Savage`s Model 110 Trophy

John Rutkay
Savage’s Model 110 Trophy
Hunter Package in .270 Win
ABOVE: The Trophy Hunter has clean
lines and basic functions only, a pure
hunting rifle. The 3-9x40mm Weaver
Kaspa series scope and mounts are
included in the pachage.
This well balanced package may be designed for a first gun buyer, but its robust build,
effectiveness and accuracy should please the most experienced hunter.
S
avage Arms is a major US firearms
manufacturer. Throughout its history, this company has shown the entrepreneurial courage to deviate
from the relative safety of mainstream design, and in the process, it made some important and interesting contributions to cartridge and firearm development. Some
well-known examples are the Model 99 lever
action rifle, the Savage High Power cartridge
and the gas sealing safety feature of the Model 110 bolt action -the subject of this review.
The Model 110 Trophy Hunter is a traditional hunting rifle in the Savage range,
with blued steel and classic timber stock. Serious hunters generally look for simplicity in
a rifle because it is usually associated with
The Model 99 was
Savage’s hunting
rifle when the
Model 10/110 was
introduced in the
late 1950’s. They
were in direct
competition in the
mid length calibres
for about forty
years until the ’99
was discontinued.
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effectiveness. The package, made available
for the GUNS Australia review by Nioa
Trading, consisted of the rifle in .270 Win
calibre and a 3-9x40mm Weaver Axis scope,
mounted and bore-sighted.
As a major manufacturer, Savage Arms offers a wide model range and the full spectrum
of calibres. A brief background to Savage’s
model numbering system of the Model 110
and its derivatives may avoid some confusion.
Savage introduced The Model 110 in 1958, in
30-06 and 270 calibres. The action of the
original Model 110 (with various upgrades)
has been the basis of Savage’s front locking
centrefire bolt action rifles to date. In 1959, a
short action version of the Model 110 was introduced in . 308 Win. and . 243 Win. cali-
bres. The Model 110 Short Action was upgraded in 1998 and re-named the Model 10.
Most manufacturers refer to the action only
in their model number designation, but it
seems that Savage saw the entire rifle (which
at that time was made of blued steel and timber) as the Model 10 or 110. With the introduction of synthetic stocks and stainless steel,
Savage chose to change the last digit of the
model number to indicate the new materials,
but the mechanical design of the action remains the same regardless of last digit value.
Thus, the Model 110 has a long action, blued
steel metalwork and timber stock, whereas
the Model 111, for example, has identical
metal components but a synthetic stock.
Throughout the Twentieth Century, the
front locking design was the guide and benchmark for most commercial centrefire bolt actions and not surprisingly, the action of the
Savage 110, also followed the trend. Savage
wanted its new action to at least, match the
existing crop of US made front lockers and to
have the lowest manufacturing cost to undercut its established competitors. Designer, Nicholas Brewer probably exceeded Savage’s expectations by producing an action easily
matching the opposition in everything but
looks and adding a number of commercially
advantageous features. Barrel fitting and head
spacing is relatively simple, making the action
attractive to gunsmiths, amateur rifle builders
and accuracy seekers in the US.
The 110 action is also economical to make
and easily produced for left or right hand operation. Interestingly, Savage already had a legion of left handed followers thanks to their
very successful ambidextrous Model 99, which
at the time of the Model 110 introduction, was
already into the second half of its almost 100
year production run. The unconventional
Savage 99 with its hammerless enclosed action, rotary magazine and high pressure calibres was technically head and shoulders above
its lever action contemporaries.
The Trophy Hunter’s cylindrical receiver
is machined from forged bar stock, drilled
and tapped for scope mounts. A separate recoil lug is sandwiched between the receiver
and barrel lock nut. Savage proudly claims
that, like the receivers, their barrels are also
APRIL/JUNE 2013
LEFT: Disassembly is necessary for trigger
adjustment. Disassemble slowly and note
position and facing of small sleeved washers,
they are not shown in manual.
