Savage Axis II 6mm ARC

[Dino11]

My latest project, I procured an Axis II on sale for $349.00 at a local gun shop and the plastic stock was a piece of junk. Lots of forend flex and I knew this was going to be a problem before I put the fist round down the barrel.

The plan was to put a new stock or chassis on it right up front before the first range session. I got an MTD Oryx chassis for $399.00, I know more money than what the rifle cost, and luck upon a couple of Savage AICS 6mm ARC magazines. Found them on Ebay for $65.00 each shipped, pretty good deal for new AICS mags that are very hard to find. The Savage MTD mags are made of thicker steel than the conventional MDT mags. They have a spacer block in the rear to position the cartridge in the right orientation.

These mags will allow me to load rounds out to 2.400 COAL, so a little more room to play with shooting the heavies. Of all the ARCS I have handled this is the smoothest chambering and exstacting rifle to date, it is butter smooth with very little effort. Bolt lift is a little stiff but it is new and might settle in after some rounds are put through it. I did take the bolt apart and lubed it with my high moly content special sauce. It works much better now and may get a bolt lift kit for it if it needs one down the road.

Going to the range tomorrow after I pay my respects to the fallen soldiers that gave their lives to assure my freedom, and I hope you do the same.

[r.tenorio671]

....IIRC, I saw a post where the person put some lapping compound on the backside of his lugs to "smooth" out and improve the mating of the lugs to the receiver.... YMMV

...nice looking rig BTW ;-)

[grayfox]

Did you by chance try the feed with the DBM in the flexy stock, to see how a flush fit mag would do?
I could see doing an Axis with say a B&C stock and keep the flush fit mags if they are available and if they work, as a hunting rig. I had trouble once upon a time getting a 6.5 grendel to work in savage, didn't have any regular DBM's to use for it.

[Dino11]

The DBM worked well but not as smooth as the AICS. No feed issue with the DBM, even using soft points. the bullet did hit the ramp pretty good. Were as the AICS is almost a straight shot into the chamber, it does hit the ramp but not as hard as the DBM. The factory stock is a total piece of junk, way to easy to flex the forend. If I was going to use it I would fill it full of epoxy to add some strength to it.