Originally Posted by
foxx
There are short and long actions, each could be stagger feed (older design) or center feed (newer design) .
Among the center feeds, there are also bottom bolt release and top bolt release models. Most Savage shooters will say top bolt release designs are more simple to use, operate and configure.
Target actions use large shank barrels, most all the others (except short magnums s.a. 270 WSM) use small or standard shank barrels.
Any center feed action can be made blind or detachable mag, it's simply a matter of using blind mag parts or detachable mag parts to the setup.
Disregard any numeral designations such as Model 10, 11, 12, etc. They don't help identify anything meaningful and are pretty much designated as such at the factory with almost no rhyme or reason. ( I am overstating this fact, but nothing that distinguishes a model 10 from a model 12 is important to you if you stick with the more generic and accurate descriptions enumerated above.
Axis models are completely different. They are considerably cheaper and less expensive. I assume you know the difference between cheap and inexpensive ;).
I will go out on a fairly thick and safe limb and recommend any small shank, short action, center feed, top bolt release model. With that action, you can build any type of Savage anyone would ever want to put into a chassis system that would fire a short action cartridge. If you want long action, still go with a center feed, top bolt release.