Well, I finished up my 'Project SaLvage'. 
Pics are quickies with my phone...not quite 'Stick quality!
This was a N.I.B. 12FV that I bought from Cabelas. Here's what the bolt face looked like when I opened the box. I assume Savage's test firing must be with fairly stout loads and/or the Q.C. might be a bit lacking. Full disclosure...I never looked at the bolt when I opened the box in the store. Something like this isn't new to anyone in BR circles, though.
I worked on the factory trigger and it's a consistent 12 oz, now. Smoothed up the cocking notch in the bolt and added a bolt lift kit. Both those and some firing pin tuning eased the bolt lift enough so I could deep six the double ugly Kenworth-ish bolt handle and put an earlier factory version on. The bedding and pillars are in this section.
The chamber is nice and snug with a .256 neck and a short enough throat that even the Nosler 40gr. BTips touch the lands with .100 of bullet shank in the neck. Will head to the range as soon as possible with BIB 52's, 48's, Berger 52's, and even some (slap my mouth) Sierra 52's and 53's. Gotta' start with H380 in a 22-250 but will try N135, Benchmark, 4895, WW748 and AA2520 on the first go.
No BR rig, but still a fun 'back-to-my-roots' project. If it shoots! -Al
Pics are quickies with my phone...not quite 'Stick quality!This was a N.I.B. 12FV that I bought from Cabelas. Here's what the bolt face looked like when I opened the box. I assume Savage's test firing must be with fairly stout loads and/or the Q.C. might be a bit lacking. Full disclosure...I never looked at the bolt when I opened the box in the store. Something like this isn't new to anyone in BR circles, though.
I worked on the factory trigger and it's a consistent 12 oz, now. Smoothed up the cocking notch in the bolt and added a bolt lift kit. Both those and some firing pin tuning eased the bolt lift enough so I could deep six the double ugly Kenworth-ish bolt handle and put an earlier factory version on. The bedding and pillars are in this section.
The chamber is nice and snug with a .256 neck and a short enough throat that even the Nosler 40gr. BTips touch the lands with .100 of bullet shank in the neck. Will head to the range as soon as possible with BIB 52's, 48's, Berger 52's, and even some (slap my mouth
) Sierra 52's and 53's. Gotta' start with H380 in a 22-250 but will try N135, Benchmark, 4895, WW748 and AA2520 on the first go. No BR rig, but still a fun 'back-to-my-roots' project. If it shoots! -Al
