Sometimes you just have a good day........................

Note: This might end up being pretty long but there will be pictures at the bottom so you can just scroll down to them :)

I woke up Monday and it was freezing, Literally. I live in Arizona in the mountains and cold for us is high 20's low 30's. Monday it was teens and REALLY windy so it was ridiculous. I had worked all weekend adding motorcyclists to the general motoring population and it had been in the high 50's to low 60's. Monday is usually my day off to roam the earth and see what I can see; the freezing weather conflicted with my agenda.

Fortunately, Arizona affords certain luxuries, A mere 90 miles to the southeast and 4000 feet lower in elevation sits Phoenix where Freezing to them is low 60's.

I throw $100 worth of diesel (don't get me started) in the Dodge and head down for a day of pawn shopping (phoenix has a couple million people the pawn shops are way more fruitful than the ones in my town of 40,000), Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse, and a couple of the smaller mom and pop establishments.

First few stops are pawn shops, not much there. Then I spy a small gun store I've never seen before. I wander in dressed like a slob (it's my natural attire) and my attention is drawn to a shiny silver sear stop on one of the guns on the rack that is mostly populated by Remmy's (I hate that term but the shop guy used it so I will in sarcasm) and Rugers.
"what do we have here?"

It's a model 10 package gun sans optics for the lowly sum of $275.

"There has to be something wrong with it" I say to the guy

"Yup, it's a Savage" he replies

Normally, this would immediately elicit a volley of obscenities eloquently and carefully interlaced like venomous poetry to point out that this man is exactly the type of individual that has no business even being in a fine firearms establishment such as the one I'm currently standing in. I need this guy to continue to be an idiot until after the purchase.

"Is there something wrong with Savages?" I query

This sets him off on a long explanation that honestly I paid no attention to do to a shiny car pulling up outside containing three or four nubile coed types.

The game is afoot.

"I've always wanted to try a bolt action rifle to shoot long range like 100 or 200 yards" I admit (you have no idea how hard it is to keep from laughing)

"but I only have $290"

"Well, this things a 22-250 it should make it out to well over 1000 yards" He boasts

"Wow that's far"

" Guess I could cut you a deal, $290 out the door" ....... "Wait, I'll need to at least get $300"

I go out to the truck and count out $290 then for dramatic effect put the other $10 on my debit card and state that my wife in gonna kill me.

In the truck, I look over the stagger feed 22-250 and it's actually in great shape.

I head over to a specialty shooting shop that I frequent. They are mostly mail order and once you enter you quickly get the impression that you need to get what you want and hit the bricks. Being self employed and having a small business I can appreciate this and usually tell them to go about their business while I browse, using my android to look up the prices on their website instead of bothering them with each item. They have quite a selection of McMillan stock and I have a new rifle that needs someplace to live so I inquire as to the time frame to get one inlet for my new Savage.

"At least three months" he says

"ouch" I think

I then ask if he has a flat top blank in a particular style that I could take home and inlet myself (this would have turned out less than perfect but I'd get it done one way or another before May)

He tells me he only has pre-inlet stocks and none of them are for Savage. (at least he made me a good deal on a 31" 6mm Krieger, 8 twist blank for another project)

Then he says "why don't you just run over to McMillan, they have "extras" some are dented or less than perfect and they sell them cheap"

"Really, but aren't they way out in Scottsdale?"

"Nope 1/2 mile that way" He points Northeast

Off to McMillan..............

I arrive at McMillan and ask politely for the lady he instructed me to ask for. She comes out and I explain my presence. Turns out he gave me bad advice. They do not have scads of stocks sitting there waiting for frugal gents, such as myself, to come and rescue them.

"What we do have is a few stocks that people ordered, put down a deposit and didn't pay for when they were done and a few flat top blanks that have small blemishes...I'll print you a list"

"If you need one inlet we're 12-14 weeks out"

I have serious ADD and will undoubtedly be constructing a space shuttle launch pad in my back yard long before the stock even hits their mill.

She prints me a list and on the first page a see a few blanks that interest me so I ask if I could see a couple and she heads to the warehouse to retrieve them.

While she's gone I flip through the pages of the list and note that there is a Savage section on the list. Low and Behold the first entry in the Savage section is an A-5, thumb-wheel, Factory trigger guard, Blind mag, stagger feed, Pillared, and painted back.....In stock and selling for a discount!!!!

