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I think there are three basic "takedown" designs.

The first is the system used on break-open guns like double rifles and single shots based on a similar break-open design. The barrels of these guns are easily removed for storage and transport. My guess is that these are not the type of firearms you are speaking of.

The second group is one where the barrel can be removed from the action by rotating, unscrewing, or through the use of some sort of lever. Usually these designs remove the barrel and forend as a unit, but not always. Unless the system has some way to be adjusted for tightness, most of these systems will loosen after heavy usage. The most prone are probably the systems that use interrupted threads. This is where the threads of the barrel have been cut away in two or more areas and similar cuts have been made in the front of the action. To remove these barrels some sort of locking mechanism is released then the barrel is twisted and slid out of the action. To replace, the barrel is slid into the action, given a twist, and then locked to prevent accidental rotation.

Systems that allow the barrel to be unscrewed are similar but the threads of these are not interrupted. With these systems the barrel, and usually the forend with it, is unscrewed several turns before it comes free from the action. The screw type of barrel take-down system also requires some sort of mechanism to keep it from turning while in use.

There are a few modern systems that do not use the screwing and unscrewing of the barrel threads to accomplish the task. Instead they use some sort of linkage or lever to lock and hold the barrel in place. These are not prone to the same type of wear as rifles that depend upon barrel threads for attachment. I believe most of these guns are of Germanic or European design although the picture below is of an old Westley-Richards.

And the Mauser 03:

The third takedown design is my favorite. It allows the barrel and action to be removed from the stock as one unit. I am most familiar with this design. I have had mauser and mannlicher based rifles that used this design. Some of the advantages to this design are that the stock remains a single piece, the barrels remain firmly connected to the action, and the action is easily removed from the stock for cleaning and maintenance. The rear of the tang has a small projection that slips under a corresponding lip on the stock. A screw at the fron of the magazine is unscrewed and the barrel rotated up and out of the action. To replace, the tang is slid under the piece on the stock, rotated down into place, and the magazine screw tightened. The screw is slightly over sized so a coin can be used to turn it. Holland & Holland still offers this as an option on their magazine rifles.

An example of Holland & Holland's takedown system is shown below. A variation of the design is shown at the bottom.

Edited by CptCurl (17/10/10 10:43 PM)

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