Could you have a rifle *made into* a takedown rifle?

[AmesJainchill]

The hypothetical idea I'm having here is a bolt-action rifle that the front section, ~1/2 the rifle screws off.

If you've ever seen the Manchurian Candidate (the first one), something like the rifle he uses at the end of the movie.

It would probably mess with the rifling and you'd have to get the threading exactly right, but you might be able to do it.

 

[VaFisher]

Yes would be the answer to your question. Now depending on how but there are a few different ways to do this, it would also need to be headspaced the first time to make it right. I believe if it were me I would have a slip in barrel, timing tang and a barrel nut to secure. The headspace would not change if you would use this method.

 

[Jim Watson]

There have been full custom rifles made or modified to take down with half-thread joints. There used to be a place in Atlanta that did it, though I don't think they are still in business.

If you are serious, I could probably find a shop in back issues of Rifle
magazine. It won't be cheap.

Dakota makes one with some sort of "threadless" barrel - receiver joint.
http://www.dakotaarms.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi

Hollands and other British makers offered them.
Several continental gunmakers have various takedown systems, Blaser and Sauer that I can think of offhand, but those are not screw-joint Mauser types.

Lots of benchrest shooters have switch-barrel rifles where the barrel is not too tight to be removed with foot-long barrel and action wrenches.

 

[AmesJainchill]

No, I was just wondering if it could be done, thanks.

 

[Rangefinder]

If you want a take-down rifle, consider going with a NEF Handi-rifle. It's already 90% there. All you need to do is change out the bold for the foregrip with a quick-release thumb bold and you're done. Then accessorize it to suit what you want. Different barrels, optics, bipod, whatever. Functional take-down rifle that won't kill the budget.

NEF in .223 (also have a 12 ga. barrel that slaps in quick). Rolls up into a soft case and fits really well in a weekend pack, under the seat, whatever. Fully disassembled to firing in 30 seconds flat.

 

[Chindo18Z]

Yes, it can be done.

The place referred to by Jim Watson was called Atlanta Firearms. They were a premium custom gunsmithing operation (no over-the-counter retail firearms sales...only custom work).

I had them customize a Colt MKIV Series '70 during 1980. While visiting the shop, the owner showed me one of their main moneymakers...a custom built, takedown counter-sniper bolt gun, ordered by the US Secret Service. As I recall, a Rem 700 action, in .308, about 16" tapered barrel, scoped. Also as I recall, the reciever was in two parts which rotated into one another around a threaded extension cam. The two parts could be quickly twisted together (rotated aprox. 90 degrees to lock). The weapon was designed to be carried in a double shoulder holster (undereath dress raincoat) by members of personal security details. Rifle would hold scope zero when disassembled and was allegedly accurate for several hundred meters. They were making a lot of them at that time and seemed to have all the business they could handle.

 

[Jim Watson]

The place I had in mind in Atlanta did have a showroom. Two different places over the years, in fact. I remember admiring their one and only falling block single shot, their one-piece bolt action with action machined out of the breech end of a long barrel blank and a Mauser Parabellum target model (not their work, just in the showcase.)