"A Custom Rifle For Hard Times"

[Altjaeger]

That was David Petzels title for his August column in Field and Stream.

E.R Shaw, the well known barrel maker, is now offering semi-custom rifles for $650-$1,200 or in the range of many standard production rifles today.

Based on on your choice of 4 different trued Savage actions (including left hand) and minus the barrel locking collar they offer three stocks ( laminate, synthetic and walnut) and four different finishes. There are five barrel contours of which you can haggle lengths. Choosing from 80 odd different chamberings from .17 Remington to 458 Lott you select the barrel twist and trigger weight. Then you can have a plain barrel, straight fluted or helical fluted.

Thats lot of choices for the price range. I doubt I will buy anything but maybe someone finally is offering a new rifle I might find interesting. I will have to find their website and have a look see. :)

[dave-t.]

I thought it was an amazing deal, and one that more gun makers should offer at a reaonable price. Savage has really stepped it up again with this concept.

I don't own a Savage, and am one of those guys that just doesn't like the way that they look, but darn if this option didn't make me consider them in a new light.

[GF.]

Seems like a not-too-bad idea in some respects, but with all of our bills related to the little one's hearing aids, I'm a lot closer to selling than buying these days.... and I'd bet there are quite a few folks in the same boat. :(

On the other hand, a real tack-driver for about the same cost as a lot of off-the-shelf rigs....:confused: I wonder if they'd build one up in a K-Hornet. I dunno, though....

For how I hunt, a rifle that will 'only' print into an inch and a half is plenty accurate, so I'm just dopey enough to want something that looks as good as its groups... not that you'd necessarily have to settle for 1.5 MOA in most good factory rifles. There's probably a rule of thumb about rifles doubling in price for every half-inch reduction in group size....:rolleyes:

[Smokey]

For anything that is partially custom, that price and idea is good.

[LampLighter]

Hard times finds most regular guns in the pawn shop. That's a good time to go looking for that Savage 99 if you have money. I think he seriously mis-titled that article.