Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 99 takedown vs. solid frame

I've wondered about that Savage protocol of mixing-and-matching bolts at final assembly in an effort to circumvent the need for working to tighter tolerances at all building stages. On the one hand it was an innovative approach (if a bit sloppy) and an effective means to increase production and reduce scrap. On the other hand it was certainly within the means of industry methods at the time to work to tight tolerances and achieve true precision which has the same end effect at the assembly points. Case in point: Springfield Armory. You can pick a M1903 bolt at random and stand a pretty good chance of it dropping it in a gun and having acceptable headspace. Don't try that with a Savage.