Evolution of the Savage 220 Bolt-Action 20GA Shotgun

[Sloppy_Snood]

This must be a rifle!....right?!!? ???

Kind of.....but in this case, it is a 20 gauge "rifle" called the Savage 220 Bolt-Action Shotgun! 8)
http://a.imageshack.us/img717/5055/savage220stockgun1.jpg

Equipped with a carpenter's hammer-size bolt handle.

http://a.imageshack.us/img440/3984/savage220stockgun2.jpg

Not-so-different than a Savage 110-bolt assembly (which the gun is supposedly based upon).

http://a.imageshack.us/img337/4307/savage220stockgun5.jpg

Fully-adjustable Savage Accu-Trigger easily is adjusted from 1.5 lbs to 6 pounds of trigger pull weight.

http://a.imageshack.us/img508/2590/savage220stockgun7.jpg

The bolt-assembly slides along the rails of the action with minimal movement for a nice fit that is also quick to chamber the next slug from the magazine.

http://a.imageshack.us/img413/7549/savage220stockgun8.jpg

[Sloppy_Snood]

The receiver's ejection port is very wide for reliable spent shotshell hull ejection with no potential for jamming (albeit you still need to be critical of riflescope adjustment turrett placement in the mounted position).

http://a.imageshack.us/img217/7781/savage220stockgun6.jpg

The surprisingly squishy Savage recoil pad is somewhere on the order of "between a SIMS pad and a Kick's recoil pad" in terms of softness, recoil reduction, and material memory.

http://a.imageshack.us/img411/7479/savage220stockgun3.jpg

Insert your extra 2-rounds of 20 gauge ammunition here. The magazine catch is both strong and quite audible. No play in my magazine to mag well fit.

http://a.imageshack.us/img408/4568/savage220stockgun9.jpg

A 2-round plastic magazine provides for 3 shotshells to be on hand for your quarry.

http://a.imageshack.us/img405/9059/savage220stockgun10.jpg

Ammunition testing and modifications begin next.

[Sloppy_Snood]

Two 36-inch 4140 PH chromoly (116,000 psi tensile strength medium carbon alloy steel) round bars purchased from Huff Steel in Indianapolis, IN.

1 1/4" o.d. and 1 1/2" o.d.

1 1/2" o.d. is for another project unrelated to the Savage 220.

http://a.imageshack.us/img839/2062/barrelblank4.jpg

http://a.imageshack.us/img811/8418/barrelblank1.jpg

Looks like steel round bars, don't they?

Next step coming soon.

[Sloppy_Snood]

Take 4140 PH round bars to the gundriller and....viola!

Gundrilled to .594" (left) and .726" bore (right).


http://a.imageshack.us/img830/550/savage220project6.jpg


Looking down the .726" hole:


http://a.imageshack.us/img412/8425/savage220project5.jpg


For my gundrilling service, I utilized Davis Machine & Tool, Inc. in Edinburgh, IN.

[Sloppy_Snood]

....so maybe next we'll knock off a pesky Savage 220 barrel nut with a Wheeler Savage Barrel Nut Wrench:

http://a.imageshack.us/img710/8029/savage220project1.jpg

Barrel nut and barrel on receiver (front view)

http://a.imageshack.us/img442/1717/savage220project7.jpg

Barrel nut and barrel on receiver (rear view)

http://a.imageshack.us/img828/8305/savage220project8.jpg

The Savage barrel nut wrench is produced by a couple different sources. I purchased a 3rd party savage barrel nut wrench from Optics Planet (dot) com but a much nicer wrench is available from Fred at Sharp Shooters Supply.

LINK: Sharp Shooter Supply Wrench (Click Here) (http://www.sharpshootersupply.com/Tools.html)

[Sloppy_Snood]

After locking the barrel action in a vise with wooden blocks, a "whack" with a 5-pound baby sledge hammer popped the Savage 220 barrel nut loose.

http://a.imageshack.us/img690/3359/savage220disassembly3.jpg

After unscrewing the barrel from the Savage 220 receiver, the barrel nut, and recoil lug were removed.

http://a.imageshack.us/img833/3623/savage220disassembly6.jpg

A look inside the simple barrel nut. Threads on the nut, barrel, and receiver were cleaned with a wire wheel to remove factory threadlocker.

http://a.imageshack.us/img534/7338/savage220disassembly10.jpg

The measured thread pitch is 20 tpi.

