Buying a break down rifle

Ruttinbuck

Ruttinbuck

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Gents
I am looking at buying a break down rifle specifically for packing with me during hunting season.But also in my pack most of the off season as I prefer wilderness hiking to rural hikes.
I have thought about the browning BLR take down, the Thompson Center encore,the H&R superlight line. I realize the BLR is a true designed to take down at will,but are either the encore or H&R actual take downs or do they just travel apart with little effort and no accuracy loss during assemble and reassemble?
I should mention the ruger #1 as well but do not know if it is considered a breakdown .If anyone has input to other rifles to consider please advise thx RB
 
Ruttinbuck said:
Gents
I am looking at buying a break down rifle specifically for packing with me during hunting season.But also in my pack most of the off season as I prefer wilderness hiking to rural hikes.
I have thought about the browning BLR take down, the Thompson Center encore,the H&R superlight line. I realize the BLR is a true designed to take down at will,but are either the encore or H&R actual take downs or do they just travel apart with little effort and no accuracy loss during assemble and reassemble?
I should mention the ruger #1 as well but do not know if it is considered a breakdown .If anyone has input to other rifles to consider please advise thx RB
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How about the Baikal / Remington single shots ?
They break down into 3 pieces.
 
The Ruger #1 is not a take-down rifle. You could remove the buttstock to make it more compact, but that works with any gun, and isn't all that convenient.

The Encore and the H&R are easy to disassemble, but you would need a screwdriver to remove the forearm. One or two screws, and the the forearm drops off and the barrel lifts off. TC had some kind of gizmo recently that replaced the forearm screw with a QD-type device that required no tools, but the reviews it got were terrible. I never even saw one so equipped and I don't know if they still sell it. All my TC barrels could be removed and replaced without losing zero, as long as the scope was left attached to the barrel. Same thing with the H&R barrels, but they need to be fitted to the individual action, so you can't swap barrels/chamberings as easily as the TC. Mind you, a whole new H&R gun can be purchased for the price of a TC barrel.

The BLR takedown looks cool. I don't have any experience with it but look forward to playing with one. It makes me a bit nervous to see the takedown lever sticking out at a 90-degree angle from the receiver when the gun is apart. It looks like that would be a PITA to get into or out of a pack, but it might be okay in a hard case for travel. You should probably check that feature carefully.
 
Have you considered a Winchester/Rossi/Chiappa take down trapper in .44 Magnum? 16" barrel, full buttstock, and it breaks down into two parts less than 18" long each.
 
The best way will be two firearms... one "normal" rifle for hunting...

and one small breakdown zombie gun with iron sights for packing in a pack...
 
True takedown rifles cost a fortune. You'd be better off with a company lightweight rifle that you could either strap on the side of your package or stow either inside the pack or in a scabbard ala Eberlestock or the Kifaru Gunbearer system.
 
H and r and tc require screw drivers while bakil does not require for takedown. Browning is a take down design but how good is it as I have not seen one. - like the bakils as they are simple. Another option is tc with a pistol barrel of 15inch as a full rifle with overall length of 31 inch.
 
keith mokry said:
H and r and tc require screw drivers while bakil does not require for takedown. Browning is a take down design but how good is it as I have not seen one. - like the bakils as they are simple. Another option is tc with a pistol barrel of 15inch as a full rifle with overall length of 31 inch.
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the 15 inch barrell sounds interesting as does the baikal take down option
thx for your input gents RB
 
BigUglyMan said:
True takedown rifles cost a fortune. You'd be better off with a company lightweight rifle that you could either strap on the side of your package or stow either inside the pack or in a scabbard ala Eberlestock or the Kifaru Gunbearer system.
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+1 ( ...if $ is no object you could look at the offerings from Blaser, Mauser or Sauer)
 
Ruttinbuck said:
Are they considered a take down?
Would they hold zero every time they are reassembled?
curious and thx for the input RB
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Guess it depends on how you define a "take down." :)
To me, it's a rfle that breaks down quickly and easily without any tools into 2 or 3 parts and is equally as easy to quickly reassemble.
The Baikals break down into three parts by pulling a "lever" mechanism. Very quick and easy.
Have taken mine ( 308 and 7.62 x 39 ) apart a number of times and they shoot fine. Mine are both iron sighted, not scoped though.
I also have an H&R superlight youth in .243 for the wife but it doesn't easily "take down" as far as I was aware. Nice, light, compact rifle which could easily be lashed to a pack or a scabbard.
 
