NorthernCX
CGN Regular
- Location
- In My House
Hey guys;
So I've received my Model 10TR, unboxed it, and it looks great, feels better than my older Savage 111 in .30-06. I've spent the last couple weeks hunting the 'net, searching out a muzzle brake (thanks ATRS!), bipod, scope and rings (and 20 MOA replacement rail- thanks to Jerry at Mystic Precision!), and I decide on the weekend to strip it down, degrease it, clean the barrel, etc. in preparation for setting up the scope, etc.
First things first, clean the barrel. Yep, brand new, for those that don't know it, the manufacturer fires a few to ensure function, and then loads up the bore with a combination of baboon sperm, whale spit and donkey snot and ships it to you. I was appalled at the amount of crud I took out of it, and I used everything- Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner first, then lighter fluid, then J-B Compound, then alternating between Kleen-Bore Oil/Conditioner, Hoppe's Benchrest, another dose of J-B, and went at it again this morning, finishing off with some Froglube CLP.
Now it was during one of these soak-times that I decided to pull the factory rail since I've got the 20 MOA one on the way. I now have a problem. One screw let go, the other three, not so much. I thought I was being careful, I did. I even used heat. I now have to find a way to get three base screws with stripped heads out, hopefully without wrecking the factory rail. Fun.
So after that fiasco and the cleaning, I take the action out of the base to clean it out. More lighter fluid into the trigger assembly and chamber area. Again, the same mixture that came out of the barrel seems to have been applied here. Not as much, but more than you think. It's amazing the places you can see factory oil dribbling out of long after you think things are clean, and the amount of crud that comes with it.
We now turn our attention to the stock and bedding. While speaking with Jerry at Mystic last week, he told me to look out for something- and he was right. The 'Accustock' is a joke. It's plain to see that on my unfired rifle, there is a pair of clear wear lines where the action makes contact with the aluminum bedding block. There's also a mark on the recoil lug showing the same. This would indicate some movement and rubbing, without having shot the thing! So I am now on the hunt for some Acra-Glas so I can fully bed the action properly. While I'm at it, I'll reinforce the forestock which is stiff, but could be stiffer as the 'bedding block' here is only an aluminum rib running up the center of the stock and holding the sling swivels. This would also explain Savage's instructions in the manual to pull back on the action while torquing the action screws when putting it back together. Where's the '3-D' bedding system now, guys?
I have no doubts that the gun would be accurate without me knowing these things, but I also have no doubt that to get the utmost potential out of it, that receiver needs to be bedded better- the two thin lines of contact plus the recoil lug alone (and the pillar bedding, I didn't forget) just aren't enough to fully control all the vibration from recoil and handling. And since most of us have ordered this as our entry into precision shooting, it only makes sense to know and share this info before someone gets frustrated with their rifle.
One other note: the other main benefit to stripping down a new rifle like this is to identify these shortcomings, do something about it, and know your rifle intimately at the same time. I know this isn't news for the old hands around here, but not everyone here has that same knowledge. Hope this helps someone. Cheers!
So I've received my Model 10TR, unboxed it, and it looks great, feels better than my older Savage 111 in .30-06. I've spent the last couple weeks hunting the 'net, searching out a muzzle brake (thanks ATRS!), bipod, scope and rings (and 20 MOA replacement rail- thanks to Jerry at Mystic Precision!), and I decide on the weekend to strip it down, degrease it, clean the barrel, etc. in preparation for setting up the scope, etc.
First things first, clean the barrel. Yep, brand new, for those that don't know it, the manufacturer fires a few to ensure function, and then loads up the bore with a combination of baboon sperm, whale spit and donkey snot and ships it to you. I was appalled at the amount of crud I took out of it, and I used everything- Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner first, then lighter fluid, then J-B Compound, then alternating between Kleen-Bore Oil/Conditioner, Hoppe's Benchrest, another dose of J-B, and went at it again this morning, finishing off with some Froglube CLP.
Now it was during one of these soak-times that I decided to pull the factory rail since I've got the 20 MOA one on the way. I now have a problem. One screw let go, the other three, not so much. I thought I was being careful, I did. I even used heat. I now have to find a way to get three base screws with stripped heads out, hopefully without wrecking the factory rail. Fun.
So after that fiasco and the cleaning, I take the action out of the base to clean it out. More lighter fluid into the trigger assembly and chamber area. Again, the same mixture that came out of the barrel seems to have been applied here. Not as much, but more than you think. It's amazing the places you can see factory oil dribbling out of long after you think things are clean, and the amount of crud that comes with it.
We now turn our attention to the stock and bedding. While speaking with Jerry at Mystic last week, he told me to look out for something- and he was right. The 'Accustock' is a joke. It's plain to see that on my unfired rifle, there is a pair of clear wear lines where the action makes contact with the aluminum bedding block. There's also a mark on the recoil lug showing the same. This would indicate some movement and rubbing, without having shot the thing! So I am now on the hunt for some Acra-Glas so I can fully bed the action properly. While I'm at it, I'll reinforce the forestock which is stiff, but could be stiffer as the 'bedding block' here is only an aluminum rib running up the center of the stock and holding the sling swivels. This would also explain Savage's instructions in the manual to pull back on the action while torquing the action screws when putting it back together. Where's the '3-D' bedding system now, guys?
I have no doubts that the gun would be accurate without me knowing these things, but I also have no doubt that to get the utmost potential out of it, that receiver needs to be bedded better- the two thin lines of contact plus the recoil lug alone (and the pillar bedding, I didn't forget) just aren't enough to fully control all the vibration from recoil and handling. And since most of us have ordered this as our entry into precision shooting, it only makes sense to know and share this info before someone gets frustrated with their rifle.
One other note: the other main benefit to stripping down a new rifle like this is to identify these shortcomings, do something about it, and know your rifle intimately at the same time. I know this isn't news for the old hands around here, but not everyone here has that same knowledge. Hope this helps someone. Cheers!
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