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The Axis trigger is nothing new and leaves a lot to be desired. The pull is heavy and there’s no means of adjustment, it feels gritty, and it has a noticeable amount of over-travel. One could try to massage the stock trigger and probably get it down into the 3-4 pound pull range, but I’m looking for something a little lighter than that.
Some forum members have adapted the AccuTrigger to work on the Axis platform and it’s a rather simple conversion that is outlined in a separate article here on the site, but to perform such a conversion you first need to have a spare AccuTrigger laying around. I didn't, so I found it to be a perfect excuse to try one of the aftermarket options.
Rifle Basix and Timney Triggers both offer a quality replacement trigger for the Axis, and for this build I opted for the Timney simply because it was in-stock when I went to place my order. The installation and review of this trigger has been covered in a separate article so I’ll skip those details and just note that the pull weight has been set to a very clean and crisp 1.75 pounds and there’s not a hint of over-travel.
Bolt Handle
I know what you’re thinking, “What’s wrong with the Axis bolt handle?” Well, that would be the fact that its design allows only minimal clearance between the bolt handle and your scope for your thumb, thus when opening the bolt your thumb gets pinched between the bolt handle and the ocular bell of the optic. It’s also not what I would call visually attractive or appealing and I figured both issues could be improved upon with a little creative thinking.
For this build the stock bolt handle was carefully ground down in certain areas to provide additional clearance where needed and improve the looks by eliminating a lot of excess and unnecessary material in non-critical areas. The knob itself was ground flat on both sides (top and bottom) to make it into a paddle rather than a knob. The outside of the arm of the handle was ground down as well, more so near the BAS to eliminate the curvature and appearance of an arc while also shaving off a few ounces of weight.
The finished product works extremely well and addressed both of the aforementioned issues. The only change to it I might make would be to add some type of checkering or knurling to the flats of the paddle/knob to give it some texture, but otherwise I’m extremely happy with how it turned out.
Summary
All said and done the above modifications have transformed the Savage Axis action into a much more pleasant action to handle and manipulate. One can now open/cock the bolt with ease, the aftermarket trigger is worlds better than the factory one, the full recoil lug adds a little strength and peace of mind, and the modifications to the bolt handle give it a unique look while also making it more ergonomic.
Referring back at the projected budget in the Introduction to this build I had allocated $325 for the action work and trigger upgrade. Let's see how we did...
| Product/Service |
Price |
| Timney Trigger | $100.00 |
| True & Time w/Full Recoil Lug Conversion | $100.00 |
| Bolt Handle Modification | $ 40.00 |
| Total: |
$240.00 |
It’s always nice to come in well under budget – especially these days when money is tighter than usual. In the next installment we’ll take a closer look at the barrel and the cosmetics that went into the build.
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