14/114 new finish

[jiffylube84]

Long time reading post here but this is my first time posting. I am looking for a 114 in 270 I have seen many of them and always loved the nice shiny bluing and over all fit and finish and of course I love savages I have a 12 in 22-250 and a 116 in 7mm mag. My problem is all of the new 114s I have found have a matte finish that looks like it should be on a remington 870 what gives, do they not make the nice bluing anymore. I don't understand, people buying a 114 or 14 are looking for a traditonal looking high end rifle.

[J.Baker]

I'm pretty sure Savage stopped offering the high polish bluing on the 14/114's a year or two ago. The problem wasn't the quality of the finish, but rather it just didn't work with how Savage likes to build rifles.

Savage assembles and finishes their barreled actions prior to ever knowing what model they will be made into. Any blued short-action assembly going through the plant at any given time could end up being a Model 10, 11, or 14. In fact, it isn't until the very last assembly station that it's final model designation is determined when the stock and magazine hardware are added.

This is where the problem comes in - when Savage was offering the high-polished bluing it was showing up randomly on everything from Stevens 200's to Model 11 package rifles, while conversely there were some Model 14/114's leaving the factory with the matte blued finish. So to simplify things and eliminate the randomness of the finishes they decided to drop the high gloss finish.

[RP12]

I'd like to have seen them drop the poor looking matte finish and keep the gloss finish. It just makes the rifles look like better quality pieces.

[stomp442]

I agree. Those 14s were really beautiful rifles with the walnut stocks and deep bluing.

[jiffylube84]

thank you for clearing that up for me now that you say that my model 12 has beautiful bluing always wondered why. I'm still tossing around the idea of getting the 114 anyways or buying a still NIB TC Icon that I can get, I want a nice finished rifle as I already have 2 awesome hunting rifles that are kinda ugly. I know kinda stupid reason to buy a gun.

[J.Baker]

Don't worry, I'm right along side you with that stupid reasoning as I'm a sucker for a nicely blued gun with a nice chunk of walnut on it. If Savage could only make a rifle that was as finely finished as a Browning A or X-Bolt Medallion.