Savage action with weird action screw spacing?

[eddybo]

I ran into an interesting fix for stocks with the wrong action screw spacing a day or so ago. A buddy wanted a new stock for a savage but couldn't find a stock that would work. We had an old stock that was close but theaction screw holes were .250 too far apart. I am sure experianced smiths have used this trick and probably better ones to make stocks fit, here is what I did.
I centered the old hole in the mill, then moved the stock .250 in order to center the quill where the new hole needed to be. Then I used a one inch endmill to cut the new hole and completely remove the old hole. I then used a piece of an old barrel to make a stainless pillar the fit in the hole with just a bit of play. Screwd the pillar on the action and epoxied the pillar in the stock. Here is what the work around looks like. I kinda like it.

Sorry for the pic quality as usual, maybe I should clean the lens on my cell phone

 

[dwm]

Would you mind telling us a little more about this?

What stock did you modify to fit the Savage?

Short action or long?

Centerfeed magazine or staggared?

Is the tang floated after installation?

I think it is a cool idea, although I do not have equipment required ...

 

[geargrinder]

Borrowed this from Savageshooter.com

1st. Gen Short Actions = 4.522" (1959 to 1987, staggered feed magazine)
2nd Gen Short Actions = 4.275" (1998 to 2006, staggered feed magazine)
3rd Gen Short Actions = 4.400" (2006 and up, center-feed magazine, not shown in photo below)

I'm guessing that eddybo is fitting a new centerfeed action into an older more common staggerfeed stock, or an intermediate action into a short action stock.

 

[eddybo]

You got it, just mating a newer model Short action stock to an older model short action. I bedded the action in the stock just a few hours ago.

This was about the third time I ran into someone with one of the older actions who could not find a stock, I have never looked and am sure they are out there, but this stock was already there.
The stock used was one of those BC duramax stocks, but I do not see why it could not be done with just about any of them. It would be pretty easy to stick one of the older actions into a mcmillan inletted for one of the newer actions.