Savage gunsmithing, anybody have any experience with them?

[frankidaho]

I had a custom Savage rifle (7mm wsm) built by Kevin Rayhill c/o Stockade Guns. He guaranteed me 1/2 moa accuracy and delivered! Kevin specializes in Savages. His customer service is great and he usually answers the phone. If you have to leave a message he always calls you back even on the weekend. Good Luckgun)

 

[frankidaho]

WOW that was stupid. Didn't realize that I was responding to a post that was 5 years old. Sorry.

 

[DaveSmith]

I placed an order with Savage GunSmithing out of ID for a rifle and their accurizing package over 2 months ago. After my first contact with them via phone call and email I have not been able to get in touch with them. My credit card was billed promptly but after that they went dark.
I have emailed them three times with no response and have called three times with no response. I'm starting to wonder if there was a family emergency or catastrophe.
I have heard nothing but great things about the company from other blogs but this is my first time doing business with them myself. I will call them again next week and follow it up with yet another email.
If anyone has any information (past or present) on Savage GunSmithing please post.

 

[Ktomlins]

As I mentioned in a previous post, communication and customer service are a real problem at SavageGunsmithing. The smith's wife apparently handles the business-end of things and quite frankly (as nicely as I can put this) isn't terribly effective. I'm not entirely sure she is very computer literate and seems to read their company email only occasionally (weeks seemed to pass between email checks). And even then, you may get a response, OR you may not...

I finally received my post-work rifle (almost three months and a new emergency backup rifle later </ouch> ) and I have to say that the smith's work appears to be good so far. The "accurized" rifle shoots well now. The labor costs were pretty high, and I wouldn't really recommend buying a scope or other accessories from them due to the relatively high prices.

If you have ABSOLUTELY NO DEADLINE and are willing to pay for the somewhat costly services, they appear to do good work. SavageGunsmithing MAY be worth the frustration if you don't require any communication from them while they perform their services on you gun.

I'm happy with the rifle, but dealing with this communication blackhole located in Driggs, ID was VERY irritating. I will not be sending any more business their way.

P.S. I asked a post-sale question a couple of weeks ago by email. Of course, I've gotten no reply yet and I doubt I'll even get one at this point...

 

[Shooter4Fun]

I only WISH i read this 21 weeks ago. That was when I hired savage gunsmiting to do a .22lr build for me, accurize, scope mount, bipod....
I was told 7 - 9 weeks.
Like everybody else here, I did the emailing wondering where the build is at. I did get responses from sandra with no real excuses just that it's being worked on. Then finally an email saying it just needs to be shot and shipped....then weeks go by and nothing.

I finally got a call from scott at week 19 or 20.
He claimed that savage has sent him 2 rifles with bad barrels and that was the reason for the hold up. gave me a some options
1. wait for savage to send a third rifle
2. use a match grade barrel insert would be done & shipped in a week
3. use a match grade barrel...would have to get one
(I can not confirm any of this was true or if this is his goto excuse for people)

I went with option number 2 and was charged extra....and waited.

finally the day came when I could go to my FFL and pick up my rifle. While the guy is making the phone call, I open up the box.
Looks ok, everything is on it...what the heck!
a small ding on the scope ring! crap....
oh well.
I flip up the scope cover and take a look through the glass of the Pride Fowler Rapid Reticle....
.
nice clear glass....
.
what the heck!
.

Now why in the hell is there a 5.56 reticle on my 22lr scope!?
son of a .....@#!@@#.
*
I get home and make an immediate phone call to sandra who initially tries to blame ME for not checking the product numbers she sent me. I tell her, I'm looking at her email of the itemized parts and there IS NO product numbers and told her "don't you dare try to make this MY fault"
she apologized, but still tried to stick that excuse in there a couple more times. I asked how anyone shot this and did not notice there is a BDC reticle that goes to 900 yards on a 22lr?
she didn't know what I was talking about...she just orders the products.
I asked who proof shot this gun?
she said her son.
I asked why He didn't notice?
she didn't know.
*
NOW, supposedly this 22 with do .18 moa at 50 yards.
IF IF IF
that is the case I can forgive them for taking 22 weeks on a 7 week project.
Sandra says that they will send me out the correct scope (when it's not on backorder)
and I will have to switch them out and re-zero and pack and ship back.....
So, the saga continues. It is alot to ask from a man when it's only a 22lr.
if only I checked this forum...if only.

 

[TheDerkster]

I don't believe you really need a gunsmith unless you just aren't into doing your own rifles. I don't have a lathe or mill, but I took a donor short action from a new 308 model 11 I bought, built a gun around it and it will shoot a hole...again a hole. Not a group. It's not a perfect hole, but sometimes it's pretty close to looking like only one bullet went through. This is at 100. At 200, it's still easily under .5 inches CTC. These are my best groups, mind you, so take it for what it's worth. IE my "best" groups at 900 yards was 3" and 4". I guess the stars aligned that day because the next few were 6-7" if not greater.

At the same time, the only stock component was the action group. The most I could see doing to improve factory accuracy is disassembly down to the barrel, headspace it with a thicker precision recoil lug and retorque. Bed the action if possible and with pillars if not installed already. Torque tune your action screws, stone your trigger, and make sure the rest of the gun is right like scope mounts. You might lap the lugs, but returns are very marginal since savage uses a floating bolt head.

This probably isn't what your looking for, but it gives you an idea. Go to over to savage shooters if you want more info if you don't find what you need here. Those guys really know their savages