Savage Bolt Question

[Sniper6]

Hello everyone. Long time reader, first time poster. I recently received 2 Savage Axis rifles in 308 to reduce in weight for a friend. He would like me to get it close to 6lbs total with scope, sling, etc. It is already a fairly light rifle. I weighed the bolt assembly and it weighs 11.6oz. Does anyone know of someone that makes a Titanium bolt body? I believe this would greatly reduce the weight of the bolt assembly. Also, anyone make a titanium firing pin to decrease lock time? I have meanly worked with Remington 700's and Mauser 98's. From what I have seen of the Savage, the bolt body doesn't appear to take any of the major stresses from firing the shots. It appears all the stresses are taken by the locking lugs. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[FEENIX]

Hello everyone. Long time reader, first time poster. I recently received 2 Savage Axis rifles in 308 to reduce in weight for a friend. He would like me to get it close to 6lbs total with scope, sling, etc. It is already a fairly light rifle. I weighed the bolt assembly and it weighs 11.6oz. Does anyone know of someone that makes a Titanium bolt body? I believe this would greatly reduce the weight of the bolt assembly. Also, anyone make a titanium firing pin to decrease lock time? I have meanly worked with Remington 700's and Mauser 98's. From what I have seen of the Savage, the bolt body doesn't appear to take any of the major stresses from firing the shots. It appears all the stresses are taken by the locking lugs. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Greetings from the Great Falls side of the Big Sky Country. Welcome to LRH, and enjoy it. I am a big Savage fan and have built quite semi-custom with Savage actions with outstanding success. A 6-pound scoped rifle is no easy task and can be costly, let alone shoot accurately. None of mine is Axis, and frankly, I do not think it is worth the investment, but that's just me. What does the rifle weigh now? Depending on your friend's budget and chambering, there are rifles out there that might meet the weight objective.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

Savage axis aftermarket parts are near non existent - this would be something you would have to take on as a custom one off project most likely.

 

[Barrelnut]

You can buy a fluted Axis bolt. That would be the most economical route. Gladesarmory sells them at the link below.

Savage Axis Bolt Sleeve Right Hand – All Stainless - Glades Armory

Savage Axis Bolt Sleeve Helical Fluting Right Hand

gladesarmory.com

 

[Sniper6]

Thanks for all the input so far guys. The builds I am doing are a little unique. My friend and I have hunted together since high school in the deep forests of Northwest Montana . The majority of the shots we get in the black brush are 20 to 150 yards. Not quite a long range type of build, but I knew I would gain terrific in put from you guys. Climbing through the brush and thick downfall is hard. I'm sure FEENIX knows this. As we get older we are looking for a lighter, handier rifle. The requirements for the build are to be roughly 6 pounds in weight with scope, sling etc. With the shorter shots, max 300 yards, 2MOA is acceptable. The rifles I am working with are Savage Axis .308 cal with 22" barrels. Rifle weight alone is 6lbs 2oz. Not a bad weight to start with. Current plans and ideas to reduce weight are to cut and thread the barrel at 16.25 inches. That would remove 5.75" of barrel. Hopefully that will remove around 5oz. I will ad Anarchy Outdoors titanium muzzle brakes at 0.6oz. I plan on using Talley Lightweight Scope Rings. The set weighs 2.4oz. I believe I can remove 1oz of weight with a little milling and boring a couple longitudinal holes through the base part and a couple holes through the ring part. I saw a few people looking to reduce weight on this forum suggested using the SWFA 2.5X10 Ultralight Riflescope. It weighs in at 9.5oz. I don't have any experience with these scopes but I haven't seen any bad reviews either. Without removing any weight the rifle would weigh 6lbs 14.4oz.

Planned reductions in weight:

5.55" barrel = 5oz
Bases = 1oz

That gets me to 6lbs 8oz.

