Savage Actions

[TEXMAG]

What Savage long action would you build a FTR rifle or a long Range Rifle from? Cost of parts, stocks, barrels, etc... Don't know the difference in Savages other than Model 10 =SA, 110=LA, I was at the Gun Show at G.R.Brown in Houston looking for a donor LA 700 Reminton price ~$550.00 plus. There where alot of Savage 110's for $300.00 or less. Might be the way to go, I don't know. Is the difference in the spacing in the action screws just between LA and SA or is by Model say 110 vs 116? Let me know what you know.

TEXMAG

 

[chuckbuster243]

All the long actions are the same screw spacing. Centerfeed and staggerfeed. Their are some old non accutrigger short action calibers built on a long action. You can tell by the short mag cut and the bolt baffle has a long tail on it. Their are a couple different lengths on the short actions. depending on model and make. below is a page from sharpshooter supply's tech update page.

Savage Centerfire Action Lengths

Savage Centerfire Action Length Identification. To help determine what action you have, here are the action screw center-to-center measurements.

Long Action: 5.062" (all years)
3rd Gen Short: 4.400" (2006 - present)
2nd Gen. Short: 4.275" (1998 - 2005)
1st Gen. Short: 4.522" (1959 - 1988)
Striker:

Additional Notes:

- The 1st Generation Short-Actions are today commonly referred to as "J-Series". This is incorrect as a "Series" designation simply refers to a slight design change. Rifles marked "Series J" can be either a 1st Gen. short-action or a long-action.

- The 2nd. Generation Short-Actions comprise most of what you will run across.

- The 3rd Generation Short-Actions are the newest production models and can be easily identified as they will have the new center-feed magazine system. The only exception is rifles originally built in .223 Remington or .204 Ruger as Savage has yet to release a center-feed magazine for these smaller diameter cartridges.

**The best way to remove any doubt as to which generation of short action you have is to measure the action screw spacing.

 

[Terry]

What caliber are you going to use?

Terry

 

[TEXMAG]

I thinking about a 6.5-284,6.5-06, or 30-06 AI. Lilja has these caliber barrels in stock in the profile I like #7 or Sendero same difference. I need to decide tonight on which barrel I want to order. .308 is 1/10, .264 1/8, tough decision.

 

[Concha]

FTR is limited to 308 and 223/556. There are some ranges that are allowing modified FTR wich allows other calibers to shoot with a bipod and rear rest. If you are shooting F open you need to select your cartridge carefully. Get ready to spend some coin on a front rest to be competitive. F class shooting is single load so magazines are useless. The Target action is what you want for all calibers that fit a short action, including the 284 based cartridges. If you have a place to shoot long range other than in competition you will be a lot more flexible with cartridge and equipment selection. That is another conversation.

There are some minor differences with long action savages you need to be aware of. The action screw spacing is the same with all of them. There are older flat back stagger fed actions and newer round back stagger fed actions. The magazine attaches to the action in blind mag versions. The newest include the accutrigger but not exclusively. They are called the center fed models and the blind magattaches to the stock. These models also have come with a much improved DBM option and are best for the modifications that are popular today. Those will be of a manufacture from about 2006 and later IIRC. The Savage shooters web site explains it all if you look and read.

 

[TEXMAG]

What about the difference in the shank size small vs large is that a year thing or LA vs SA? I plan on shooting the rifle in the open and I bought a SS LA 700 SPS 270 to build it on($500.00). Just gathering info for myself and maybe someone else for a future build. It seems like the 110's are cheap, plentiful, and might be a good option to build on. The money saved could go for other options.

 

[260Ravage]

FWIW: I built a benchrest gun from the old Savage single shot long action. The action is gas lotza steel in it due to the fact there is no magazine. I beleive it is a '112S'. I screwed a Criterian 28" bull barrel on it in 6BR. The thing shoots rediculously well.

 

[TEXMAG]

That Savage site makes it more confusing, you can get a 110 in either a long or short cartrides 308 or 30-06. If you buy one with the spacer ala the 243/308. Can it be easily made to eject 30-06 length cartridges? Would it be better just to by a 30-06 donor. So far I think I need a post 2006 in a 30-06 lenth cartridge. What serial # do the 2006's start with?

