Rebarreling a pre-66 savage

I have a pre-66 model 110 left handed rifle I found in a pawn shop a while back. Spectacular trigger, lovely fajen stock, barrel direct threaded into the action with no nut.

However, the barrel is now shot out. I alhad it bore scoped and it is dark, pitted and eroded almost the entire length of the barrel. It currently shoots 2-3 moa no matter what I do.

So, on to a rebarrel. I have 2 options that I can see:
1) buy a blank or prefit and have a gunsmith fit it. Figure $300 for a barrel and $200-250 for the work.
2) buy a prefit and a barrel nut and do the install myself. BUT, if I do that, I need a new style bolt or to convert mine to the new style.

If I go that route, I'd need a complete bolt head, a new style bolt body and firing pin for sure. Are there any other parts I'd need, or can I recycle the rest of my old bolt? I'd need to remove the old ejector from my magazine box, but that that's not hard.

I'd swap the whole bolt out. The firing pin assembly, bolt handle and rear baffle are about the only parts you would want to re-use.

The BAS could be re-used but it is the slot style, the allen style is easier to work with.

The bolt body and bolt head are obviously not compatible.

I'd get a new complete bolt assembly, give it a lift kit while you're at it.

Thanks for the reply.

Where would you find a long action left hand bolt assembly? Because I've looked all over and am coming up dry. Best I can come up with is piecing something together from numrich. And their bolt head looks rusty.

Why do you need to convert your bolt "to the new style", but ONLY if you recall with a nut??

Bolt parts are found on Midway and PT&G.

I would just buy the blank of your choice and have a smith re-barrel it for you the way that it should be. Those old Savages are sweet little rigs I don't think I would go buggering it up. Bolts are not cheap and by the time you have one bought and and everything converted it would probably be pretty close to a wash from a price stand point. Shilen blanks can be purchased from Midway for well under $300 or Wilson blanks can be found over on ragged hole barrels for under $200.

It is a wash if I install a profit or have a gunsith install. For the next barrel. But after I shoot that one out, it makes the next one cheaper. Not an issue if I rebarrel in 308, but if I did 6.5 creedmoor or 260 Ackley or something I probably will wind up burning that barrel out too.

Keep an eye on Ebay and Gunbroker. They come up fairly often.

The nice thing about upgrading to a newer bolt is that they are compatible with every post-67 factory barrel or prefit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greyling

It is a wash if I install a profit or have a gunsith install. For the next barrel. But after I shoot that one out, it makes the next one cheaper. Not an issue if I rebarrel in 308, but if I did 6.5 creedmoor or 260 Ackley or something I probably will wind up burning that barrel out too.

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May be, but to my knowledge there are no pre-fits for your pre-66 action. If you get a post '66 pre-fit you have to replace bolt too, and while you're at it, might as well verify whether your "spectacular" pre-66 trigger could be retained if you go that route (I don't know).

Not so sure it's a wash, I'm thinking you'd be money ahead to have a 'smith replace the existing barrel in the same manner it currently is and retain everything you already like about your rifle. Precisely what I'd do with my early 110 if/when that day comes. :thumb:

Why not have the existing barrel rebored by JES to a larger caliber? All your existing parts would work....as would the existing barrel.