Savage switch from 4.27 to 4.4

[micky_blue]

When did Savage switch to the 4.4 spacing?

For some reason I thought all WSM rifles were large shank 4.4 spaced rifles. Well I was wrong. I got a large shank 4.27 action with a great 450 Marlin barrel but a thumb hole stock for a 4.4 rifle. When did they change? Since 4.27 stocks seem limited and pricey, I am considering another rifle with the proper action for the stock I have and a little mix and match.

Thanks
Micky

[darkker]

Up in the main menu across the top(Main, classified, forum) there is a FAQ section. The 3rd gen (4.4) actions came around in about 2005.
"Officially" the WSM's are all that spacing, but there are several members here who have them on the small shank actions. I have never done anything with my large shank, so don't honestly know which spacing it is. But it is a hazzard of Savage, there are always some interesting unofficial things that surface.

[Robinhood]

Pillar the stock for 4.4. You are moving the hole just a touch over 1/8th. I have seen many 4.27 large shank WSM actions.

[J.Baker]

"Officially" the WSM's are all that spacing, but there are several members here who have them on the small shank actions.

All of them? Officially? Tell that to the thousands of 4.27" large shank controlled-round-feed WSM actions that were built between Nov. 2001 and the launch of the 4.40" actions in 2005/6. Even the 10ML and 10ML-II muzzleloaders were 4.27" large shank actions during the same timeframe.

The WSM's came out in 2001, and Savage started offering them as a mid-year model release in June/July of 2001. These first guns were built on 4.27" small shank CRF actions. Savage quickly decided that they wanted more meat on the barrel for these larger diameter cases (WSM's, RSAUM's and RUM's) so they invented the large shank option just for these cartridges. The WSM's showed up as "new" in the 2002 catalog, and by that time (Nov/Dec. 2001) they had implemented the new 4.27" large shank actions into full production.