Quote Originally Posted by J.Baker View Post
As much as Savage gets wrong, one thing they did get right was the FP spring rate. The problem is their FP springs can vary by as much as 2-lbs. JeepsAndGuns noted earlier in the other thread that he thought Fred replaced the spring on his rifle when he T&T'd it, but it's still the factory spring. What Fred does is measure the initial rate, and if it's higher than it should be he essentially takes the O.D. down until it measures the spec he wants it to (pounds per one inch of compression). That's why the spring wire looks flat rather than round.
I never included that information during discussion because I thought that was a protected secret. This is primarily why the lift on the ones I have worked on is so light. I read that some guys believe that the savage firing pin is over cocked. It is not. It may be over sprung though. The first one I tried to grind I went overboard. I use a belt sander now with a fixture to keep it uniform. I also make the cocking piece so there is no pin tilt. I got the idea from the cocking piece with the indicator but Fred has a mod to fix that also.