I have my own lathe, so I have considered making my own bolt body. I have never turned titanium though and I know it has it's own challenges. Some questions I have are:

How much stress is actually transmitted to the bolt body when a shot is fired in a Savage action? I know that Remington actions use the bolt handle as a third lug. Probably only for safety.

Is the bolt body hardened or is it "soft metal" compared to the lugs?

If there isn't any real pressure transmitted to the bolt body, could you make it out of aluminum?

Does anyone know of a shop that maybe interested in making the bolt body or firing pin from Titanium?

Thanks everyone

 

[Outlaw6.0]

...

Does anyone know of a shop that maybe interested in making the bolt body or firing pin from Titanium?

Thanks everyone

Chad Dixon @ LongRifles Inc has done quite a bit of work with Titanium & is usually down to take on weird projects. Give them a shout.



t

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Very knowledgeable Savage shooters can be found here:

Savage Shooters

SavageShooters.com - an online community for individuals who have a passion for Savage firearms.

www.savageshooters.com

 

[Turkeytider]

Very knowledgeable Savage shooters can be found here:

Savage Shooters

SavageShooters.com - an online community for individuals who have a passion for Savage firearms.

www.savageshooters.com

Very knowledgeable Savage shooters can be found here:

Savage Shooters

SavageShooters.com - an online community for individuals who have a passion for Savage firearms.

www.savageshooters.com

Indeed. Dave Hoback, a regular poster there, is a wealth of information. Charlie B is another

 

[FEENIX]

Thanks for all the input so far guys. The builds I am doing are a little unique. My friend and I have hunted together since high school in the deep forests of Northwest Montana . The majority of the shots we get in the black brush are 20 to 150 yards. Not quite a long range type of build, but I knew I would gain terrific in put from you guys. Climbing through the brush and thick downfall is hard. I'm sure FEENIX knows this. As we get older we are looking for a lighter, handier rifle. The requirements for the build are to be roughly 6 pounds in weight with scope, sling etc. With the shorter shots, max 300 yards, 2MOA is acceptable. The rifles I am working with are Savage Axis .308 cal with 22" barrels. Rifle weight alone is 6lbs 2oz. Not a bad weight to start with. Current plans and ideas to reduce weight are to cut and thread the barrel at 16.25 inches. That would remove 5.75" of barrel. Hopefully that will remove around 5oz. I will ad Anarchy Outdoors titanium muzzle brakes at 0.6oz. I plan on using Talley Lightweight Scope Rings. The set weighs 2.4oz. I believe I can remove 1oz of weight with a little milling and boring a couple longitudinal holes through the base part and a couple holes through the ring part. I saw a few people looking to reduce weight on this forum suggested using the SWFA 2.5X10 Ultralight Riflescope. It weighs in at 9.5oz. I don't have any experience with these scopes but I haven't seen any bad reviews either. Without removing any weight the rifle would weigh 6lbs 14.4oz.

Planned reductions in weight:

5.55" barrel = 5oz
Bases = 1oz

That gets me to 6lbs 8oz.

I have my own lathe, so I have considered making my own bolt body. I have never turned titanium though and I know it has it's own challenges. Some questions I have are:

How much stress is actually transmitted to the bolt body when a shot is fired in a Savage action? I know that Remington actions use the bolt handle as a third lug. Probably only for safety.

Is the bolt body hardened or is it "soft metal" compared to the lugs?

If there isn't any real pressure transmitted to the bolt body, could you make it out of aluminum?

Does anyone know of a shop that maybe interested in making the bolt body or firing pin from Titanium?

Thanks everyone

Yes, I am familiar with those black brush areas. I have a Carl Gustaf 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser with an 18" barrel for those situations. It is not light but maneuverable. It seems you are trying to build a rifle set-up that is both maneuverable and light. As I previously noted, it can be expensive, especially for an Axis action. However, since you are machining it yourself and willing to absorb those costs, go for it and have fun with it in the process and maintain the integrity/safe operation of the rifle.

Keep us posted on your project build with your friend. Good luck!