I have never had a Savage rifle, and last week I was given a Model 11 in 223 Remington.


Whoever designed the magazine is an utter idiot!

It is not possible to load the magazine from the top, and the magazines is not removable, but swings out, then one has to turn the rifle upside down, load the rounds, and close it!!

Are we doing something wrong or is there a secret to this rifle's loading??

I have several savages in the house they make very accurate rifles.

I use them on varmints only due to feeding problems.

I missed opportunity on a pd or crow isn't the end of the world.

I do not use savage rifles on big game.

My point is why design something that so awkward to use?

Is the 11 the one with the release in front of the floor plate?

the 14 has an all steel DBM.

There were two types I am aware of. The current type is a detachable metal box magazine and the other was a hinged floorplate that swung down like a Rem M700 with follower and spring attached. There was a separate metal mag box that was supposed to remain in the stock. Could it be that it is jammed into the floorplate and is being withdrawn? The Browning A-Bolt II had a metal box magazine that was attached to the hinged floorplate with a tab and spring arrangement. It was removed for loading and unloading.

You got the one with the detachable magazine which is not the most easily loaded model; Savages are usually very accurate and reliable rifles. Try for a standard one with the normal, fixed mag.

I got the rifle in my hands right now.

There is no way one can load the magazine from the top. The opening is far too narrow.

The bottom of the magazine can be opened, the the box does not come out.

The bottom plate and the follower comes open.

There is absolutely no way anyone can load this thing except by putting the loaded ammo from the bottom.

Absolutely ridiculous design!

OK, you need to try inserting the round ahead of the feed lips and then push down on the round while dragging it rearward under the feed lips.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I got the rifle in my hands right now.

There is no way one can load the magazine from the top. The opening is far too narrow.

The bottom of the magazine can be opened, the the box does not come out.

The bottom plate and the follower comes open.

There is absolutely no way anyone can load this thing except by putting the loaded ammo from the bottom.

Absolutely ridiculous design!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I got the rifle in my hands right now.

There is no way one can load the magazine from the top. The opening is far too narrow.

The bottom of the magazine can be opened, the the box does not come out.

The bottom plate and the follower comes open.

There is absolutely no way anyone can load this thing except by putting the loaded ammo from the bottom.

Absolutely ridiculous design!

Saeed, I never liked Savage rifles either. Likewise Ruger.... Maybe you need to set it aside for one of your blow-up tests!

I would not buy such junk in the first place.

It was given to me as a present.

Trying to load by sliding the found backwards into the magazine does not work.

To be able to do that one needs to push the round into the chamber, then push it backwards and downwards.

I thought some of the European manufacturers come up with some silly ideas.

But this one really takes the cake!

Most Savage bolt actions are not like this, and you forget, the Savage was designed for the American market, to be mass produced at the lowest possible cost, and still maintain good accuracy. It has achieved that goal, for the past 60 years. Most of them are the most accurate factory bolt rifles, and they sell for very cheap prices. Don't confuse what they are designed for, with high end stuff; Most US hunters want a cheap rifle that will work. These are well proven to do that. This particular mag design is just a bad fad idea.

So you absolutely cannot force the feed lips apart by pressing a round in from above? If true then that is a defective mag box. I've got some rifles in the shop which have narrow openings but can be forced open.

My friend Roy Vincent was here. He is a qualified gunsmith who have been building rifle for many years.

He tried it, and reached the same conclusion.

It is a brand new rifle, straight out of the box.

Why I converted my savage to single shot. Savage rifles my be accurate but I have had many feeding issues with them. As p dog shooter said "not for big game."

Solution; trade it for one with a standard mag box; those are easily loaded. I never understood detachable mag boxes on bolt actions anyway.

Gentlemen,

My point is why do they actually make a rifle that is so bloody awkward to load??

Don't they have shooters who use these rifles in the field before they manufacture them???

I have a Savage 111 center feed. To load my rifle all that you do is push the round straight down through the magazine lips and that's it. The lips spring apart to let the ammo through.

And like others have said my rifle is very accurate.

If you check the Savage Shooters Forum there are lots of people that work on these rifles all the time and they have lots of info.

Regards, Keith

Dont know about the Savage but the Ruger All American is a cheap built bastard also. You can load the mag, but the mag is 100% plastic as is the cocking piece. The quality $200.00 rifles from the 70s are $700.00 to $1000.00 dollar rifles new today.
Winchester 70 and Remington 700, Ruger 77.
You get what you pay for! or get as a gift -.

Understand the current American mass market economy; luxury items like rifles have been reduced to the lowest possible cost so that they can sell more of them. Same with food; been to McDonalds lately? Cheap crap that they call "food" but it sells for a dollar so they do sell billions of them. Guns shops are full of cheap plastic rifles now days; good ones with walnut stocks are very rare; I asked the manager at Sheels last month where all the walnut stocked rifles were; he said "They don't sell; we only stock the low end stuff now." Gander Mountain has Remington 783s for $287 this week, for example. Most American hunters don't know and can't afford it anyway. None of them are on AR.

I believe they sell extra magazines for these so it must come off. I think it is suppoed to slide off the drop plate...... just a thought.

Maybe that model was made for third world countries ? [where they dont know any better ! ],if you got it as a gift,[Free] hopefully you can use it for your rifle Blow up Tests ,one way of getting rid of the annoying thing ! and we can all enjoy the photos !

The Savage Model 10 is of the same basic design but with a detachable magazine. some of the Model 10s had an extraction problem. Savage addressed the problem by sending out more incorrectly machined parts.I finally found an after market ball bearing of the correct size, installed it and the extraction problem went away. Savage had been advised of the problem and the solution on numerous occasions and did nothing to remedy. Their rifles are poorly designed, and executed. They are fairly good $200.00 rifles though. They will go bang if you squeeze the trigger hard enough.

Other than the model 99, Savages are crap. One will never cross the threshold of my shop.

The Savages are fine rifles except for being clunky, awkward, and ugly. If a gift, was the giver angry at you?
I have one Savage target rifle but have trouble doing well with it. I feel obligated to wear a bag over my head when I'm shooting it to avoid being recognized and this affects my shooting.
Using it for a blow-up test will demonstrate the one positive aspect of the Savage; they are very strong and safe. Regards, Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Bitterroot:
Other than the model 99, Savages are crap. One will never cross the threshold of my shop.

I am just a whore at heart but if I have a client who wants work done on a Savage, I tell him to bring it in after dark and through the back door.

Jim

Where did I go wrong? I have three, 223, 7STW, and 308 Win. All of them shoot under 1/2" at a hundred yards. Oh, I know, they are all the solid bottom single shot versions...

Rich

They are ugly but I've yet to see one that wouldn't shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

I thought some of the European manufacturers come up with some silly ideas.

But this one really takes the cake!

So, give me your honest opinion. Is it worse than a Blaser?

Savages are Crap? I can only assume you have never actually fired one; they typically out shoot most other factory rifles. They are best left for sales at Wal Mart and Gander; you can't make any money off them anyway; the discount places sell them at wholesale. What everyone has to keep in mind about what these were designed for; these mass produced budget rifles are NOT intended for the high end, custom rifle snobs that inhabit AR. None of them/us would want something common, off the rack.