Center Feed

[Uncle Jack]

Can a LA be converted from center feed to the older staggered feed?

uj

[sharpshooter]

Why do you want to go backwards??

[Uncle Jack]

Availability of aftermarket stocks. I'm not sure that it is a step backwards. I've been shooting Savage rifles for almost 50 years and never had a problem with feeding. What issues were addressed by the change to the new system?

[J.Baker]

Nope, not possible....the machine cuts in the bottom of the action are totally different.

As for stock availability, the long-actions have the same screw spacing between the old staggered feed and the new center feed. As such, the only real difference is in the dimensions of the inlet for the mag box and the groove for the magazine hanger. It isn't hard to modify a staggered-feed stock to work with the newer centerfeeds.

[Woodser]

I have been shooting Savage rifles since the 70's, and have had a good deal less feeding problems with the staggerfeeds than the centerfeeds. I see no advantage to the later at this point. My old 110 actions have had no problems at all with feeding, so in my view it is not a step backwards, the new centerfeeds were that rearward step. With that said, I have so far been able to make whatever modifications to the centerfeeds that were required to get reliable feeding, but that is not something that was required on the older actions that I have had. IF the new design results in a stiffer action, that is all well and good, but reliable feeding should have been a priority as well.

[sharpshooter]

You are one of the very few that has a bad experience with center feed magazines. The general concensus is they are more reliable and more versatile as far as cartridge selection. You may encounter one from time to time that has to be tweaked slightly, but most of the time it is a problem within the stock not locating it properly. The old style stagger feeds always seem to have more quirks because of the way they were attached to the receiver.

[Woodser]

I must have be very unlucky, as both my CF rifles had feeding problems. Both, however, were correctable with a little file work
on the mag box.

[cutter37372]

Got both, can't see much diff between them as far as feeding. Now, SA, CF hunting stocks........that's another thing.

Cutter

[yorketransport]

If you're only interested in the availablity of aftermarket stocks for the CF, I wouldn't worry about it. Like others said, the screw spacing is the same on the LA and it's pretty easy to fit the CF magazine into a SF stock. It just takes a little time. I just did that with a CF Stevens 25-06. It took a little tweeking to get the magazine into the stock and feeding properly, but it wasn't a big ordeal.

Andrew

[OMCFOREVER]

I must have be very unlucky, as both my CF rifles had feeding problems. Both, however, were correctable with a little file work
on the mag box.


Bought my first center feed in a 25-06 composite. Terrible feeding follow up shot. 2nd round wants to feed halfway then point straight up. Had to pinch sides of magazines lips to the point of marring the brass case in order to feed 2nd and 3rd shot. ???