ABOVE: The Savage AccuTrigger - detailed
instructions for adjustment are in the manual.
made from forged bar stock and are individually checked and hand straightened if necessary after machining. The barrel is 22”
(56cm) long, has a 1 in 10” twist and tapers
gradually to a lightweight, 0.586” (14.9mm)
at the traditional, convex crowned muzzle.
The Trophy Hunter’s bolt uses two front locking lugs but the rest differs substantially from the
norm. The bolt head and locking lugs unit is
pinned to the bolt body and is removable. This
allows the installation of a baffle (gas seal) behind the locking lugs, the baffle looks like a second set of locking lugs but it is free to rotate on
the bolt head and it remains in the horizontal
position as the bolt is rotated to lock the action.
This front baffle effectively blocks the bolt
raceways to prevent gas blow back in case of
rupture and it also keeps dust etc. out of the
breech face/bolt locking area. A plunger ejector is located in the recessed bolt face and the
bottom lug houses the sliding extractor. There
are emergency gas vent holes on both sides of
the receiver but the single vent hole in the bolt
head aligns with the right side vent only, directing gas away from the right handed shooter’s face. (Presumably, a left handed bolt will
vent to the left receiver port.)
The bolt body contains the cocking and firing pin mechanism, leaving the rear of the bolt
with only a gas seal or rear baffle. The baffle
doubles as the extractor cam, and the screw attached bolt handle seals the bolt body. This
bolt shroud/handle combination makes the
bolt handle appear too far back and gives the
110 action that unusual, truncated look. The
APRIL/JUNE 2013
unpolished barrel and receiver are blued to
give a dull, textured finish, well suited to hunting. The jewelled bolt body has a subtle Savage
logo and emblem, this and the logo on the pistol grip cap are the only concessions to decoration on the rifle.
The cocking indicator on this rifle failed to
protrude from the socket of the bolt handle nut
when cocked and while it can be felt with a fingernail or by pressing a finger over the socket, a
few mm of protrusion (as shown in the manual)
would give a far more positive indication.
The three position sliding tang safety locks
the bolt and trigger in the rear position, locks
the trigger only in the mid position and the
rifle is ready to fire when fully forward with
red dot showing. Bolt release is Savage’s “bottom” type, a plunger located just in front of
the trigger guard is held fully back, the bolt is
then cocked and removed. The 110 action is a
strong, accurate and very safe action, the ease
of precise head-spacing, a light firing pin and
a rigid receiver are generally considered to be
the major contributors to its accuracy.
Savage fitted the Trophy Hunter with their
highly successful AccuTrigger, a very practical
trigger, fool-proof and easily adjustable between 2.7kg and 0.7kg - easy to get used to, it is
similar to shooting a single blade two-stage
trigger, because essentially, the AccuTrigger is
a two stage trigger. The unaltered factory setting released at a consistent 1.3kg, which is
fine for a general purpose hunting rifle.
The detachable box magazine holds four
rounds - plenty for the trophy hunter, sufficient
for the typical hunter and never enough for pig
shooters. It has a pressed steel body, plastic bottom and a low friction plastic follower. There
are hunters who deride plastic components on
a rifle, but the truth is that the noisy operation
of an all steel box magazine is more likely to
cost a trophy opportunity than the unlikely
failure of the significantly quieter plastic component. Safe and positive one handed removal
and replacement is easily achieved because the
release catch is part of the magazine, allowing
an uncompromised and secure grip throughout the operation.
Stock wood appears to be walnut stained
beech with two crossbolts for insurance
against the hard kicking calibres. Stock shape
is classic American, straight comb and gently
tapering fore end. The floorplate, which also
forms the magazine housing, is a separate unit
from the trigger guard. Both parts are plastic
mouldings linked by the rear action screw.
The magazine and floorplate are flush
with the fore end resulting in comfortable
and balanced one handed carrying when required. Impressed checkering panels on the
fore end and pistol grip will give some assistance when handling with wet hands.
A solid rubber recoil pad, QD sling swivels
and a pistol grip cap complete the stock fittings. Appearance is relatively plain, as most
hunters would prefer and the matt finish appears durable. Trigger pull distance of 348mm
is in the middle of the typical range, this conventional stock will fit most shooters well.
