manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
Just received my Savage 16 FCSS from SIR. i own a Savage .17 HMR and 24F but this is the first full-sized Savage Centrefire bolt gun I've ever owned, and i ordered it blind from SIR. this particular gun is a stainless .308 but i suspect all their other model 16 weather warriors will be pretty much the same.
my gun cabinet is full of mostly Rugers and Remingtons, so i thought id write this up not as a full review but as a quick comparison to give the average Ruger/Remington owner an idea what he is in store for. ive picked up several Savages at gun stores but after the briefest examination i usually put them down, dismissing them as unrefined and ugly. actually forcing myself to own one has made me realise that they actually are quite innovative and well-designed, and should serve very well as a tool, if not a 'fine rifle':
immediate impressions:
-wow, this gun is light
-the stock inletting looks bloody awful
Cons:
-in front of the barrel nut there is about a 1/4" gap in the inletting extending a few inches up the barrel, it looks horrid. i cringe every time i see it.
-the barrel came floated and well centred in the stock, unfortunately the stock is so flexible that even pressing on it with your thumb is enough to make it touch the barrel. if you keep the stock then you need to be careful not to exert any sideways pressure against the last 2-3 inches, or lean the tip of the forend against a tree or something as a firing support. other than the tip of the stock being flexible, the rest seems sturdy enough with an above-average quality squishy rubber buttpad.
-the rifle came with several small dings in it, as if it were assembled by hand by people who regarded it as a tool and nothing more. around the ejection port there are some small dings in the edges, there were some scuffs on the barrel, and the barrel nut was slightly stripped (almost imperceptible). i bought this as a working gun/all-weather beater so i dont care, but someone who babies their firearms and worries about every ding should perhaps inspect them in the store before buying.
-trigger group is not stainless, but all blued. so much for 'weather warrior'.
-cocking indicator/bolt release is ugly as sin, quirky, and again blued not stainless.
Pros:
-very smooth bolt. the bolt head/lugs are floated so that they automatically align with the receiver. this means that when you work the bolt, slight misalignments do not affect the bolt or make it bind, making it feel much smoother.
-well-designed, robust mag and mag release that you can easily get at even with gloved hands.
-very light - this particular gun, although it has a sporter weight barrel, feels and handles more like a mountain rifle.
-exceptional, simple 3-position safety in the most intuitive and visible place - on the tang - with bright red 'fire' indicator.
-Accutrigger: i didnt even look at the manual, within 10 minutes of opening the box i had the action out of the stock and the trigger adjusted down to a crisp, creep-free 1.5lbs with the adjustment tool savage provides.
-aside from the stock, which is actually fibreglass reinforced and not 'plastic' as i had expected, no plastic parts: everything is steel, triggerguard, mag, magwell are all high quality stainless with good fit/finish, mag is perfectly flush with a stainless bottom plate and seems very sturdy.
overall i am very happy with the gun - it seems well designed, balances well and is lightweight, and should suit its planned purpose - an all-weather utility gun - perfectly.
now to take it to the range and shoot some test groups - although even Savage bashers rarely dispute their out-of-the-box accuracy, so im not too worried there.
my gun cabinet is full of mostly Rugers and Remingtons, so i thought id write this up not as a full review but as a quick comparison to give the average Ruger/Remington owner an idea what he is in store for. ive picked up several Savages at gun stores but after the briefest examination i usually put them down, dismissing them as unrefined and ugly. actually forcing myself to own one has made me realise that they actually are quite innovative and well-designed, and should serve very well as a tool, if not a 'fine rifle':
immediate impressions:
-wow, this gun is light
-the stock inletting looks bloody awful
Cons:
-in front of the barrel nut there is about a 1/4" gap in the inletting extending a few inches up the barrel, it looks horrid. i cringe every time i see it.
-the barrel came floated and well centred in the stock, unfortunately the stock is so flexible that even pressing on it with your thumb is enough to make it touch the barrel. if you keep the stock then you need to be careful not to exert any sideways pressure against the last 2-3 inches, or lean the tip of the forend against a tree or something as a firing support. other than the tip of the stock being flexible, the rest seems sturdy enough with an above-average quality squishy rubber buttpad.
-the rifle came with several small dings in it, as if it were assembled by hand by people who regarded it as a tool and nothing more. around the ejection port there are some small dings in the edges, there were some scuffs on the barrel, and the barrel nut was slightly stripped (almost imperceptible). i bought this as a working gun/all-weather beater so i dont care, but someone who babies their firearms and worries about every ding should perhaps inspect them in the store before buying.
-trigger group is not stainless, but all blued. so much for 'weather warrior'.
-cocking indicator/bolt release is ugly as sin, quirky, and again blued not stainless.
Pros:
-very smooth bolt. the bolt head/lugs are floated so that they automatically align with the receiver. this means that when you work the bolt, slight misalignments do not affect the bolt or make it bind, making it feel much smoother.
-well-designed, robust mag and mag release that you can easily get at even with gloved hands.
-very light - this particular gun, although it has a sporter weight barrel, feels and handles more like a mountain rifle.
-exceptional, simple 3-position safety in the most intuitive and visible place - on the tang - with bright red 'fire' indicator.
-Accutrigger: i didnt even look at the manual, within 10 minutes of opening the box i had the action out of the stock and the trigger adjusted down to a crisp, creep-free 1.5lbs with the adjustment tool savage provides.
-aside from the stock, which is actually fibreglass reinforced and not 'plastic' as i had expected, no plastic parts: everything is steel, triggerguard, mag, magwell are all high quality stainless with good fit/finish, mag is perfectly flush with a stainless bottom plate and seems very sturdy.
overall i am very happy with the gun - it seems well designed, balances well and is lightweight, and should suit its planned purpose - an all-weather utility gun - perfectly.
now to take it to the range and shoot some test groups - although even Savage bashers rarely dispute their out-of-the-box accuracy, so im not too worried there.
Last edited:
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