[Sloppy_Snood]

A look inside the savage barrel nut and the chamber end of the barrel.

http://a.imageshack.us/img814/2614/savage220disassembly1.jpg

A disassembled Savage 220 next to a 36-inch 4140 PH chromoly steel barrel blank. The finish o.d. of the barrel will be a 1 1/8" bull barrel with an overall length of 30 inches (when threaded and attached to the receiver). The factory Savage 220 slug barrel is 22 inches by comparison.

http://a.imageshack.us/img267/9646/savage220disassembly8.jpg

[Sloppy_Snood]

A long 12-hour day on the Denny Tubbs' Gunworks CNC lathe and my smoothbore barrel was ready to be rejoined with the receiver (sans the Savage barrel nut).


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd1.jpg


Front scope base removed, headspace set, Savage barrel nut in the "Savage 220 spare parts bag." LOL! Bolt assembly closes properly on 20GA match chamber.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd2.jpg


Improved support for shotshell brass lip and modified extractor recesses.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd3.jpg


A look at the .950" muzzle o.d. prior to choke tube threading.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd4.jpg

[Sloppy_Snood]

The Savage 220 is back from Indian Creek Shooting Systems choke tubes and Briley Manufacturing gunsmiths!

The turkey choke tube specialists at Indian Creek Shooting Systems outfitted the Savage 220 project gun with their 20GA Invector Plus Black Diamond Strike and Platinum Pro Elite choke tubes.

The gunsmiths at Briley threaded the business end of my custom smoothbore bull barrel for 20GA Invector Plus choke tubes (Browning and Winchester's 20 gauge screw-in choke system). Truth-be-told, I was unable to identify ANY other gunsmith or company in North America that is equipped to thread specifically for Invector Plus 20 gauge choke tubes (if you go this route for Invector Plus 20GA screw-ins, you might as well save time and send it to Briley from the start).


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd8.jpg


Indian Creek reamed the barrel with a Dave Manson Precision Reamers backbore reamer and 34" drive extension. The bore was reamed from the original gundrill .594" size to .625" in order to remove any surface-hardened spots from the heat of the gundrilling process or variation in the hardness of the 4140 PH steel itself.

Briley Manufacturing also honed the .625" reamed barrel bore on a 2-stone honing machine. The honing process removes any "high spots" and/or "low spots" that exist along the barrel's bore. The process allows for near perfect bore concentricity and a consistent bore diameter for the entire length of the bore. The benefit to the shotgun (and the shooter) is that patterns thrown by the shotgun become very consistent, tight, and predictable (as predictable as a scattergun can be anyway).

Here is my .6XX" finished barrel bore ready for competitive shooting (it is a mirror inside there!):


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd9.jpg


In order to get this shotgun project off the ground, I experimented with a variety of Indian Creek Shooting Systems' choke tubes with exit diameters from .540" through .575" and the 3" Hevi-13 1 1/4 oz number 6s shotshell. For my NWTF still target competition endeavors, the .560" Indian Creek Platinum Pro Elite (non-ported and no wad catchers) won out for best pattern "cores" and shot-to-shot consistency.

Here is the .560" Indian Creek choke screwed into my custom barrel:


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd10.jpg


Another look from a different vantage point:


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd11.jpg


Up next: Mounting 1" Burris Signature Zee scope rings (Weaver-style) and an optic (undecided at this point).

[Sloppy_Snood]

I took some time to mount a Leupold 4-12 x 40 VX-I variable riflescope on my Savage 220 bolt-action 20GA project gun.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd12.jpg


Medium height, gloss 1-inch Burris Signature Zee rings hold the Leupold in place. Weaver brand bases were attached to the receiver with 6-48 screws and Loctite blue threadlocker.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd13.jpg


Action open ready for ammunition stuffing!


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd14.jpg


The completed Savage 220 build gun is so strong, it can even topple a rotten tulip poplar tree! ***eyeroll***


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd15.jpg


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd16.jpg


"In the white" 4140 PH bull barrel will be toned down with a future camouflage treatment and some other "special stuff."


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd17.jpg


Here is how she will ride into Indiana's fall turkey season (and yes, she is going to double as a turkey hunting shotgun!).


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/savage220projectbulladd18.jpg


A laminate thumbhole stock, DEVCON plastic steel full length bedding, stainless steel action screws, Morgan adjustable recoil pad, replacement Sharp Shooter Supply competition trigger (Click Here) (http://www.sharpshootersupply.com/CenterfireTriggers.html), 1-piece EGW Savage 220 scope base, and exterior decorations coming. 8)

[Smokey262]

Nice story and writeup. Thanks

Don't know if you are interested, but a guy by me rifles shotgun barrels.

[Sloppy_Snood]

Nice story and writeup. Thanks

Don't know if you are interested, but a guy by me rifles shotgun barrels.

