Changing Savage Bolt Face From .243 to .223

[Sidewinder]

Some on here have talked about the ease of changing a Savage barrel from .243 to a .223 barrel. They also mentioned changing the bolt face. Is that very hard to do? Wouldn't it just be better to have a bolt for each barrel... unless it's cost prohibitive?

Also, has anyone changed their Savage barrel back and forth like this, and if so, did it adversely affect the accuracy? One individual indicated it was a quick and easy job to change between the different caliber barrels. I've tried to find a Savage in .223, and have had no luck. Not sure switching barrels is the way to go on a frequent basis. What do the Savage experts have to say? I'm all ears. Thanks for your advice.

"To anger a Conservative, lie to him. To anger a Liberal, tell him the truth". Theodore Roosevelt

[gregintenn]

I'd just buy two rifles. The 110 Savage isn't exactly designed to be an interchangeable setup. It would equate to having two engines and transmissions for your car.

[I_Like_Pie]

Actually - The 110 is one of the easiest guns to do this on. It is one of the great things about these guns. People have been doing it for over half a century in on their own with no problem. There a couple of forums devoted simply to these converstions. You can do it if you have the tools and patience....no harder than a valve adjustment on a car with respect to complexity.

It isn't designed to be swapped like you would a T/C, but the only thing involved is ensuring you have the same action size, take the barrel off with a nut wrench, putting the new barrel on and checking headspace, possibly changing the bold head to fit the new cartridge.

It is a little more involved than that, but 15 minutes if you know what you are doing and the barrel nut cooperates.

A smith should do it cheaply and quickly...they will have the headspace guages. If you want to try it yourself then you will have to buy them for $50 or so....Add $20 for a new bolt head. $50-100 on a barrel.

Edited February 17, 2010 by I_Like_Pie

[gregintenn]

I can be done by most anyone. It isn't very practical to expect to swap barrels back and forth. You'd need to rezero your scope each time. Other than that, it would be a complete pain in the can. By the time you buy two sets of go-nogo guages, a barrel, a barrel nut wrench, a vice or action wrench, and another bolt head, you could have almost bought a second rifle. If you decided later, this outfit wasn't what you really wanted, which do you think would sell better; a rifle someone has jacked around and a bunch of parts and tools, or two complete, unmolested rifles?

[I_Like_Pie]

True...not very practical, but very doable!

I guess it boils down to...What do ya have more of? Time or money?

[Guest GunTroll]

I can be done by most anyone. It isn't very practical to expect to swap barrels back and forth. You'd need to rezero your scope each time. Other than that, it would be a complete pain in the can. By the time you buy two sets of go-nogo guages, a barrel, a barrel nut wrench, a vice or action wrench, and another bolt head, you could have almost bought a second rifle. If you decided later, this outfit wasn't what you really wanted, which do you think would sell better; a rifle someone has jacked around and a bunch of parts and tools, or two complete, unmolested rifles?

Words of wisdom there.

[xd shooter]

I can be done by most anyone. It isn't very practical to expect to swap barrels back and forth. You'd need to rezero your scope each time. Other than that, it would be a complete pain in the can. By the time you buy two sets of go-nogo guages, a barrel, a barrel nut wrench, a vice or action wrench, and another bolt head, you could have almost bought a second rifle. If you decided later, this outfit wasn't what you really wanted, which do you think would sell better; a rifle someone has jacked around and a bunch of parts and tools, or two complete, unmolested rifles?

I beleive these are his words

"I've tried to find a Savage in .223, and have had no luck"

Looks like he is trying to go plan B.

[Westwindmike]

The easiest plan B would be to shoot coyotes with his .243.

[xd shooter]

No dout.

[WME]

"I've tried to find a Savage in .223, and have had no luck."

I bought a model 14 American Classic in .223 at the end of November, had to order it but it came in three days later. Nice walnut stock and a great shooter, one inch groups at 100 yds first time out.

Savage Arms Firearms > 14 American Classic

[Sidewinder]

Thanks to all who have offered advice. Sometimes it's hard to convey what you're actually trying to accomplish in a short thread. I guess a barrel and bolt head change would be in order if I had a "shot out" barrel, but I don't.

I want a .223 in the Savage bolt for the same reason many of you have multiple calibers in the same make, or different makes of the same caliber... in short, just cause we want them!

I can order some coyote loads for my .243s, and I'm sure they'll do just fine.

In the meantime, I'll keep looking for that Savage chambered in .223, with accutrigger and synthetic stock, at a price that fits my budget. Dick's is running some Savage 11/111s right now for $399. But there's no .223s and they're not accutrigger models.

So, thanks to everyone for your input. I'm going to leave my sweet little .243s unmolested, and look for a .223.

"To anger a Conservative, lie to him. To anger a Liberal, tell him the truth." Theodore Roosevelt