I think I might have stumbled on the ultimate gun guy thing. It’s simple really.
- Find a friend who is willing to bankroll gun builds but doesn’t have the time to deal with it himself.
- Suggest gun builds that might be fun
- Build the guns
- Shoot the guns
- Give them back to the friend
- Move on to the next project . . .
Here are a few snaps from my first build which started life as a Savage 111 chambered in .30-06. This particular rifle was from the package series Savage sells called the 11/111 Hunter XP.
Out of the box, the gun is kind of “meh.” I found the scope mounts to be cheap and the bundled Bushnell scope was so-so. Normally, I’d advise someone to walk away from a “package” rifle but my buddy was able to pick this one up for a song. He actually got two rifles in the deal so the per gun cost was tiny. For the sake of this article, call his cost in the rifle $250.
I had to replace the rings which meant getting a Weaver rail ($19.99) and Weaver Top Mount Rings ($27.49). Next, I threw on a Leupold Rifleman 4-12×40 ($249) that I had banging around the shop.
One of the really nice things about the Savage 11/111 is that the trigger, while not their famed Accu-Trigger, is still adjustable. This one is set at a very crisp 4 lbs. There is no creep, the break is crisp, and over travel is minimal. The barrel is also of typical Savage quality. It seemed to eat super cheap 150 gr. Greek Surplus M2 Ball with reckless abandon. Off sandbags, hot, dirty and shooting the aforementioned M2 Ball, I was able to maintain sub 2 MOA 5-shot groups at 100 yards. This accuracy extended to 250 yards where rifle and shooter were able to ring steel with boring regularity.
I have no doubt that this will be a 1 MOA gun cold, clean, and shooting high quality 150 gr. ammo.
Finally, I got in touch with Boyd’s to get a Nutmeg Featherweight Thumbhole ($99).
Just to recap, here’s the money that’s wrapped up in the gun so far.
- Rifle – $250
- Scope – $250
- Rings – $27.49
- Rail – $19.99
- Stock – $99
Total cost in the rifle…a little under $700.
Once I got the stock and receiver mated together, I took it to the range. As you can see from my idiotic smile in the video, it’s tons o’ fun for not too much money.
Why no one is making new designs (something like that or even handgun) in 7.62x25mm ?
Ahh, another useless Leghorn review. You can save time and just post a picture and the words “Everything I don’t like is useless garbage, and if you disagree you are an idiot.”.
I’d buy/use one once every government agency and PD use them.
I’d consider one after all the police successfully changed to using them 100%.
If the police don’t want them, I don’t want them. For the same reasons.
Nice write up Tyler.
I agree that there are good and bad in everything: physicians, teachers, financial analysts, janitors, mechanics, etc.
In almost every case, people object to law enforcement officers who infringe on our rights — whether the First, Second, Fourth, or Fifth Amendment and so on. And our objections are passionate for two reasons. First, law enforcement officers have some amount of legal training and took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution — they should know better. Second, they are supposed to be working FOR us, not AGAINST us. For those reasons, we rightly should and do hold law enforcement officers to a higher standard.
Speaking firearms with a cop, not the smartest thing to do. They’ll use it against you somehow.
As for the way Tyler speaks to him, its one thing to be polite but generally they seem to take drawn out sentences and constant apologies the wrong way. At least where I live they do.
I read a Sci-Fi short story when I was younger, I think it was Larry Niven, and in it we had teleportation technology that worked like phone booths. You step in, dial a number, poof you are there instead of here. This allowed a lot of things to happen, including a new kind of crime. To combat this new crime, the Police could ‘quarantine’ an area and make all the phone booths send everyone to a central processing facility where the criminals could be separated from the common folk.
That story always comes to mind when I hear about ‘smart guns.’
High-Profile court decision is being heard today and riots are likely to break out? *ZZZZZZttttttt Bing* All the guns are turned off in an area.
President/World Leader/Pope driving their motorcade down Main Street? *ZZZZZZttttttt Bing* All the guns are turned off in that area.
I think the whole idea falls into the unintended consequences category. What seems like a good idea to increase safety takes only a moment of thought to be used against the very people it is supposed to help.
“FACT: There are 59,000 licensed gun dealers in the U.S., almost 5x the number of McDonalds franchises. #votegunsense”
McDonald’s has over 34,000 restaurants worldwide, with over 18,000 in the U.S. as of 2011.
Not that it’s the least bit relevant…
FACT: More people have posted comments to this one post than there are active members in Moms Demand Action. #DontFeedTheTroll
Where did you buy the metal bottom plate on the mag well?
Operating a flat blade screwdriver and an Allen key doesn’t mean anyone is now a gun builder, it means you can bolt on aftetmarket parts to a cheap rifle. Perhaps you can do a truck build later where you change the oil and put on aftermarket wind shield wipers. When you get out the wood and metal working tools and do something that hasn’t been done literally millions of times before, I would like to see it. Off to build some dishes in the dishwasher!
hi tyler just read about your savage 111 with the boyds stock i see a lot people asked same ? about bottom metals and mag i have the same savage and bought the same stock did you just use your old mag and bottom metal and did it fit right in was it easy or did you have to replace the bottom with new.
thank you love the way your savage 111 looks hope mine will look just as good
matt
I need to know how did you fit the magazine. I have that stock but trying to figure out how to fit the magazine.
I too am building a custom rifle from a Savage 111XP in 30-06 that I got for under $300. First thing I did was swap the bushnell scope for a Nikon Buckmaster I had on a 22mag. The Bushnell is holding up just fine on my 22mag, but I didn’t trust it on an ’06. With the factory set-up (with Nikon Scope) I was able to get MOA with Federal Fusion 150.
I’ve since upgraded the trigger to a Rifle Basix, installed a Weaver Rail, and just finished a Richard’s Custom Walnut Stock (finished, glass bedded, and free floated barrel by me). Its a tack driver with my reloads. I’ve got ~$650 in rifle to-date. I’ve been documenting the build (assembly) on my website.
Now I’ve just got to save up for a nice scope. They are great rifles. I’m pretty much a Savage Fanboy at this point.
The bottom metal will fit right into the Boyd’s stock. No need to fabricate anything. All these Internet gun builders try to over complicate things.
The article title also says “Customizing a Savage 111” and is what was done. For those who think more is required for a build, then why not start from scratch and make your own action and barrel? Now that would be a build! It’s fairly easy to replace a trigger or screw in a barrel.
Again for those not in The Know, there are ambidextrous thumbhole stocks available. Many custom and expensive. My favorite by MPI stocks, an ambi hunting rifle thumbhole!
I know this post is old, but the ease of building Savage rifles sure is fun!