My Savage 223

The Dream

A light weight, light recoiling rifle, with varmint accuracy but enough thump to take a deer at limited range. I choose the Savage Storm, reasons I liked the Savages engineering of the bolt system and inherent accuracy, the barrel twist rate of 1/10 and 20 inch barrel facilitated the possibility of a 65g Game King Projectile at a possible 3000 fps. The all weather stainless and plastic, is a major light weight, easy to carry as this rifle is going to do more walking than talking.

So purchased this rifle off a website I’m heading for shoulder surgery so decide to break in the barrel, threw together some cheap rounds for the job Shot 20 cold rounds breaking in the barrel, fire clean and on and on, single feeding as only fired a round every quarter hr. Very happy as these rounds shot about 1 moa, which was impressive considering.

Sent rifle away to be threaded for a light weight DPT suppressor, ordered a timney trigger, bought a set of talley mounts, bought a light weight quality scope. Stiffed the stock with Terminal Ballistics stock compound. All this while recovering from surgery. This is where I discovered to my horror this rifle wouldn’t feed from the magazine, I now had the most expensive single shot rifle in the land. I played around with the magazine but to no avail, still problems. By now I had made a mess of the magazine, and was about to give up and set up as a single feed, but obviously vented my dissatisfaction with the company I bought it off. No reply, how strange.

On further inspection I discovered the action was riding high, because of untrimmed plastic over the top of the pillar bedding set up. Trimmed this away, action sat where it should have been and we began to chamber.

Flicked a email to Savage USA explained the problem, they came back with no worries we will send you another mag. Thank God.
Carried on with load development, buy in different reloading ingredients, got this baby shooting half inch and better.
Savage USA get back to me, sorry you are not in the USA, you will have go thought the NZ agent, Sportways Distributors.

This where it all broke down, the biggest monopoly in sports goods Nz

Thanks for the email.

If you wanted to purchase a replacement magazine for this model, please visit your local dealer to enquire about availability and price for part no. 55230.
Buy the way we do a quality control test.
Which was provided in an attach but only checks if the magazine fits, it ability to chamber a round is not confirmed, in fact has a line threw, as not applicable.

So just saying, the next time I buy a rifle I will pay that bit more and buy locally, may even demand to put a round in the magazine and see if it chambers.

Year right

Phoned this person from Sportsways, whom informed me, I had not returned the faulty firearm and had modified it, the firearm was now working, can’t replace parts for a working firearm, so tough that’s the end of it and he hung up on me. Now that’s customer Serve.



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well that sucks....now me being a hornary old fart..would get back in touch with savage in states and let them know how you have been dicked around by local guys.....and then just sit back and enjoy your new rifle and forget all about it...you never know what may turn up in post...
I had something similar with small motor stuff and got $250 voucher from head office which went along way towards continued loyalty to brand.

Have Done. Also shown quite a collection of bods from the NZHA have pulled it all apart for their opinions.

120 reads and only one comment, this surely this is the age of paranoia.

Not paranoia mate. Not good, not bad (mostly, I've had pretty good results with Sportways) and often determined by who you strike and what sort of relationship is initiated . . .

Let us know what the response is from Savage USA when you get one.

Guess it's the individual on the day, I certainly don't rock his boat to begin with. Have the documentation to prove as such. (Tentman)you are probably a customer, sports shop or similar, so you have to watch what you say, fair enough. Point is as an individual you have no weight.

Glad to see it's not just me, I have tried to like the Savage rifles I have owned over the years but I was never happy with them for various reasons.
I don't and won't own them anymore, to much frustration and disappointment in the brand.

my rule #1
shoot if before you modify it

Agree, I got caught, never had a rifle, than had magazine problems to this extent. I did shoot it but single feed not that uncommon when breaking in a barrel at the range.

Agree load development finished, clover leafs, it shoots. Point being lots of Guys including myself have had rifles modified from the shop, barrels cut back, triggers adjusted. This could be a mistake, just saying.

