Savage long actions

[reynolds357]

Anyone have any insight on why Savage built their long action so excessively long? I have been thinking about it for years and can not come up with a good answer. The question hit me again a couple days ago when I was working on a .270 Win Savage.

 

[olddav]

My guess would be for the magnum rounds, in the 3.65" COL range.

 

[reynolds357]

They are excessively long for the magnum rounds.

 

[olddav]

Just for grins, define excessively.
What would you say would be about right?
Not trying to be rude, just wondering.

 

[Doyle]

Handloaders are just glad that they do. When you handload bullets that are on the heavy end of the spectrum for that particular cartridge, they get very long. If you want to load the bullets out to their max length then having that super long action really helps. You can make those long bullets "kiss the lands" if you need to.

 

[hooligan1]

Savage Freak!!!

Thanx Reynolds now I'm heading to my cabinet to inquire for my dang self....
I dont think mine is excessive, (Savage 110, .270 win.) are the short actions just Really short?

I do believe they take in to consideration some handloads as well as commercial ammo might need extra room.

 

[Jbotto]

Since I bought my Savage .30-06, I've been asking myself that same question! Comparing it to a buddy's Ruger once, it was a solid 3/4" longer than that. I've never had it shoulder to shouder with any other rifle, but I've never found a rifle with a long action feel as long as the Savages do.

 

[reynolds357]

Mounting scopes on them is what first brought the sheer length of the action my attention. Its harder to mount a scope on a 111 .270 Savage than it is to mount the same length scope on a 700 8mm mag.

 

[Jbotto]

Seems the best way to do that is a solid one-piece base or pic-rail. I've used the Warne steel base on mine, and while it's solid, it just doesn't look as good as something that fits better.

EDIT: Pic added


The scope is the Redfield Revolution 3-9x40.

 

[PawPaw]

I've had to use extended bases on mine to mount any reasonable length scope.

That's a staggerfeed Savage 110 that I bought in 2006. That scope is a Weaver K6. The rifle currently wears a Nikon 3X9, but it requires the extended base as well.

 

[hooligan1]

I mounted scopes on 110's using a Leupold one-piece base, it works perfectly and is rock solid.....wasn't tough by any stretch.

 

[jmr40]

Having mounts hang over the loading/ejection port is not acceptable for me. Butt ugly and can interfere with loading and ejection. I find it impossible to mount the scopes I prefer, in the mounts I want on one. Rather than switch optics, I'd choose another rifle.

Even Savage Short actions are long. The opening on the short actions is only about 1/16" shorter than my other rifles long actions.


Savage makes a decent rifle, I could be talked into one in short action, but never a long action.

 

[olddav]

Okay, good for you. I wouldn't buy anything I don't like either.
However I do own two of them, their easy to swap barrels and thus change calibers. Real handy when I had a 30.06 and wanted a 338-06. Required a new barrel, $50.00 worth of tools, just a little skill and like magic I now have a 338-06 on a long (too long) action. As a bonus if I choose I can go to a larger cal still, although not likely as I am getting old.
So in closing let every one buy the rifle that speaks to them and enjoy it as much as possible. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

 

[reynolds357]

So back to my question, anyone have any idea why Savage built them so overly long?

 

[Doyle]

So back to my question, anyone have any idea why Savage built them so overly long?

Go back to my previous answer. While I can't speak for Savage, perhaps they were deliberately planning on making handloaders happy.

 

[reynolds357]

I doubt it because the magazines are not long and as a rule the chambers are cut slightly shorter by Savage than by other manufacturers.

 

[PawPaw]

So back to my question, anyone have any idea why Savage built them so overly long?

No, but I've seen a .416 Rigby built on a Savage long action, and with a cartridge length (OAL) of 3.750 inches, it's fairly longer than the .30-06 at 3.34 inches. It gives hobbyists and tinkerers plenty of room to make custom rifles without worrying if the action is long enough.

But now you have me curious. I've always wanted a 7mm Mauser. Th next time I have my short action Savage out of its stock, I'll have to make some measurements and see if the Mauser will fit in the Savage short action.

 

[Txhillbilly]

I just use 1 pc Weaver/Picatinny rails on mine. You can mount any style of scope you want,and not worry about how long the action is.

 

[reynolds357]

I know how to mount scopes on Savages. There has to be a reason why the action is so long. I guess I will eventually figure it out.

 

[TheFineLine]

From several responses it appears that they did it to accommodate handloaders. I have an EGW picatinny rail but the Nikon I have on it works just fine with the weaver mounts.