Thanks Smokey. I certainly appreciate the offer for rifling the barrel but the end use will be for smoothbore target shooting with turkey choke tubes (NWTF Still Target Shooting competition).

I will snap a few more pictures tomorrow of how "Painkiller" looks in the new stock with full length bedding and assorted other goodies.....stay tuned. ;)

[bootsmcguire]

I have rolled around similar ideas to this for building a longer barreled Smooth bore slug gun, something in the neighborhood of 32-36".

[Balljoint]

Good picture story on the build what besides turkey will you use this for, can this also be used for Dangerous game, large hogs, bear just some thoughts on other uses

[Sloppy_Snood]

Good picture story on the build what besides turkey will you use this for, can this also be used for Dangerous game, large hogs, bear just some thoughts on other uses

80% for competition, 10% for field turkey hunting, 5% for testing new turkey shotshell loads and choke tubes, and maybe 5% for predator control ('yotes mainly). I may try it out with a 20GA rifled choke for 20GA deer slugs and see what it will do at 100-175 yards. :-\

[M.O.A.]

can you not use 12 in your comps.

just woundering why you didnt build the 12 savage bolt shotgun ???

but all in all thats one fine looking scattergun should be he** at spot shots to ;D ;D ;D

[Sloppy_Snood]

can you not use 12 in your comps.

just wondering why you didn't build the 12 savage bolt shotgun ???

but all in all that's one fine looking scattergun should be he** at spot shots to ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for the compliments.....just something I decided to throw money at and see what "creates itself." :-X 8)

This is but one of 8 different shotguns I use in competition. Yes...there are three different 12GA shotgun classes too (one being a 12GA muzzleloading shotgun class ;D ). Most use Savage 210 bolt-action shotguns for build guns, 12GA and 20 gauge. I obtained my "gently used" Savage 220 shotgun for a mere $300 and starting tearing it apart as soon as I got it about 10 months or so ago. Never could get used to depressing the center of the highly-touted "Accu-Trigger". Dumped it for Fred's SSS Competition trigger and me likes it much better. ;D

[Sloppy_Snood]

Savage has never really impressed me with their plastic stocks (somewhat flimsy but I guess they do the job) so I dumped $250 on a laminate thumbhole stock. Considering the 12 pound weight of this 20 gauge, the thumbhole stock really allows for better seated, freehand target shooting (no rests allowed :o). LOP adjusted to my arms with my Morgan recoil pad installed.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller8_ThumbholeStock.JPG


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller9_MorganPad2.JPG

When fitting the Morgan adjustable recoil pad to my thumbhole stock, I learned how to polish aluminum mounting plates too! :D


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller6_MorganPad.JPG


Decided to make sure the whole dang barreled action wouldn't move in the new laminate birch so I grabbed the Devcon Plastic Steel and Kiwi shoe polish to give Painkiller a full-length bed (but I floated the tang area). Installed the Brownells aluminum pillars for good measure.

http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller7_DevconBed.JPG

Countersunk and floted the entire tang.

http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller2_tang.JPG

Fitted some 18-8 stainless steel button head bolts. Reduced the head size so the action screw that goes through the trigger guard would countersink into the trigger guard correctly. Polished the ends smooth and perpendicular with a Wyoming polishing stone from Mike Bellm (of TC Encore modification fame).


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller5_18-8ActionScrews.JPG


Heard so much positive feedback about Fred Moreo's SSS competition Strigger for the Savage, I installed one (note the modified bracket as the Savage 220 shotguns are "Accu-Triggered"). Breaks wonderfully at 26 ounces of trigger pull. User adjustment for this trigger is easy, positive, and very sweet to my finger.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller4_SSSTrigger.JPG


Gave the naked 4140PH barrel steel about 10 coats of Oxpho-Blue cream cold bluing to protect against rust and shoved an Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike .557" choke tube into the muzzle for tight, target patterning with the 20GA Hevi-13 1 1/4 oz. number 6s shotshell.

http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller10_quarterviewgun.JPG


Tightened everything up and set her on a rock in the front yard for a photo shoot.


http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/500/Painkiller3_wholegun.JPG


I will shoot some 40-yard (tape measured) patterns with the setup and post some pictures of what the patterns I am getting out of this setup. Typically, Painkiller can put 24-30 number 6 shot pellets in a 3-inch circle at 40 yards (very good by still target standards for a 20GA). Heck, I will bet it can even kill a turkey. :o ;)

[Sloppy_Snood]

Next up: 2-stage epoxy primer on the wood and hydrographic artwork dipping by Camo-Solutions!!! Wrapping Painkiller up for USPS mail travel. Do shotguns get homesick? ???