Help me decide how to finish my 110 Franken-Savage?

[gkainz]

This is my first Savage build using the box of parts method and learning all the combinations of "that won't work for what you have" so now I'm close to finished, and ended up with more parts than I started with! But the intent of the build was education first and functional rifle second.

Started with buying a take-off action - 110 SA 4.4" spacing, Bottom Bolt Release, small shank thread
then started buying parts ... many necessitated by ignorantly purchasing the first one I found and not knowing the parts combination secrets
- machined lug and barrel nut
- small shank heavy barrel of "unknown mfg - I 'think' it's a savage" in .22-250 that didn't seem to want to go into the action more than a turn or so, also didn't want to accept the barrel nut
- new Shaw heavy barrel from EGW that threads in correctly
- used take-off accustock with bottom metal (DBM) but top bolt release trigger guard
- accustock shaped recoil lug
- bottom bolt release trigger guard - then I discovered the FAQ here on the differences between top and bottom bolt release bottom metals. Wish I would have found that first!

So, down to the final question or 3 ...
choices:
- mill down the rear lug of the savage magazine frame to fit the bottom bolt release trigger guard, and
- find and buy an expensive savage magazine?
Or
- buy a bottom bolt release magazine frame and still buy a savage magazine
Or
- buy the AICS pattern magazine frame and AICS pattern magazine?

Edit - also forgot to ask ... the AccuStock recoil lug I bought does not have the protrusion to fit into the notch on the receiver. Is there a trick to setting headspace and tightening the barrel nut to ensure the lug and action are square so when I drop it in the stock, the trigger is square in the stock?

Thanks!
Greg

Oh by the way, in the middle of all this, Cabela's offered their 12FV on sale one last (?) time, and one of our local stores claimed to actually have one.  After an hour wait at their gun counter (not sure if their online check in queue management made things better or worse) the guy at the counter tells me "we don't have that gun and haven't since last year's sale" ... but another clerk walking past overheard him and said "I think there's one and ONLY one in the back". So they go rooting around and finally drag one out that looks like it's been rung through the wringer. He says "probably the last 12FV in Colorado." The tupperware stock is beat up, and it's a heavy barrel .223. They knock off $100 for condition, another $25 for Veteran status (glad I wore my USN hat!) and I walk out the door with almost as good a deal as my buddy did 2 years ago when Cabela's put their 12FV on sale with a corresponding Savage Corp rebate.

I just picked up a 6.5 CM new takeoff barrel and that one will get swapped out from .223 to 6.5 CM ... taking bets on which one gets shot first? :)

[Robinhood]

Man that is a lot to digest. When My head stops spinning and things get clearer, i give this a shot.

[charlie b]

That was a lot. Magazine choice depends on how you will use it. If for something like prairie dogs where you will be shooting a lot then I'd get an AICS setup. If 'normal' hunting then the savage mag fits flush with the bottom of the stock making carrying it easier. If for bench then I'd go the simplest route to a single shot.

Sounds like you lucked out on the 12FV.

[Dave Hoback]

Ok, so definitely go AICS. Next… Get a proper Recoil lug. Lastly: I’m gonna bet the first one you shoot, is the one that you FINISH FIRST. Seems a logical outcome to me, yeah?