gsperaz, I really appreciate your help in this. I checked the barrel and there is no barrel stud on it. I guess it backed out of the barrel when I tried to remove the stock. I thought it was the escutcheon all the time. I'll call Savage first thing in the morning for a barrel stud replacement. Also thanks for the steps on assembly. I figured I'd have to try following the exploded diagram. At that point I'm sure I would have noticed the missing barrel stud.
Thanks again.