Anybody had Savage make a semi-custom rifle? I'm thinking about a left-hand Model 114 Classic in .338 Win Mag. They make a LH .338 WM in their Weather Warrior (stainless w/ fiberglass stock) series, but not one in blued steel with a walnut stock. I would also ask them to make an internal magazine with hinged floorplate, instead of a detachable box magazine, which is standard on the 114 Classic series. I wrote Ruger about a M77 Hawkeye, but they won't make a one-off rifle. I've heard Savage will.

Thanks in advance for any comments,
Bill Thibeault

best of luck to you.

Hmmmm? Savage and "custom" in the same sentence?

Isn't that an oxymoron?

TC1 and Don Slater,

Sorry I'm not talking about rarified, custom rifles that cost an arm and a leg. Can't afford them, and am trying to do the best I can. If you can't provide any helpful and possibly constructive advice, please keep your smart-A** comments to yourself.

Thibeault sends,
Out.

Sit down and pen a letter to Savage about your wishes. Be as specific as you can and see what kind of reply you get.

If they agree to build something for you, I'm sure the workmanship will be adequate.

That said.....I'd far rather wind up with something from Remington's custom shop any day.

Savage assembles their rifles from parts bins - if what you want can be constructed from parts in the bins that happen to work together they will do it for you.
They don't offer custom machining, fluting etc.

I had them assemble a .204 for me on a platform that wasn't offered in that cal and the process went ok. I was kind of amazed they got it right though, they take your order verbally and send no order confirmation.
Downside as I see it is your custom shop gun probably won't have the resale value that a catalogue gun would.

Effie can tell you if they can bolt together a Franken-Savage to fit your wants. Just give them a call and ask for her.

And to those who would deride Savage, mine was a reliable sub 1/2 moa platform that made an excellent test bed for my efforts in learning to reload.

I believe I read in one of the gun rags a while back that E R Shaw was going to offer sort of a "semi custom" package, consisting of their smithing and their barrels using Savage actions. IIRC, the finished price for a complete rig was supposed to be a bit south of $700. I think I recall a thread on the subject here on AR.

Not to put too fine a point on it...but ALL rifles, pistols, cars, trucks, toasters etc., are assembled from "parts bins"...even custom items. It is part and parcel of modern assembly line products.

I think you will have to contact Savage for your answer...or you might contact Sharp Shooters, he could help you I'm guessing.

You might want to take a look at the latest American Rifleman mag for Savages 338 Lapua WITH a fluted barrel or the F class offerings if you want something "custom". Many of their Varminters have fluted barrels.

I'm guessing almost ALL the barrel makers offer Savage barrels in any configuration and most calibers you happen to want... E.R. Shaw, PacNor, McGowen, Douglas, Lilja, Hart, Broughton, Bartlein, etc.

Sharp Shooters offers many custom items, barrels, stocks, parts, etc.

I've been building Savage rifles since the mid 60's for myself and family members...with and without the "UglyNut". With a little judicious tuning and ammo prep they ALL shoot 1/2" or less...mostly much less.

There are a few about the "older" Savages I'm not all that enthused about, namely the magazine and the "controlled feed" ones aren't really a DG rifle, but for non dangerous game they work just fine.

This new 338 Lapua offering is a horse of a different color. Wish they had come out with this configuration 30 years ago.

I have near a dozen Savage shooters in my rack from 17 to 416 cal, plus twice that many barrels to swap around, long and short actions, and all boltheas sizes and lengths...and I can make up a rifle in about a hour including load testing if you hand me a threaded/chambered barrel...or thread, chamber and crown a contoured blank in about 2 hours.

The Savage is one of the easiest and quickest shooters to "customize" you can find...I think. Shoot, I've even used Ruger and Rem take-off barrels...just rethreaded and rechambered and also used Savage barrels on Ruger and Rems...just rethreaded, then made a nut to fit.. You just have to use your imagination.

I'm thinking anyone who is still badmouthing or has a problem with Savages isn't really up to date or just maybe whizzing into the wind.

Savages aren't high dollar units when bought at Walmart, but you sure can sink a lot of money into one if you want a perfect stock, high polish, high dollar barrel and so forth. I;m always on the lookout for a used, cheap Savage just for the action and other pieces and parts.

If you equate high dollars with "custom" work or want a DGR then you do need to look someplace other than Savage.

That's not to say I don't think a highly Customized, classic stocked with a perfect piece of walnut and Fluerdelise checkering and deep bluing, isn't a thing of beauty and a joy to behold...I just haven't hit the lotto yet...but when I do....

A Salvage huh?

Uuuuugghhhhhhhhh!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Thibeault:
TC1 and Don Slater,

Sorry I'm not talking about rarified, custom rifles that cost an arm and a leg. Can't afford them, and am trying to do the best I can. If you can't provide any helpful and possibly constructive advice, please keep your smart-A** comments to yourself.

Thibeault sends,
Out.

Sorry Bill, I didn't really mean to offend you.

The prospect of a custom Savage just hit my funny bone.

You might be better off with a Ruger 77. And with all this talk about re-barrelling? Why not just buy a Remington action and start from there?

Bill I think you are on the right track. There are plenty of 'custom" rifles that do not shoot as well as an "off the shelf" Savage. What's wrong with starting with a rifle with proven accuracy and then customizing it? Go for it and let us know.
Peter.