I've bought a couple of Savage rifles direct from Sportways over the years (ex-display ones they had on trademe at sharp prices), no complaints at all about the service or the rifles.

I can understand their reluctance to give free replacement parts for things you had modified to be honest. They don't know if there was a problem before the rifle was modified, it doesn't seem like you checked it yourself before modifying, you admit that you made a mess of the magazine yourself rather than returning it or getting a gunsmith to look at it, and then it sounds like you went to the distributor rather than the retailer you bought it from (unless you bought direct from them) once you found the problem.

Every manufacturer has the odd lemon get through QA, unfortunately you put yourself into a bit of an awkward corner with the way you went about things. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take it as a lesson learnt the hard way.

No I went back to Guns NZ,, multiple times their website completely disappeared at times. I thought they had gone bust. no reply 3 or 4 weeks.
Then onto the USA where they said they would send a out a new one, no problem. Once they discovered I was in NZ they put me on to Sportsways. I made the magazine work, which was faulty stock work from Savage. The parting comment was we willn't replace a part if the rifle is for a working rifle. Cut me Off.

Attachment 153105Rifle
Attachment 153106pride bead that had to be removed so as magazine functioned
Attachment 153107see where projectile have been hitting the barrel, not chambering.

Goes back to make sure everything is as it should be before you thread, flute or what ever. They will decline warranty claims if any excuse can be found. As stated on here, Sportsways Distributors are ok to deal with IF your lucky to strike the right guy.

Their is fault both ways I agree, offered to meet him more than half way, I'll pay for it at it at wholesale rate, not paying x10 for the thing at retail, prices. A Flat No. Obviously the Savage guy in the states, had some honour.
I'll wear it on the chin, but others be warned.
Thinking about taking up knitting, and joining the Philp Alfers fan club.

PS a BIG THANK YOU to the SERVICE of Sarvo, for the boots they are awesome and Rivers to Ranges, for the Scope.

Hi Flock.
Are you still chasing a magazine ?
Can't make any promises but I can ask a contact.
Pennyless

Yes, still chasing, part no. 55230. has the new and improved front clip set up. Thanks

I'll get back to you. I know it can take a few days.

No worries thanks

What did your retailer say about it. They are your point of contact not the importer.

The company I purchased from, off the internet, mentioned above didn't reply. That was direct Email. As mentioned above even the internet sight disappeared.

When I purchased this rifle I had it in my head it had V block bedding system, and adjustable stock length system, previously had shown interest in a cheaper local rifle 223 Savage light Model 10 but was too slow, missed out.
Realising that this cheap rifle but still considerably more expense than the Axis Model, would need some fiddling to get it to shoot, so asked how did the new owner like it, response, he hated it, obviously the wrong person had bought it, not into hand loading, glass bedding etc. So I was advised that the Storm model was way better, decent stock mostly.
Spotted this Storm on the internet, watched for months, so put in a proposal, which wasn’t silly and was accepted.
So anyway, first thing I did was remove the stock, disappointed no V block, no pillar bedding, Bit my lip and carried on, broken in the barrel, showed promise, single loaded, which is at the range what I always do, don’t like overheating barrels, cold shot accuracy from a hunting rifle is all I’m worried about.
So the story goes the rest is as above, a conundrum of events.

Read and learn, I’m happy with the rifle just didn’t expect the journey and people interaction to get there. Old school but still learning.

Just saying, this is a very good forum, love bouncing stuff off like minded people. We need to respect the fact that if, us hunters and shooters don’t get behind and support each other, we can kiss our sport goodbye.

i must have missed the ignored emails part. Did you try to call them?

Reluctant to go by word of mouth these days, been caught that way too many times, I like paper back up so all correspondence is via Email. If I do a deal by handshake still
I still want verification on paper.

The company you purchased off, what does their name rhyme with please

Buns NZ