Savage has never really impressed me with their plastic stocks (somewhat flimsy but I guess they do the job) so I dumped $250 on a laminate thumbhole stock. Considering the 12 pound weight of this 20 gauge, the thumbhole stock really allows for better seated, freehand target shooting (no rests allowed ). LOP adjusted to my arms with my Morgan recoil pad installed.







When fitting the Morgan adjustable recoil pad to my thumbhole stock, I learned how to polish aluminum mounting plates too! :D





Decided to make sure the whole dang barreled action wouldn't move in the new laminate birch so I grabbed the Devcon Plastic Steel and Kiwi shoe polish to give Painkiller a full-length bed (but I floated the tang area). Installed the Brownells aluminum pillars for good measure.



Countersunk and floted the entire tang.



Fitted some 18-8 stainless steel button head bolts. Reduced the head size so the action screw that goes through the trigger guard would countersink into the trigger guard correctly. Polished the ends smooth and perpendicular with a Wyoming polishing stone from Mike Bellm (of TC Encore modification fame).





Heard so much positive feedback about Fred Moreo's SSS competition Strigger for the Savage, I installed one (note the modified bracket as the Savage 220 shotguns are "Accu-Triggered"). Breaks wonderfully at 26 ounces of trigger pull. User adjustment for this trigger is easy, positive, and very sweet to my finger.





Gave the naked 4140PH barrel steel about 10 coats of Oxpho-Blue cream cold bluing to protect against rust and shoved an Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike .557" choke tube into the muzzle for tight, target patterning with the 20GA Hevi-13 1 1/4 oz. number 6s shotshell.




Tightened everything up and set her on a rock in the front yard for a photo shoot.





I will shoot some 40-yard (tape measured) patterns with the setup and post some pictures of what the patterns I am getting out of this setup. Typically, Painkiller can put 24-30 number 6 shot pellets in a 3-inch circle at 40 yards (very good by still target standards for a 20GA). Heck, I will bet it can even kill a turkey.