Building a custom Savage rifle over time

[BrentM]

Also, regarding finish etc. On this last build I sand blasted the stainless and put my own designs into it. Cerakote, duracote, and alumahyde are all products you can get to paint a rifle. For example I have cerakote paint swatches I ordered. These happen to be in the magpul colors and I will be painting a glock pretty soon. I have another savage rifle that is factory painted I will be replacing the barrel for a longer one. This rifle will be refinished with one of the products mentioned above.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Also, regarding finish etc. On this last build I sand blasted the stainless and put my own designs into it. Cerakote, duracote, and alumahyde are all products you can get to paint a rifle. For example I have cerakote paint swatches I ordered. These happen to be in the magpul colors and I will be painting a glock pretty soon. I have another savage rifle that is factory painted I will be replacing the barrel for a longer one. This rifle will be refinished with one of the products mentioned above.

that is cool...wonder if I could cerakote the action minus the bolt lever...Then I could buy a new bolt lever in stainless to match stainless barrel and have a black stock...might look cool with a black cerakoted action...

 

[BrentM]

that is cool...wonder if I could cerakote the action minus the bolt lever...Then I could buy a new bolt lever in stainless to match stainless barrel and have a black stock...might look cool with a black cerakoted action...

Yep. I have a black action with stainless barrel right now and I pulled the bolt handle off of my stainless action to see how it looked. It looked really good IMO. I like the 2 tone stuff personally.

Cerakote makes a paint called Savage Stainless as well. My stock savage action and barrel were actually painted. I sanded the action to match my schnieder barrel and then coated the whole thing with heavy duty silicone spray. It turned out like I needed it too. The silicone repels the grime and cleans up super easy.

 

[BrentM]

Here is an example

 

[BrentM]

Color difference of treated nut and barrel vs lug

 

[Bigeclipse]

Yep. I have a black action with stainless barrel right now and I pulled the bolt handle off of my stainless action to see how it looked. It looked really good IMO. I like the 2 tone stuff personally.

Cerakote makes a paint called Savage Stainless as well. My stock savage action and barrel were actually painted. I sanded the action to match my schnieder barrel and then coated the whole thing with heavy duty silicone spray. It turned out like I needed it too. The silicone repels the grime and cleans up super easy.

I have zero experience for painting things. I mean I painted model cars when I was young and that's about it. How hard would it be to ceracote the action with out messing up?

 

[Barrelnut]

Tools and barrel

BretM, where did you get the barrel nut wrench in the pic. Looks like it's for the newer smooth nuts. I would really like to have one of those wrenches as I will be changing out a 116 barrel with a smooth nut in the near future. I like the smooth nut and don't want to change it to the older style.

Thanks!

 

[BrentM]

Cerakote is easy. It is super thin but super durable. Just tape off areas you don't want coated, such as threads, and you won't have any issues. In fact, they have an action paint for the inside to make it more slick. I personally just paint the outside areas and leave internals alone. Also, you can buy an airbrush kit from them that cost $50.00 I believe. It is pretty slick.

The smooth nut wrench is from Midway. I bought the action wrench and nut wrenchs from them. I don't have or use a barrel vise, not needed so far.

I put the action in the action wrench and secure it to my bench in a vice. I then attach the nut wrench and thump it with a soft blow hammer. Once the nut is broke loose I unscrew the barrel from the action. The reason for this is that savage assemble the barrel etc and then finishes the rifle coating. There are usually a bunch of media beads in the threads under the nut. It is really easy to clean up once the barrel is off. Just don't get all crazy whacking the nut and trying to spin it forward.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Cerakote is easy. It is super thin but super durable. Just tape off areas you don't want coated, such as threads, and you won't have any issues. In fact, they have an action paint for the inside to make it more slick. I personally just paint the outside areas and leave internals alone. Also, you can buy an airbrush kit from them that cost $50.00 I believe. It is pretty slick.

The smooth nut wrench is from Midway. I bought the action wrench and nut wrenchs from them. I don't have or use a barrel vise, not needed so far.

I put the action in the action wrench and secure it to my bench in a vice. I then attach the nut wrench and thump it with a soft blow hammer. Once the nut is broke loose I unscrew the barrel from the action. The reason for this is that savage assemble the barrel etc and then finishes the rifle coating. There are usually a bunch of media beads in the threads under the nut. It is really easy to clean up once the barrel is off. Just don't get all crazy whacking the nut and trying to spin it forward.

Now I am even more excited about this build! I know this is off topic but any suggestions on mid to lower cost MOA scope. I know I know I know...spend as much as possible on a scope, but do you have any recommendations on a mid to lower end scope that will return to zero consistantly using the elev. and windage knobs? Currently all my scopes have the bdc which honestly works fine for me out to 300 yards, but now that I will be moving to further distances I am ready to make the switch to MOA based scope.

 

[BrentM]

Define lower cost.

I have:
Nightforce
Sighttron S3
Leupold.

I have access to and shot several friends rifles with:
Vortex (viper and HS)
Huskemaw
IOR

Nightforce just came out with a lower price point scope, $1000ish. Sightron is in that range.

So Vortex and Sightron. Vortex glass is a little better. Sightron parallax is easier to adjust and just a little more friendly. Toss up really but I prefer the sightron.

My leupold is a 4.5-14 x50 with BDC. I sent it to leupold and had m1 turrets put on it. It works very well and have it on my 204.

I have no real experience with the sub 500 scopes at this point. If they have good internals then I don't see why they wouldn't be fine for the average hunter who is not dialing like mad all day.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Define lower cost.

I have:
Nightforce
Sighttron S3
Leupold.

I have access to and shot several friends rifles with:
Vortex (viper and HS)
Huskemaw
IOR

Nightforce just came out with a lower price point scope, $1000ish. Sightron is in that range.

So Vortex and Sightron. Vortex glass is a little better. Sightron parallax is easier to adjust and just a little more friendly. Toss up really but I prefer the sightron.

My leupold is a 4.5-14 x50 with BDC. I sent it to leupold and had m1 turrets put on it. It works very well and have it on my 204.

I have no real experience with the sub 500 scopes at this point. If they have good internals then I don't see why they wouldn't be fine for the average hunter who is not dialing like mad all day.

yeah I was thinking my price range would fall from 400-700MAX

 

[BrentM]

See if you can find a Sightron or Vortex. Vortex Viper PST is a great scope and I have seen them as low as 650.00. If I were to shop for a scope today under 1k this is where I would head. IF you find a deal on a Leupold you can get turrets installed for $130.00. So add that to the price of the scope. It will be in IPHY instead of MOA which is not a big deal. Inches Per Hundred Yards is close to MOA and most programs will allow you to select IPHY. My 204 is set up in Shooter with IPHY and is dead on. No issues.

I like all of these scopes. I sent my NF in to be checked and used the s3 most of the winter. The NF came back and I just stuck it in the safe until recently to set up 2 guns for the Vortex Challenge. I shot at a yote at 1475 yards with the S3 and it was clear, bright, and zero issue with sight control. If I had this scope before the NF I would probably not have the NF. I have been very pleased with it. Vortex is right there though. Great scope.

 

[BrentM]

Midwway, not the cheapest on the block has the vipers at a good price. I am sure you can find a better deal though without much effort. I know it is a lot of money still, but good optics for LR work are worth it.


http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=vortex+viper+pst

 

[BrentM]

Wrenches from Wheeler.

Wheeler Engineering Barrel Nut Wrench Savage 10 110