• Savage Model 14 American Classic LH Review in .223 Remington

    Two years ago when Savage Arms first announced the Classic series of centerfire rifles, those of us who are lefties wondered how long it would take them to offer a left-hand version. For 2008 that question has been answered. Another added bonus is that for 2008 you can now get a detachable box magazine models chambered in 204 Ruger and 223 Remington.

    To kill two birds with one stone I opted to receive a new 14 American Classic chambered for the 223 Remington. This would allow me to introduce several new features specific to the Classic series for 2008 as well as examine and report on the functionality and reliability of the new small cartridge magazine configuration.

    Most are already familiar with the Model 14 American Classic from a couple reviews we have done in the past. However, there are some striking changes on the 2008 models, so lets start off by focusing on them.

    First on the list is the new bolt release mechanism. Unlike all other current and past Savage 110-series rifles, the new Classics' no longer have the sear-mounted flag-style release lever. The flag has been eliminated from the sear and the new mechanism utilizes a button located on the forward end of the trigger guard. Pushing this button rearward moves a lever which disengages the sear, and when combined with pulling the trigger facilitates bolt removal. This change has also eliminated the flat machine cut on the right rear of the action which helps to streamline its appearance.

    Second on the list of changes is the new cocking indicator. The old sear-mounted flag was previously used as the cocking indicator, and its absence on the new Classics' required a new design. Savage met this challenge by incorporating the new cocking indicator into the bolt assembly by adding a "tail" to the firing pin which protrudes through the Bolt Assembly Screw (BAS) when the rifle is cocked. The design is functional but presents some problems at the same time.

    First, since the Savage 110 cocks on open the tail of the firing pin will be protruding through the BAS when you remove the bolt from the action. This means that to disassembly the bolt for maintenance or cleaning, you will need to decock the bolt to be able to remove the BAS. Second, there is a question regarding the safety of this design. With the indicator being a cylindrical extension of the firing pin and protruding through the BAS there is nothing to prevent hot gasses from blasting the shooter in the face in the event of a ruptured primer or case head separation. While such occurrences are very rare, it's always a possibility and something I feel should always be taken into consideration.

    Fortunately either or both issues can be resolved by simply changing out the firing pin and BAS with non-Classic pieces which will eliminate the cocking indicator. Personally I don't see much need for a cocking indicator, but for some reason Savage felt compelled to include it [probably for liability reasons] even though there are literally hundreds of firearms on the market that do not feature one.

    The last noticeable difference you will find on the new Classic models is the smooth barrel nut. The nut is dimensionally the same as its slotted sibling used on all other models, it just lacks the slots to accept a standard nut wrench. Instead, the smooth nut uses a set screw to lock it in place after the headspace is set and the nut has been tightened with a spanner wrench.

    These changes, when combined into the total package, result in a much cleaner and stream-lined Savage 110. The nut offers a smoother, more elegant looking transition from the action to the barrel, and the absence of the sear flag and corresponding flat on the right side of the action eliminate the only other eyesore commonly complained about by those who prefer a more upscale looking rifle. Savage should be commended on the final appearance as the Classics now look just as elegant as any Browning, Winchester or Ruger.

    As previously noted, Savage Arms is now offering their new center-feed magazine designs for smaller cartridges with the .378" case head. This is greatly welcomed by this author as feeding these cartridges with the old staggered-feed system often resulted in jams when shooting ammunition loaded with flat nose or hollow-point bullets. I'm happy to report that I have yet to have a single cartridge jam up on me with this rifle.

    The new .204/.223 detachable box magazine (DBM) on this model uses the same magazine base plate and bottom metal surround as its larger siblings with only the housing which holds the cartridges being changed.

    Fit and finish on this example was very good. As noted above the magazine fed flawlessly, extraction and ejection were both as they should be, and as always the AccuTrigger provided a very nice 2.5lb pull.

    The barrel channel in the stock is excessively free-floated and leaves a large gap between the stock and barrel, but other than that the stock was flawless. The sharp laser-cut checkering provides for a solid slip-free grip, and the finish is what I would consider to be between satin and semi-gloss.

    The bluing on the other hand left a little to be desired. While slightly better than the standard matte bluing, it did not have the deep rich luster that I have seen on other examples in the past and appears very thing in places. The Model 25 Light Varmint which we received at the same time as this rifle had a far superior bluing job and makes the Classics' bluing look dull and lifeless.

    Based on personal experiences and those reported by numerous board members, Savage's bluing has been extremely inconsistent since the introduction of the high-luster option on select models in 2006. We have seen Stevens 200 models with the high-luster finish while others have reportedly received Classic series models with standard bluing. This is one area we feel Savage could really improve upon in regard to consistency, especially when customers are paying a premium for models that are supposed to have the high-luster finish.

    For testing purposes I topped the rifle with a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40mm Long Range scope featuring the Varmint Hunter reticle (#55275) using a DedNuts 30mm medium mount in matte black. This combination provides a nice low mounting height for an optimal cheek weld, yet allows just enough room to use Butler Creek flip-up caps. Sight-in consisted of four rounds at 100 yards after aligning the scope to the bore by eye.

    Ammunition used for testing included a variety of handloads, finally settling on a load of 26.0 grains of Varget topped with a 50-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip achieving an average of 3213fps. Other loads offered up to a 150fps advantage in velocity, but none of them would shoot as consistently as this combination. I'll take consistency over velocity every time.

    All groups for the test consisted of 5-shots fired using a Harris bipod and bunny ear rear bag. The largest group shot during load development was 1.28 inches, which was the only group over the 1-inch mark. Most groups with my final load printed in the 0.5 to 0.6" range.



    One oddity I ran into was that this particular barrel seemed to be extremely sensitive to bullet seating depth. A few thousandths long or short of its preferred seating depth would open up groups to over 1.5 inches. The barrel also seemed to be very sensitive to heat, as more often than not the first and fifth shots fired in a group would go astray while the second, third and fourth shots would fall right on top of one another.

    Overall this American Classic is just what I expected it to be. It offers elegant looks and superb accuracy in a package that's light enough to carry all day in the field. The bluing could have been a little better, but aside from that small detractor I couldn't find anything else to complain about. Knowing just how many left-handed shooters have been clamoring for a left-hand Classic for the past two years I'm sure this will prove to be a much welcomed addition to the Savage line.


    Additional Photos:

    New sear return spring & machine cut on LH side of action. New machine cut on RH side of action. New trigger guard with integral bolt release button.


    Contact Information
    Savage Arms
    100 Springdale Road
    Westfield, MA 01085
    www.SavageArms.com