Well...I gave them a chance...
As you can probably guess based on the timing (150 days since my OP), things haven't been good.
To summarize the following lengthy update,
The rifle was a Savage 110 High Country, $1129 MSRP flagship model. Savage screwed me over good. If you wanna help me get at least some satisfaction, don't purchase any Savage products, or at the least, tell anyone who might be considering purchasing Savage products about my astonishing experience.
So what happened?
12/4/19 - Rifle received by Savage on ~12/4/19. I had to demand it, but they did send me a prepaid RMA label. I also requested a caliber change to 300WM, as that's what I'd really wanted in the first place, and figured they would be sending me a new rifle anyway.
1/9/20 - First response/update. "Your firearm is no able to be repaired and will be replaced with a new 110 High Country..." They agreed to do the caliber change, though it required an FFL transfer. Took a little long, but I thought, "Good on you".
1/25/20 (52 days since they'd received the defective rifle) - I'd not received tracking info or updates, but shockingly, when I went to my FFL to pick up a used rifle purchased from a member here, I noticed a 110 High Country box sitting in his pile of stuff waiting to be checked in. I jokingly said, "Hey that's my rifle!". He said he had no clue who it was for, as I was the only person who'd told him one was coming, so he double checked. SURE ENOUGH, it actually was my replacement rifle.
I was of course stoked, though a little peeved they'd sent it without any warning or tracking, but hey, 2 new rifles in one day! Wooohooooo! I immediately went to the range. 1st round out of the rifle was sticky...Hmmm, I thought...Looked at the brass...No f-ing way!
That's right...They sent me a new rifle, in a different caliber, with the SAME PROBLEM!!!! Well, this one didn't have the burrs in the chamber, but as you can see, it was still horrifically machined, enough to cause sticky extraction.
Talk about going from a great day to a terrible day in a matter of moments...
2/5/20 - Savage receives the 2nd rifle back (prepaid label at least). I requested a refund, but was told they'd hand select a new rifle, thoroughly test it, and send it ASAP. I was more than hesitant, but felt a bit helpless, and accepted the offer.
2/15/20 - Get the 3rd rifle, so they were at least fairly quick about it. Unfortunately, life was a bit chaotic, and I barely even took a look at it, and didn't get out to shoot it for a month. They sent a baggie full of brass with it, some nickel plated Winchester and some Hornady. Stupidly, I only glanced at it through the sealed bag, and didn't look close enough to see...
3/15/20 - Finally went out to shoot it. Noticed a couple out 20 were a tiny bit sticky. Inspected brass...
That's right! They sent me a 3rd rifle with a scruffy chamber! The middle brass are the ones they sent with the rifle!!!!!! So they test fired it, saw those marks (or didn't which might be worse), and decided to ship it to me anyway! To be fair, this one wasn't near as bad as the first two...but good lord!
I decided I must be insane, and this couldn't be real. Also, as luck would have it, my buddy visited with his 300WM Savage 111 LRH, so we decided to do a side by side by side comparison using the exact same loads. 3 rifles.
Left - Savage 111 LRH Shilen bbl, middle - 3rd Savage 110 HC, right - Savage 111 LRH bone stock...The ring about 1/3 up on all cases is from rubbing in the divided ammo box, not from chamber.
So I wasn't insane. It's only happening in the High Country. I looked at brass from 10 other rifles from a Yugo SKS to a 70 year old Win M70, to a Marlin X7. None had any issues.
3/25/20 - Demanded a full refund. Got prepaid label. Sent back
THE THIRD RIFLE.
4/17/20 - Due to CoViD, I'm not gonna complain about them having it for 2 weeks. BUT. I get a call...
Savage -
"Sorry, the rifle isn't defective enough to warrant a refund. We're going to polish the chamber and send it back" The guy then tried to explain to me "reamer chatter" "dull button" "shoots fine".
Me -
"Are you serious? You just admitted that it has a scruffy chamber. I have documented via pictures and bore scope video that it's got a scruffy chamber. This is the 3rd rifle with the problem..."
Savage -
"You used over pressure reloads. Reloads void warranty." (Irrelevant, but he was lying.
See here. No mention.
Owner's Manual mentions only "commercial/non-commercial not manufactured to SAAMI...")
Me -
"You are wrong on both counts." (For folks that understand...75 gr H1000, 208 ELDM, 2860 fps, 24" barrel. 6 reloads on brass, 2 other rifles with no problems).
Savage -
"Suck it."
So...That's the story. I spent $900 on a new rifle in mid-November. I still don't have a rifle 5 months later...
I have not received the 3rd rifle back with its "polished chamber". Maybe by some miracle, it will shoot lights out when I get it back. It wasn't as good as either 111 LRH when we did the side by side, so I don't have high hopes.
I can not sell the rifle in good conscience either, so I'm stuck with it regardless.