Older savage 110FP question

[CAPTBEACH]

I've got an older Savage 110FP LA .308 from the factory, SA caliber in a LA, with a short box mag (for the .308)

It appears as if the action itself is set up for a SA cartridge with the bottom of the action "opened up" just enough for the .308 cartridge.

I bought and mounted a Choate Tactical Stock on this action...HIGHLY PLEASED!!! I have bought and paid for a CDI bottom metal DBM set up from Jeff at CDI but have yet to send it in for inletting and installation. I want the ability to swap in a 30-06 barrel, sure I can do so IF I run it as a single shot and feed it singly one round at a time but I'd like to run a magnum length AICS mag and DBM set up and run the .308 and 30-06 out of the Magnum mags. (tweeking the feed lips allows this) Here is my question(s)

1. Is the action in fact set up as I suspect? Is there a measurement I can check?

2. Is there a machining procedure to "open it up" and or re-cut the feed ramp to accept a long (30-06) cartridge?

3. I want the ability to swap in a 30-06 barrel, sure I can do so IF I run it as a single shot and feed it singly one round at a time. If I remove the short box mag and run a Magnum Length DBM bottom metal will the 30-06 feed thru the lower portion of the action?

Anyone been thru this evolution with a older 110FP LA set up running a SA cartridge?

Or should I just get the thing set up for dedicated .308?

My thinking was to build it this way and then buy a SA and build a dedicated .308 and leave the LA in 30-06 or 300WM.

Capt Beach

[CAPTBEACH]

I guess what I'm trying to find out is this...the 110FP when it first came out was LA only...but was available in .223, .308, 30-06 and 300WM...did they go to the trouble of machining different actions for Short and Long cartridges or were the actions all the same with different box mags and bolt setups?

[ellobo]

It was Savages first shot at handling short action cartridges before they finaly made a true short action.You may find that you will have a problem going to a 30-06 as the current magazine wont handle long cartridges. I had one of those and couldnt convert for that reason. It can be done but will need some machining work for a long magazine. Bolt parts will need changing as well. For the trouble involved I would keep it a .308 and get a long action for the 30-06 and go from there. Good luck. Oops, forgot, the bolt spacing is different and may not let you do the mods you want if. The first of those had a bolt spacing of 5.062, same as a long action which I think would be OK. But a later iteration had a 4.522 bolt spacing. Thats the no-go.

El Lobo

[CAPTBEACH]

Mine in BOLD RED




It was Savages first shot at handling short action cartridges before they finally made a true short action.You may find that you will have a problem going to a 30-06 as the current magazine wont handle long cartridges.

MY BOLT SPACING IS 5.062", IDEALLY I WILL BE REPLACING THE FACTORY SHORT BOX WITH A CDI BOTTOM METAL AND AICS MAGNUM MAGAZINE AND HAVING THE CHOATE STOC INLETTED FOR SAME, IF THAT DOESN'T WORK I'LL BE GOING WITH A CDI DBM FOR .308

had one of those and couldnt convert for that reason. It can be done but will need some machining work for a long magazine. Bolt parts will need changing as well.

BOLT FOR .308 AND 30-06 IS .473 THERE SHOULD BE NO ISSUES HERE For the trouble involved I would keep it a .308 and get a long action for the 30-06 and go from there.

IF THE ACTION WILL ACCEPT A 30-06 ROUND THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM.MY QUESTION IS ARE ALL OLD STYLE LA 110FP ACTIONS THE SAME REGARDLESS OF CALIBER, IT WAS AVAILABLE IN .223, .308, 30-06 AND 300WM, I CANT IMAGINE THEM MACHINING DIFFERNT ACTIONS TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE CALIBERS, DID THEY?

Good luck. Oops, forgot, the bolt spacing is different and may not let you do the mods you want if. The first of those had a bolt spacing of 5.062, same as a long action which I think would be OK. But a later iteration had a 4.522 bolt spacing. Thats the no-go.

El Lobo

[jo191145]

Capt Beach

I have no real answers personally but.....

in todays short actions they use boltheads with bolt stops for shorter cartridges. Ex 223 vs 308. The 223 has what "I" call a boltstop.
Just wondering if your 308W has a boltstop in the long action??????
I would'nt be surprised if thats how Savage made the 308 work in the long action but its just a hunch. They try to keep things simple.

Maybe, just maybe its as easy as switching to a bolthead without the stop and a long mag???

Good luck

[BoilerUP]

http://savageshooters.com/SavageForum/index.php/topic,3883.0.html



Long Actions:
The action screw spacing on Savage long actions has remained the same since it's introduction in 1958. However, this does not mean they are all the same as the magazine feed port length in the bottom of the action can be one of three different lengths depending on the cartridge the action was originally made for.

From 1988 to 1997 all Savage bolt-action rifles were made on long-actions. Those chambered for short-action cartridges have a shorter magazine feed port cut to work with the existing short-action magazine boxes from previous years. As such, even though the action is technically a long action you can not mount a long-action cartridge magazine to it without having the feed port lengthened.

[ellobo]

If memory serves, there is a different baffle and the bolt head has a slot on the left side to engage a nub on the inside of the bolt body. There may be a bolt head with a longer shank used as well. Compare your bolt to a long action bolt if you have one. Newer bolt heads do not have the slot but you can dremel that nub flat if you do have to change bolt heads.

El Lobo

[GaCop]

If memory serves, there is a different baffle and the bolt head has a slot on the left side to engage a nub on the inside of the bolt body. There may be a bolt head with a longer shank used as well. Compare your bolt to a long action bolt if you have one. Newer bolt heads do not have the slot but you can dremel that nub flat if you do have to change bolt heads.

El Lobo


+1, exactly what I had to do on a build a while back.

[Blue Avenger]

if you have this baffle, you will have to change it to get more bolt travel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v675/gcidso123/savage/gunsmith/t9cupj.jpg

ports may be smaller and can be opened up to match true long action.

[dksac2]

I'd look at the cost of the conversion and compare it to buying a new rifle. They make a nice basic 30-06 with Accu Stock for under $500 wholesale.

I'd rather spend a little extra and have 2 rifles, one being the newer style, just something to think about.

John

[Son of the Gael]

I'd look at the cost of the conversion and compare it to buying a new rifle. They make a nice basic 30-06 with Accu Stock for under $500 wholesale.

I'd rather spend a little extra and have 2 rifles, one being the newer style, just something to think about.

John


This is the conclusion I've come to also. I have one of the last .308 110's and just can't see that the conversion is worth the cost required. Easier and cheaper to buy another rifle.