new to savage rifles: building a carbine

[sven556]

I've never owned a savage rifle but the ability to work on them myself is really appealing. I saw the model 10 pc at cabelas about a year ago and was extremely impressed with how light and well-balanced the rifle felt even with a medium heavy barrel. I wasn't impressed with the stock and felt it was priced high. Since then I've been thinking about putting together a similar rifle with a laminate wood stock and having a barrel and bolt in 223 and 308. I think it would be great to practice all year with a 223 and switch to 308 for deer hunting, I could really get familiar with the stock and trigger that way. Is this a good option?

I could use either a savage model 10 or stevens model 200 for a donor action right? What is a decent price for one of these used?

Any input or suggestions are welcome!

Thanks,
Sven

[sven556]

also, is there any difference between the model 10 action and the model 11, 14 and 16 actions?

[tammons]

The short actions are basically the same.

The new savage actions have the accutrigger.
The stevens and older savages have the old style trigger.
I dont like either.

About 2 years ago, Savage started building everything with centerfeed magazines.
Before everything was staggerfeed.
The action screw spacing is different between the two, with more aftermarket stocks available for the stagger feed.

Some rifles sold are large shank barrels. Those are mostly the target actions and the WSM rifles. Maybe the win mags too, but not
sure about that.

Now Savage has introduced the accustock and the bolt release is different on that gun.

If you want to swap from 223 to 308, you would need a magazine and follower, barrel, bolt head and baffle, and all the bolt head parts, IE the bolt head is sold bear, so the ejector and extractor assemblies.

Academy sports had stevens rilfes for about $180 just the other day if one of those stores is near.

[JCalhoun]

I did something similar. Here's the article I wrote about it:
http://savageshooters.com/index.php?articleview=Custom All Weather Carbine Build

Anyway, you could use either a Model 10, 11, 12, 14 or 16 action or a Stevens 200 action (cheaper option). Get one in .308 so your hunting rifle will be ready to go. Then you can get a shorter barrel if want from any of the various barrel makers/suppliers or take it to a gunsmith/machine shop and have it shortened. SSS has good laminated hunting stocks, while there, you can order a barrel nut wrench, recoil lug and trigger.

To shoot .223 without a lot of fuss you will have to do it as a single shot. Get a Score High single shot magazine follower and the .223 bolt head stuff. This will be a relatively painless way to do it. The only drawback (if you consider it one) is that it will be a single shot bolt action while in .223 mode.

You will also need a set of headspace guages in .223 and .308 and an action wrench. All of that will be covered in the barrel swapping articles.

If you handload, you could simply make some .308 plinking ammo rather going through the cost and hassle of swaping barrles. Something to consider.

[tammons]

+1 to above.

A reduce 110gr vmax reduced load doesnt have much recoil at all.

[JCalhoun]

Not all Academy Sports carry Savage or Stevens. The one here in Mobile has never had any in the 15 years they have been there.

I asked today about the Stevens for $189 and they said they will NOT bring in anything from another store.

They are, however, stocked to the rafters in Remingtons and Mossbers. ???