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That of course raises the question: Do you need a custom barrel nut?
The obvious answer to that question is no, but as with most things we tend to tinker with many people want to do something different or unique and thus the reason the aftermarket exists. The factory Savage barrel nuts, while not perfectly "true" on the mating face, are typically only out by two to three thousands at most, and the floating bold head design of the Savage system can easily accommodate any smidgen of concentricity variation that small of a variance could cause in the barrel to receiver alignment. In fact, that's the whole design principle behind the floating bolt head. Furthermore, in the 20+ years of my running this site and watching as folks endlessly debate the benefits or lack there-of of an aftermarket or "trued" barrel nut, I have yet to see a single definitive example of switching from a factory nut to a trued or aftermarket nut make any measurable and verifiable difference in the accuracy of a Savage rifle.
For those who dare to be different or just want to add a little flare to their rifle, the following list should give you plenty of options. There may be other options currently on the market and new options may come to the market in the future, so don't consider this as a definitive, all-encompassing list.
OEM Barrel Nuts
The OEM (factory) barrel nuts can be sourced directly from Savage Arms, through one of the larger parts retail outlets like Brownell's or Midway USA, or from several smaller "specialty" retailers like Gun Shack and Sharp Shooter Supply. OEM Nuts are offered in two sizes, Standard Shank (1.055" x 20tpi) and Large Shank (1.120"x20tpi).
Trued OEM Barrel Nuts
To my knowledge, nobody currently offers "trued" OEM barrel nuts making this a DIY option. Truing your own barrel nut is a very simply process that only requires a flat surface (like a piece of glass) and some fine grit emery cloth or sand paper. Simply lay the paper down on the flat surface, then rub the mating surface of the barrel nut in a figure eight pattern over the paper until you see a uniform finish on the mating surface.
Aftermarket Barrel Nuts
Aftermarket barrel nuts come in various styles and finishes. Stylistically, they may feature flats allowing you to use a standard mechanics wrench with them, or they may be slotted similar to the factory barrel nuts which will require a specialty wrench to install/remove them. On the latter slotted nuts, it's important to note that most of the aftermarket options will require a proprietary wrench which is typically purchased separately which greatly increases the overall cost - especially when you also factor in the cost of a standard Savage wrench to remove the factory nut and barrel.
NOTE: Not all aftermarket barrel nut manufacturers offer their nuts in both the Standard and Large Savage shank sizes. Some also offer their nuts in other thread sizes/pitches for other brands of rifles (Remington, Tikka, Bergara, etc). As such, be sure to pay attention and read the descriptions/options before purchasing.
*Special thanks to forum member Dave Hoback for doing the leg-work of putting this list together.
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