Get the shortest fixed barrel gun you can or spend the money on a cheap break action single shot, they seem to hold up pretty good.

Otherwise, every old takedown made on this continent I have ever handled had one thing in common, the take down joint was worn, often to the point of uselessness. Il admit I have not handled the BLR so I cannot comment on it. But anything from savage, winchester, remington I have seen left much to be desired compared to a fixed barrel gun, anything with an interupted or "stepped" thread is dismal. Ways devised to compensate for this wear can be labled contraptions at best.

I've come across one lewdly expensive British single shot with a takedown joint, it was nearly 100 years old and solid as a rock. Maybe they figured out something the Americans didn't.

Put it this way, I've come across lots of guns with barrels that were fine, but take down joint was worn to the point the gun was useless. What is the point of buying a takedown when the joint wont last as long as the rifling?
 
If not the BLR, then I'd look at the Merkel K3, or even K3 Stutzen. But those are significantly more expensive than the rifles you listed.
 
IVI Timberwolf, .357 Magnum pump action, 5.5 lbs empty.

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I recently picked up an H&R handi rifle in .223. It's not a true takedown as much as it is easy to disassemble. The front stock has a single screw 1/4" 20 1/4 , unless I confuse it with one of the other models, that requires a screwdriver to remove or tighten.
Part of my idea for this rifle is as a simple backpacker, so I've been looking into "takedown" options. It looks like they produce, or used to, a Survivor model with a screw that can be tightened and removed by hand. I have also seen some pictures of someone with a cap head screw and a wing head screw. I am going to check out the hardware store tomorrow to see if they have any options for similar screws.

My other idea is to possibly replace the receiver's pivot pin with something that can be easily removed. Assuming of course that the barrel could be removed with the foregrip attached. I haven't given that option much thought yet, though I know that the right style of latching pin exists but it might not be the right size or material. I don't want to pick some cheap pin that's going to wear into uselessness quickly.

Next up is looking at shortening the barrel and/or stock so it would actually fit into the backpack, but I'm looking at the cheapest and least invasive options first.

Also, cleaning a rifle doesn't get much easier than this. Well maybe if you use irons or a QD scope mount. In only a few seconds you're left holding a barrel in one hand, and the receiver with stock in the other. With standard scope rings you don't really need to worry overmuch about losing zero as the scope, rings, and mount do not need to be touched. I haven't looked at QD rings yet so I'm not sure how they would work, though I can certainly see the benefit.
 
I have a BLR take down model, you flip a very stiff lever and a slight twist and you are good to go.

The connection seems as solid as a rock and would take many thousands of assemblies to loosen

Its quick and easy and the best way to clean the barrel on a lever action

Bonus feature over the others mentioned is that it comes with a 3 or 4 shot clip depending on calibre

PS The take down lever does not have to remain at a 90 degree angle when disassembled
 
jjohnwm said:
The Encore and the H&R are easy to disassemble, but you would need a screwdriver to remove the forearm. t they need to be fitted to the individual action, so you can't swap barrels/chamberings as easily as the TC. Mind you, a whole new H&R gun can be purchased for the price of a TC barrel.
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Replace the forearm screw with a thumb screw like this one http://www.cinevate.com/catalog/pro...d=198&osCsid=f0691bc2ac4c155c838ab7a08796878b The H&R survivors comes with a thumb screw but they are heavy.
 
I have a baikal sxs in 4570. It takes down just like aa sxs shotgun and is very robust reliable and accurate. The scope is locked down in a good set of rings. I put it in aa soft case and throw over my back. No one even thinks about it being a gun. Its light fast accurate and has the 45 hole and a case big eniugh to back it up
 
Lots of great info guys thanks
The baikal and handi rifle seem interesting.The TC has the of barrel options,have to think more if that is a direction I would really go.Don't shoot what I have know enough LOL.
The browning has the clip option not a deal maker but definately a consideration.
Appreciate the input RB
 
One more option, is a used 1899 or 99 T/D in .300 Savage. Those usually aren't too expensive and they are nice little rifles.
 
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