The Axis floor plate is plastic and the Model 10 light weight hunter uses the same setup. Does anyone know if you can use the metal floor plates in place of the plastic....are they interchangeable?
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The Axis floor plate is plastic and the Model 10 light weight hunter uses the same setup. Does anyone know if you can use the metal floor plates in place of the plastic....are they interchangeable?
The centerfeed magazine boxes and followers/springs are the same in the two magazines.
You can take off the plastic floor plates and put the metal floor plates on the same magazine, they will fit the magazines, but the metal floor plates will not fit in the Axis.
I suspect that they are NOT interchangable in the lightweight hunter, but I don't have one of those rifles, so I'll let someone else make that pronouncement.
Savage 11 LWH was the first model I purchased with the plastic CF DBM frame and bottom cap with front tab release first used in the Axis. Savage now uses the plastic frame and DBM bottom cap on entry level Savage Hunter XP and Trophy Hunter and it appears other models. If you prefer switching to metal, you will need to purchase both a metal CF DBM FRAME and BOTTOM CAP to do so. The standard metal magazine box and follower remain the same in all models. Dimensions for the CF DBM/HFP stock cut-out are the same. At least for now, but who knows with Savage Arms. SSS is the only source I've found that stocks the Savage factory metal frame and bottom cap. You can also order directly from Savage Arms Parts. I do recommend replacing the plastic trigger guard with a metal one. The plastic DBM assembly weights about 6 oz while the metal assembly weights about 12 oz for reference. After two years of hunting with the Savage LWH, I will say my first impression of the plastic parts was wrong. The plastic is very durable and with the matte surface it is hard to tell a visible difference between it and the black matte metal finish.
In summary, the latch-up design for the plastic DBM assembly is different from the metal DBM assembly. So the plastic and metal parts are not interchangeable. Both the plastic DBM frame and bottom cap assembly, or the metal frame and bottom cap assembly will fit and work in a Savage CF stock (side or trigger bolt release) with the DBM/HFP cut out. At least that has been my experience with Savage SA CF DBM stocks which include a Savage 11 LWH, Savage 14 American Classic, Savage 11 Hunter XP and Savage 11 Troph Hunter XP stock.
Thanks! That is what I needed to know.
On the newer guns the "bottom plate" for the plastic bottom DBM's is now molded right into the stock (like on the Axis) so there's no option to covert to metal.