The action is pillar bedded and designed to
guns australia 13
Right: The Model 110
Trophy Hunter .270
– economy, reliability and
accuracy in a ready-to-go
package.
SPecs
Savage Model 110
below: T bolt lugs and
front baffle stay aligned
until the bolt is turned to
lock the action. The
unusual and unique firing
pin system cocks on the
cam in front of the bolt
handle.
right BELOW: The
compact steel box
magazine holds
4 rounds
BELOW: The
breech face view of
the bolt, lugs in
closed (vertical)
position and front
baffle is horizontal
to seal the raceways.
BELOW: The
Federal Premium
130gr Trophy Bond
combined high
velocity (3187fps) with
accuracy under ¾”, it
would be the pick for
general hunting.
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free float the barrel. The steel pillars do two
important jobs, they prevent crushing of the
timber should the action screws be over tightened, and allow the rifle to shoot accurately
with a greater variation of tightening torques.
Preferred torque range is 30-35 inch pounds.
The Model 110 Trophy Hunter is offered
for sale in Australia as a Package Deal with
a 3-9x40mm Weaver Kaspa series scope,
mounted and bore sighted. For the full range
of calibres and models in this Package series, check the distributor’s website at
www.nioa.net.au/products/view/219/44/
featured-products/firearms/savage-trophy-hunter-packages
The scope may need to be adjusted
to the owner’s eye relief but it should be
on the target at 50m, the review rifle certainly was. The scope is a relatively plain
but effective hunting tool. It adjusted reliably and held its zero faultlessly judging
by the quality of the groups produced. The
image was clear and the marks below the
centre are very useful for distance holdover
once the trajectory is established. This
package is good enough to simply sight in
with the chosen ammunition, and take
hunting with full confidence as it has not
shown any fault or weakness.
Savage advertising stresses their commitment to produce accurate rifles, regardless of the
cost of the rifle. The accuracy benchmark for a
light barrelled hunting rifle these days appears
to be three shots into a one inch group at 100
yards. In addition to the Hunting package, Nioa
provided Federal factory ammunition, which
they also distribute, to try in the rifle. The day
was breezy enough to avoid the preferred 190m
distance, so all groups were shot at 97m. The
basic Federal Power Shok 130gr soft point produced a 1.413” three shot group. The Federal
Premium 130gr Trophy Bonded Tip did much
better at 0.732”, and the 140 gr Federal Premium
Model:
Savage Trophy Hunter Package Rifle
Model 110 (Blued Timber)
Scope:
Weaver Kaspa 3-9x40
Calibre:
.270 Winchester
Length:
110cm (43”)
Weight:
3.65kg (scoped)
Action:
Bolt repeater
Magazine:
Four round detachable
Barrel:
56cm (22”), 1 in 10 twist
Trigger:
AccuTrigger, adjustable
Stock:
Timber, matte finish
Price:
Around $1000
with the Nosler Accubond projectiles shot a
0.588” group. The respective velocities were;
Power Shok 130gr at 2964fps, 130gr Trophy
Bonded tip at 3154fps and the 140 gr Accubond
at 2877fps. Most significantly, these results show
the Savage Trophy Hunter to be wonderfully
accurate for a lightweight hunting rifle. The
Federal ammunition must also get the credit, as
accuracy is an interdependent combination.
The Federal brand alone gives a prospective
Trophy Hunter buyer, ammunition choices between good and excellent accuracy, velocities
and bullet performance.
This unusual and effective action has stood
the test of time over the past 55 years and is
utilised in a greater variety of Savage rifles
than ever. The Savage Trophy Hunter’s important features of reliability and handling proved
faultless, and the accuracy is outstanding. The
scope is effective, its power and size is well
suited for general hunting and thus makes the
package a very useful hunting unit. While the
package system is ideal for beginners, individual recoil tolerance should be established before choosing the calibre. The .270 Win. is on
the borderline of significant recoil and prudence dictates a ‘try before you buy’ approach.
The quality and performance of Savage Model
10/110 based rifles are clearly above their
“budget grade” counterparts, so value for money appears very good for this competent and
durable hunting package, that only requires
sighting in and a sling.
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