Switch Barrel Sako Quad Rifle

Sporting rifles with interchangeable barrels have been with us for a very long time. Several years ago at a gun show, a collector of Winchester lever-action rifles had a Model 94 takedown rifle with barrels in .30-30, .25-35, .32 Special, .32-40 and .38-55 Winchester.

- Layne Simpson

.22 LR,

.22 WMR,

.17 Mach 2,

.17 HMR

According to the owner of that rifle, it was built by Winchester in 1917. At that time each additional barrel cost $12 and it came with its own magazine and forearm.

The Sako Quad comes with a barrel chambered for one cartridge, and three others are available. The interchangeable barrels have color-coded bands: (1) green for .22 LR, (2) yellow for .22 WMR, (3) blue for .17 Mach 2 and (4) orange for .17 HMR.

Moving to the present, we have the Quad rifle on a modified version of the Sako Finnfire turn-bolt action. As the name implies, four interchangeable barrels are available with chambering options of .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR), .17 Mach 2 and .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (HMR). The rifle comes with one of those barrels and other barrels can be added. Beretta (owner of Sako) introduced the new switch barrel rifle during a Wyoming prairie dog shoot in 2008, and that’s when I first shot it.

Five Quad model variations have been available, all with 24-inch, six groove barrels. The Quad Synthetic with a black stock has a standard weight barrel while the Synthetic Heavy Barrel has, you guessed it – a heavier barrel. Replace the synthetic stock of the latter model with European walnut and you have the Quad Varmint. Give that one fancy walnut, adjustable open sights and a single set trigger and you have the Hunter Pro. The Range model is described by Sako as a target rifle, and in addition to a single set trigger it has a laminated wood stock with a height-adjustable cheek rest.