1. well, i couldn't tell you if cabelas is making money on the rifles or not, but if the margin is too thin, they are treating it as a loss leader. especially when it is available in a hot new cal (6.5 cm) that will require dies, components, and a high end scope (anyone putting a $49 simmons on theirs) etc etc etc. And customers may feel so good about the deal they got, they may feel 'obligated' to use cabelas to supply them, rather than price shopping the net.

2. in the savage world, i do not presume to know the production capabilies they have. but i know firearm sales have slumped (nics check numbers) and bolt guns sales have been slumping for quite a while. not sexy, nor 'demonized', nor threatened yet, etc etc. it does not make money for savage to have production sitting idle. and how many of use are NOT repeat buyers now? cut your teeth on the 12's and soon you'll be drooling over the precision rifles.... just to see what they can really do!

3. the $100 rebate card is not cash. iirc it is for merchandise. turning it into cash would mean selling at a discount, akin to the approx 15% gift cards that pop up on the auction sites. and, cabelas must have a pretty good margin, since they quiter periodically release those gift cards for sale. i dunno, can the rebate card be used at a low margin retailer, like a grocery store. the card issuer gets a percent from the retailer, so there is another revenue stream and cost mitigator.

anyway, i patiently await mine that will make number.... uhm... i ain't sayin'. like prez bush (the first one said) buy something, anything... go out and buy some gum.