 

[Concha]

Tex, When you decide what caliber you want I will give you some options. If you want to call me PM me and I will give you my number. It is not that hard. Long action can handle longer cartridges. They can also handle smaller cartridges much the same way as a 18 wheeler can haul 35 yards of sand or it can haul a bucket of sand. A short action using the same analogy is like a pick-up truck. It can carry a bucket of sand but woould not easily carry 35 yards of sand.

Long actions can handle all of the large magnums down to a 223(223 requires some hard to find parts).
Short actions can handle from cartridges 2.900" and shorter including the SAUMs WSMs and the WSSMs.

Bolt heads or bolt faces that match your chosen cartridge are required.
Magazines that fit your chosen cartridge are required.

All large shank barrels require an action with a 1 1/8 - 20 thread, normaly short actions with rare exceptions.
All small shank barrels require an action with a 1 1/16 - 20 thread, long or short action
Most all of the actions you will see on any given day will be a small shank unless it is a short action WSM or target/Benchrest action.
The older savages are stagger feed(Mag on the action) and the newer ones are centerfeed(Mag in the stock) both of which have detachable magazines the more desireable being the centerfeed. Both can have an accutrigger.
Older actions that have a flat rear portion of the action are all staggerfeed.

The magazines are not interchangable between CF and SF.
Aftermarket parts need to be for your specific Action/Rifle.

If you need more help call me.

If this does not clear things up please consider reading all of the faqs that you missed on Savage Shooters or have a gunsmith build a rifle for you with your needs considered.

 

[TEXMAG]

Concha, I have built a few rifles for myself and a few for a couple friends. I have always built my rifles from a Remington Action long action or purchased a Stiller. That beening said I have always hated the look of a Savage and never had one bit of interest in one until I noticed alot of used 110's at a Gun Show real cheap. For your sake I'am going to build my new rifle on a SS LA 700, with a 1 piece PTG bolt w/raceway opened to .705, bolt @ .703, M16 extractor, and a 1/10 twist .308 lilja barrel. I guess you missed that it was in one of my post. Was just asking the questions for myself and maybe someone else that might be interested in a Savage build. Didn't know asking a few questions would piss you off and cause you to with hold what little it is that you might know. By the way went to Walmart 110 and 700 are the same money $397.00

 

[chuckbuster243]

I am currently using a older long action that was previously a 30-06 for my 308 F-TR rifle. I like it due to easier to load and it will even feed long (185 berger hybrids) from the mag if I want. Without any mods... And one thing I may add about the 700's you may find in the wally world. You might as well add $100.00 for a trigger to replace the factory one... If you buy a Savage the accutrigger is superb. Even the older 3 screw non accutrigger models can be adjusted quite nicely. Matt

 

[Concha]

Pardon me for offering you the information you asked for.

 

[TEXMAG]

I agree the X-MARKS s**k! I have a few spare old style walker triggers, 3-blued, 1-SS. Don't like the Accu-trigger either or a double set trigger, just my personel preference though. I'm sure I could get use to whatever trigger I had to, just haven't had to yet. Never owned a Savage, but never thought I marry 3 different women either.

 

[Concha]

What color are your coveralls?

 

[TEXMAG]

No problem Concha, I agree I don't know chit about Savage rifles. Just trying to figure out if I wanted to build one Savage for a FTR in the morning and switch barrels to shoot F-open in the after noon which LA Savage action would you use?

 

[TEXMAG]

Blue, say hello to your husband for me.

 

[TEXMAG]

Chuckbuster thanks for the info. Your rifle sounds like what I want to build. What kind of stock are you using.

 

[Concha]

You do have a sense of humor. BTW my screen name is an indicator of my employer. Pm me who you work for if it is on the Channel.

 

[chuckbuster243]

The one i have on this particular one is a richards microfit.... I found it in the bargain bin. It is a benchrest stock but with my current bipod setup it works well and is under weight by a few ounces. I would get a different stock if i could do it over... And I would have made a aluminum bedding block. Richards stocks look like a chainsaw carved them out... It takes allot of work to make them work. Matt

 

[TEXMAG]

Thats what I'm afraid of. There doesn't seem to be to many stocks offered for the LA Savage. There are plenty for the SA. Another DIY stock project I guess.