what's with the shanks?

i have been browsing this site for some time considering building my 1st rifle the way i would like it. well, i keep seeing terms like small and large shank referring to barrels and i wonder if this has anything to do with s/a or l/a or is it the thickness of the threaded portion of the barrel where it meets the receiver.
can somebody help here? any input would be appreciated!
thanks in advance.

Not being really familiar with all Savage rifles except the ones I own, I'll tell you what I know. Savage makes two barrel shank dimensions (the threaded part joining the action and barrel); a 1.050" standard or small shank, and a 1.112" large shank according to info I found on the Shilen site. The large diameter is generally found in the target and LRPV models.

Look no further than the FAQs section.
http://savageshooters.com/SavageForu...pic,513.0.html