I bought a really nice Springfield 85-A at the Yorkton gun show. I have a Savage 6AB and a Springfield 87A, and thought a magazine fed rifle would add to the selection. Someone had refinished the stock and made a very nice job of that and rebluing the barrel and action. Are there other models with that same action? I used the old Savage as my gopher backup rifle, in cases where the attacks got overwhelming.
The long barrels on these rifles make for nice quiet shooting. The old Savage works like a charm, especially when I remember to bring the tube!
Anybody else have some thoughts on these rifles?
One interesting note: Someone had ground off the inside end of the locking knob on the 85A and eliminated the detent ball and spring. On this one, the detent was on the inner, or far end, whereas on the Savage and the 87A, the detent is originally on the outer end. I ordered a replacement for my Savage, as the ball and spring had vacated, and the new one ( an aftermarket) was on the far end. I should have just done that with the old Savage knob.
The locking knob serves to lock the action either open or closed. Closed, I presume for single shot, to avoid the spent casing from half extracting/ejecting, and open for safety reasons. The firing pin sits in a slot in the knob, thus keeping the knob from falling out.
Without the detent, the old Savage would lock in once in a while, not something you want while fighting off a desperate gopher attack.
The long barrels on these rifles make for nice quiet shooting. The old Savage works like a charm, especially when I remember to bring the tube!
Anybody else have some thoughts on these rifles?
One interesting note: Someone had ground off the inside end of the locking knob on the 85A and eliminated the detent ball and spring. On this one, the detent was on the inner, or far end, whereas on the Savage and the 87A, the detent is originally on the outer end. I ordered a replacement for my Savage, as the ball and spring had vacated, and the new one ( an aftermarket) was on the far end. I should have just done that with the old Savage knob.
The locking knob serves to lock the action either open or closed. Closed, I presume for single shot, to avoid the spent casing from half extracting/ejecting, and open for safety reasons. The firing pin sits in a slot in the knob, thus keeping the knob from falling out.
Without the detent, the old Savage would lock in once in a while, not something you want while fighting off a desperate gopher attack.
