This is an awesome site with alot of knowledgeable people willing to help each other. Thanks to everyone.
Shortening the offending (too long) screw is a simple matter as my post #41 explains.....
Dan...Mr. Green..
That appears to be an ongoing issue with the EGW base/rail and an issue I had and corrected prior to ever firing the rifle because I pulled the base beforehand and checked not only the base to receiver relationship, but the
torque of the mounting screws in relationship to the receiver itself. Installing the base to the receiver and torquing the base screws down to 40 inch pounds, I found the base screws were slightly proud to the chamber area.
I used a plug gage - 0.005 to the inside chamber bore diameter and it hung on the first screw BTW. You could do it handily with the bolt pulled and a good flashlight as well. I can't fault Savage for this because the rail as well as the muzzle brake are outsourced to EGW and I'm presuming that the screws are supplied by EGW with the bases as well.
It's an easy fix and it precludes the need to check the torque value of the base mounting screws and insure they are all evenly torqued (as a note, my front screw was loose at the outset).
A little filing of the screw shank (or careful use of the bench grinder wheel and your fingers....) removes enough metal so the screw(s) aren't proud in the receiver chamber. Of course I retoequed the screws and applied a dab of threadlocker to the threads.
There has been some talk on here and other forums about the base relationship to the receiver top. I took a steel round, the same diameter as the receiver od and referenced the underside of the rail to it and found no high spots on the inderside (of the rail) so when I remounted the rail to the receiver, no bedding was necessary, just rail to receiver and threadlocker. That may or may not be the case with all rails and receivers but mine was fine....
At this point remove the mount rai entirely from the receiver and then shorten the offending screw. Keep in mind that any of the screws only has
to make one full turn of thread to thread contact in the receiver. That's it.
Removing the rail will allow you to ascertain if the rail needs bedded in relationship to the receiver, mine didn't, yours may. Don't forget the blue threadlocker on each screw thread and you'll have to resight your optic. May be a good time to lap the rings as well.
On lapping, you can buy a Wheeler lapping kit for 90 bucks or order a stick of drill rod in 30 mm od and have enough forever, for half the price of the wheeler kit but you'll have cut the drill rod and obtain lapping compound from a supplier or the auto parts store, aka: valve grinding compound. permatex makes it in a squeeze tube (valve grinding compound) or in a can (Clover lapping compound).
Always keep in mind that Savage, just like every other manufacturer (me included) contracts intrinsic parts and assemblies out. In this case Evoloution Gun Works.