I have a barrel blank and have been wanting to build something off a Savage action for my son to use when he goes shooting with me. I know that when you order a barrel for the action i believe that it is a little different in size at the chamber end. I am not going to use a barrel nut so can i use the barrel blank i have at home? Also what would the most be needed done to the action, square the face and recut the threads? With the way the action is set up is that all you can do to the action? I have noticed on Northland supply he offers a SF and CF action. Is 1 made for a blind magazine and the other for the detachable mag like on a Precision carbine? Their are so many different models i really do not know what the heck is the difference between them all.
Rebarreling a Savage action
- Thread starter dtucker
- Start date
As far as action work on a savage... if you want to true up the face, go ahead, I wouldn't mess with the threads, the floating bolt head design should take care of any misalignment there.
The different actions- SF and CF, refer to the bolt spacing of the action. In short actions... The SF (Staggered Feed) measure about 4.250 from action screw to action screw. The CF (Center Feed) measure about 4.400. These are both generally blind magazine rifles but can be had with detachable or hinged floor plates. Another way to tell is if it is a blind mag, when you pull the action out of the stock, if the mag box stays on the action it is a SF and if it stays in the stock it is a CF.. In long actions the spacing is the same (5 +inches) but the blind magazines follow the previous rule. The actions of all the models are pretty much the same except for the target and LRPV models. The 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 are all short actions, and the 110, 111, 112 etc.. are long actions. The 16 series will be Stainless, and some of the 12's are as well. Many of the other letters etc. determine the "package" of the rifle, as in comes with accutrigger, factory scope, synthetic, wood, or laminate, etc, etc...
I'm not really sure I follow on what you are trying to say in the first couple sentences. I would recommend using the barrel nut as it is super easy to set headspace that way if you are doing this yourself. Spend the $12 on a barrel nut and save yourself the headache, but that is my opinion. I bet your son could care less and would be just as happy to be out there with you.
These savages are cheap (relatively) and would make a great rifle to teach a young one on. You can always change the barrels yourself as they grow up and can handle more recoil, etc..
--And, if this is an older pre 1996 "ish" action.. Let us know, because they did even funnier things back then.
The different actions- SF and CF, refer to the bolt spacing of the action. In short actions... The SF (Staggered Feed) measure about 4.250 from action screw to action screw. The CF (Center Feed) measure about 4.400. These are both generally blind magazine rifles but can be had with detachable or hinged floor plates. Another way to tell is if it is a blind mag, when you pull the action out of the stock, if the mag box stays on the action it is a SF and if it stays in the stock it is a CF.. In long actions the spacing is the same (5 +inches) but the blind magazines follow the previous rule. The actions of all the models are pretty much the same except for the target and LRPV models. The 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 are all short actions, and the 110, 111, 112 etc.. are long actions. The 16 series will be Stainless, and some of the 12's are as well. Many of the other letters etc. determine the "package" of the rifle, as in comes with accutrigger, factory scope, synthetic, wood, or laminate, etc, etc...
I'm not really sure I follow on what you are trying to say in the first couple sentences. I would recommend using the barrel nut as it is super easy to set headspace that way if you are doing this yourself. Spend the $12 on a barrel nut and save yourself the headache, but that is my opinion. I bet your son could care less and would be just as happy to be out there with you.
These savages are cheap (relatively) and would make a great rifle to teach a young one on. You can always change the barrels yourself as they grow up and can handle more recoil, etc..
--And, if this is an older pre 1996 "ish" action.. Let us know, because they did even funnier things back then.
placek59 knows his Savages! If this is your first Savage build I recommend working with Fred and Lisa at Sharp Shooter Supply and Jim at Northland. These are top notch outfits with beaucoup Savage information.
WOW, thanks a bunch for the info. I think my head is clear now and understanding the actions much better. My son is 20 and as far as screwing a barrel on and off for a different caliber i think i won't be doing that. Not using the barrel nut, will that change anything dropping a barreled action in a HS stock? Meaning will my recoil lug be in the same location whether i am using the barrel nut or not?
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
The only problem with installing the barrel "without" the nut is that the barrel chamber will have to be headspaced on a lathe like Remington. That takes care of you doing it yourself. 
Might as well have the front of the action trued at the same time while you're at it. 
If the barrel is installed with the nut, you can change calibers pretty easy. May need a different bolt head on some calibers. Once you swap barrels (with the nut), it won't be too long and you'll be going to a different caliber, because you can. 8)
The recoil lug goes against the front of the action and is secured by the nut so it's stays in the same position no matter what stock you may want to use. Same position without the nut.
Make it real easy and go with a "cheap" Stevens action. Less $$ invested and more to spend on different barrels. ;D
You can probably pick up a "cheap" Stevens complete rifle at say Wallyworld for almost the same price as an action alone? Sell the takeoff barrel and stock and be $$ ahead.
Might as well have the front of the action trued at the same time while you're at it. If the barrel is installed with the nut, you can change calibers pretty easy. May need a different bolt head on some calibers. Once you swap barrels (with the nut), it won't be too long and you'll be going to a different caliber, because you can. 8)
The recoil lug goes against the front of the action and is secured by the nut so it's stays in the same position no matter what stock you may want to use. Same position without the nut.
Make it real easy and go with a "cheap" Stevens action. Less $$ invested and more to spend on different barrels. ;D
You can probably pick up a "cheap" Stevens complete rifle at say Wallyworld for almost the same price as an action alone? Sell the takeoff barrel and stock and be $$ ahead.
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