainer. There was a little hesitation in Fred's mind, I speculate mainly because it was a brand new cartridge and because .450 Marlins are lever guns.  After some thought he finally agreed to try it, if they can turn a Siamese Mauser in to a 45/70 why not try a .450 in a regular Mauser?  A star was born.  I have since shot 1/2" 3 shot groups at 100 yards on a regular basis.  How many guns out there can shoot 1/2" clovers, center to center, with a nearly 1/2", 300 grain, Barnes XBT?  I know of one anyway.

 

Another project was a break down bolt gun with interchangable barrels.  When I mentioned this project to Fred, there wasn't nearly as much hesitation.  He had been thinking of the system for quite some time, but had never got around to it.  We decided to proceed on a Mauser action I had lying around.  The only real question was, "what chamberings"?

 

There are plenty of other interchangeable guns out there, Thompson Center, high end customs, and even a Savage 110 type of action.  The T/C is an excellent single shot, the Savage is great if you want to carry a barrel nut wrench and headspace gauge in the case as well, and the high end customs are exactly that $High End$.

 

Upon arrival of Fred's custom  switch-barrel I immediately noticed that I could clean the barrels and never have to pass a patch through the action.  Perhaps, to some folks, this is not that important, but to me it was "manna from above".

 

Another advantage is the fact that someone on a multiple tag trip could take one gun, and the portability is a plus. What I mean is, someone could take prairie dogs, antelope and mulies with a 25/06 Rem., a .270 Win., and a .338-06, respectively, with one bolt gun and 3 barrels.

 

I also believe Fred leads the pack with "economic feasability".  He and Jane are working people and they build guns for working people, functional and asthetic, but not gawdy and pricy.  Don't get me wrong here, they can build some darn fine stuff, too.  Most hunters already have one bolt gun, and this is the next logical step toward versatility, meaning, this conversion can be done to most commercial and military actions.

 

One the minus side of the equation is an inability to shoot magnum and standard cartridges without the swapping of a bolt, the heads are too different.  Althought I could see this as possible, I don't feel it would be smart, too much liability.  Short cartridges in a long action might also lead to a feeding problem.

 

One obvious problem to this system is a safe full of barrels instead of rifles.  Most people would have a hard time convincing their better halves they need a new gun when they have a gun that is already capable of most everthing in rifle work.  Currently, I have no better half, so I'll just have to deal with my conscience.  I do have a girlfriend though and she has a closet full of shoes and purses, so it's pretty much a wash when we start "debating".

 

A universal stock is a bit of a negative in the looks department.  If one were to get an ultra-light 7 x 57 for deer hunting and a heavy barrel 22-250 for varmints, the barrel channel would leave quite a gap on the sides of the 7 x 57 barrel.

 

Ideally this concept would work great with 2 actions, one standard short Remington, Mauser, or Winchester, and a large magnum action from any of the above, or others.  The short, standard could handle anything from: 22-250 for varmints, .260 Rem. for deer, and .358 Win. for anything bigger, within reason that needs to be freight trained.  The long magnum could handle all the big stuff:  .300 Win. Mag. for elk and moose, .338 Win. Mag. for African plains game, and .458 Win. Mag. for anything that might try to stomp your guts out and eat ya'.

 

Some people might wonder about the accuracy and the ability to return to zero.  I'll address the later, first.  Any hunter that goes hunting on a long trip and doesn't recheck his zero when they arrive is just asking for trouble.  It's the same principle with interchangable barrels and scopes.  If I were to change a scope on a gun, my first trip would be to the range, it's the same thing with barrels.

 

However, in an accompanying target that I shot with my 6.5/284 barrel, one might not believe checking zero is not needed.  Fred's guns are synonymous with accuracy and I wasn't dissappointed.  I was extremely impressed at the "return to zero" accuracy after a barrel cooling and change.  I began with a 5 shot string at, 100 yards, of fodder ammo that grouped a little over an inch.  The group was a little off center so I moved the crosshairs 1 m.o.a. to the left and took the barrel off and refitted it to shoot another 5 shot string.  After that string, I was amazed, the second group was exactly an inch to the left and measured 3/4", all at 100 yards.  That is repeatable accuracy.

 

I have not yet tested my other 2 barrels, a 6mm x 284 and a .308 Win. but I know they will be as good as the 6.5 x 284, and I plan to test them soon.  The 6mm x 284 is an experiment on my part but  I don't think it will ever replace my 6.5.   I love the 6.5 x 284!

 

The other target is from another LowTech custom, a 700 Remington long action with a Kreiger #17 heavy barrel contour on a Choate Ultimate Varminter stock.  The cartridge is 6.5 x 284, of course.  One 3 shot group measured just under 5/16" at 100 yards.  The other group, with different ammo, measured right at 3/4" with 9 shots.  These were all shot on a 70 degree February day with winds gusting at 10-15 mph.

 

These are just some examples of Fred's work, so if you find yourself in need of a bolt gun with functional versatility, or any other work, give Fred and Jane a call.  I'm glad I did, my conscience is another story!

 

Jason Buckles