When she returns I politely (though highly excited internally) inquire about the above mentioned stock. She heads to the warehose and returns with the black beauty carefully wrapped in a plastic bag.

"I'll take it!"

"I'll go have them box it up for you"

I get a BOX TOO!!!!!

She come out hands me the box and an extra set of butt spacers saying "these got painted when the stock was painted, so I had them install new ones and you can have these"

The only downside is that McMillan engraves the name of the customer in the fore end under the barrel so now I have to go to all the trouble of changing my last name to Rodriguez

Back to the truck. I'm really excited at this point. I scored the action, the stock and have a pretty good shooting .243 barrel at home that I got from a fellow forum member.

My last stop for the day is a pawn shop that was rumored to have a few tasty items. I went in and looked at the rifles, not much to see unless you're into old flat back 30-06's (they had a LOT of them). On my way out the door I notice a case full of scopes, so I take a look. It's literally overflowing with every type of Tasco, Barska and other types you'd expect to see in a pawn shop. In the corner of the case I notice the familiar bumpy knobs of a Nightforce.

"Can I see that?"

Dude hands me a 8.5X32 NXS, NP-R2 with high Nightforce rings marked at $1299.

"is this price right?" I ask with a concerned look on my face.

"We've had that for a while, let me go ask the boss what we could do"

See......I was VERY cool with $1299 and this dude is going to see if he can cheat himself out of a few dollars?

"we can do it for a grand out the door"

AT this point I HAVE to mess with him.

"Can you do $900?"

"Nah dude, a grand is the best I can do"

I reluctantly (very tongue in cheek here) count out $1000 and head out.

As many out you are aware it takes all of 18 minutes to assemble one of these things; but, I showed restraint and took yesterday to etch the barrel and spray on some flat black epoxy and bake it on before I assembled the one day wonder below.

The day started out with no plan and ended with what is sure to be a nice rifle. Thank for reading and I hope you guys have a "good" day soon :

[img width=600 height=238]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_5kErdS37uEg/TUn5xyV4jOI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/4GGQAPFDtIY/s1024/IMG_4405.JPG[/img]

[img width=600 height=170]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_5kErdS37uEg/TUn6NUjRG6I/AAAAAAAAAXU/QXSzK8li4u0/s1024/IMG_4406.JPG[/img]

[img width=600 height=400]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_5kErdS37uEg/TUn6or7rVuI/AAAAAAAAAXY/castJSPgo7U/s720/IMG_4404.JPG[/img]

You were right, it was a long story...... But it was a good one that kept my interest from start to finish...LOL

That sounded like a fun day shopping to me! Heck of a deal on that NF I know that.

What did ya have to give for the A-5? Just curious if ya got it cheaper since it was a cancelled order. Was the list the same list that is on their website?

Hey Pdog, thanks for bearing with me it's in the single digits and I had to keep myself busy inside.

The stock was supposed to be $820-ish according to the original invoice, I paid around $600 with tax.

You are correct it was the same one on the site.

Good story NefariousD, you need to take that stick out to the range and post some grouping pics.

Jay

Mr. Rodriquez,
Cool story. :)

...and that is a STEAL on the NF.

Man, I should be so lucky here in central Georgia. Getting anything for a Savage requires ordering on lineand the pawn shops all think their guns are gold plated and were once owned by Saddam.

Where in Arizona do you live? I used to live in Prescott and would do the same Phoenix pawn shop run every month or so with a buddy. We would play Mutt and Jeff and try to talk each other out of stuff to the frustration of the shop owner.

It's amazing what you can stumble on now and then. Nice hit on the NF.

uj

What do you mean used to? Why would you leave such great place?

I live in Prescott. After being up here for several years and having adjusted to a less stressful state of mind I find it very entertaining to go down to Phoenix and goof with the fast paced folks.


This is the second time I've purchased an 8-32X56 NXS for $1000. The first one was a couple years ago and it was new in the box never used, but an older vintage (2001) so I didn't really think of it as a super great deal. The fact that the latest one included the rings ($152) made it a pretty sweet deal because it was like I paid $848 for a 2008 scope. I would have preferred to get a 5.5-22X56 because they are a good bit clearer and the range afforded seems to be perfect for most situations , but I won't complain for the price. I've yet to score a 5.5 for less than $1500.