Just contact E.R.Shaw and ask about the Savage custom they build.
So many options and features for a price that is just cheap.
http://www.ershawbarrels.com/normal.asp#

John

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Thibeault:
Thanks in advance for any comments,
Bill Thibeault

Well, you did ask for ANY comments.
If you can't find any humor in the "Savage Custom Shop" label you might need to have your funny bone examined. Without regards to the merits, that is pretty much high-larious.

I have no problem with the stigma attached to Savage rifles.
They are what they are. Which is clunky looking and - typically, extremely accurate.

I own a savage 110 in 22-250 hevey barrel stone cold stock outa the box 389 dollars when I bought it. It shoot much smaller groups that a friend of minds custom shop 1600 dollar wait six months to get it brag about it being from custom shop rifle. I'll take ugly when it shoot as good a mine does

Everyone always praises the accuracy of a Savage....funny thing is, I have never seen one outshoot an outta box Remington

Weird

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
I own a savage 110 in 22-250 hevey barrel stone cold stock outa the box 389 dollars when I bought it. It shoot much smaller groups that a friend of minds custom shop 1600 dollar wait six months to get it brag about it being from custom shop rifle. I'll take ugly when it shoot as good a mine does

No question about it....

That said, they finally fixed the worst trigger in the industry....acolades again

Now all they have to do is get them to
1. feed
2. Extract
3. eject
4. safeties work
5. get rid of about six pounds of ugly!

Then even I might own own.....but they first have to apologize for the horrible guns they have sold me over the years!

quote:

Rod

Mine out shoot custom shop gns day in and day out.when I sold it It was to a guy who owned a custom shop gun and he could not out shoot my ugly old savage
Vapodog you must be on of the unluckyest men on the planet with savages I have by the sounds of your posting been the luckest

quote:

Mine out shoot custom shop gns day in and day out.when I sold it It was to a guy who owned a custom shop gun and he could not out shoot my ugly old savage

Cool. Seems to be someone who always says his "enter your factory make here" can outshoot customs. I shoot a ton & have never ever seen ANY factory gun outshoot ANY of my customs.

Now I'm not saying it cant be done, just saying I have yet to see it after several guys claimed they could do it.

Sounds like you had a winner there, now all they gotta do is like Vapo says.......work on problems 1 thru 5

I was maticulose when I broke in the barrel. OHHH and I did change triggers sorry it was not stone cold stock. I hand picked and neck turned all brass used serria match kings, varget, match primers, never shot out of a hot barrel. I'm not saying it was normal but dam I miss that rifle. it my have been a fluck but it was o goodun for me

I could fix anything but six pounds of ugly dam thats tough

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
Vapodog you must be on of the unluckyest men on the planet with savages I have by the sounds of your posting been the luckest

I've run into the same disregard for quality from Weatherby and Ruger.....they all share the same basement opinion in this house.

yeeep
If you buy enough toys your going to get a bad on sooner or later know matter who's names on it.

Pretty neat the way they put the rifling on the outside of the barrels.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Thibeault:
TC1 and Don Slater,

Sorry I'm not talking about rarified, custom rifles that cost an arm and a leg. Can't afford them, and am trying to do the best I can. If you can't provide any helpful and possibly constructive advice, please keep your smart-A** comments to yourself.

Thibeault sends,
Out.

Sorry. Just thought it was funny, that's all.

Again, and seriously this time. I wish you the best of luck with your search for a custom shop Savage.

Terry

Bill, what does one of these Savages cost from the custom shop?

I'm LH too, and theres tons of options out there these days.

As a platform for a semi-precision rifle or a varminter, I have nothing against the Savage. I have less regard for them as a serious hunting rifle but let me say this; If the rifle feeds, fires, extracts and ejects well and is accurate, it's a perfectly good hunting rifle regardless of the stamp on the barrel.
I like the Ruger 77 as a rugged, reliable hunting rifle and would buy a left handed 7 mag and rebarrel if I wanted a 338 in that configuration. Regards, Bill.

Don't let the rifle snobs dissuade you.

Call Savage, ask for the Custom shop and talk to Effie.

For the guys talking about out of the box accuracy:

The Savage shooting team just won the 2009 "F" Class World Championship using stock, off the shelf Savage rifles (not even hand selected) competing aganst some of the most expensive long range custom rifles built.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:

For the guys talking about out of the box accuracy:

The Savage shooting team just won the 2009 "F" Class World Championship using stock, off the shelf Savage rifles (not even hand selected) competing aganst some of the most expensive long range custom rifles built.

Hey Frank...I have a couple Savages myself and are great out of the box shooters!

Ya got a link to what you shared?

Good on SAVAGE!!!

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Late-Bloomer:

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:

For the guys talking about out of the box accuracy:

The Savage shooting team just won the 2009 "F" Class World Championship using stock, off the shelf Savage rifles (not even hand selected) competing aganst some of the most expensive long range custom rifles built.

Hey Frank...I have a couple Savages myself and are great out of the box shooters!

Ya got a link to what you shared?

Good on SAVAGE!!!

Thanks

Here you go:
http://savageaccuracy.com/2009...tition-field-report/
http://savageaccuracy.com/2009...uell/comment-page-1/
http://savageshooters.com/Sava...p/topic,25183.0.html