Would my plan to swap chamberings on Savage Axis IIs work?

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wombat13

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I would really like a light weight (not ultralight) left-hand rifle in .280ai with a 24” barrel. I could do a custom, but too many demands on finances to justify that. Maybe in 10 years or so.

In the meantime, Savage made the Axis II in .280ai. Unfortunately, it’s a 22” barrel, but it is still only 6.3 lbs before the scope. So my idea is to buy the .280ai and a left-hand in .30-06. I should be able to swap the .280ai barrel to the LH action without too much difficulty, correct?

Are there any roadblocks to this plan? What tools do I need? I know many people prefer the Ruger American, but AFAIK, Ruger has not made the American in .280ai. Also, I have an Axis II in .25-06 and like it.
 
wombat13 said:
6. I should be able to swap the .280ai barrel to the LH action without too much difficulty, correct?
Click to expand...
Well I was observing my new Axis myself and the receiver and barrel are pretty streamlined in this sense that they look very swappable. Not like unscrewing it yourself swappable, but if you change the barrel it'd be a pretty straightforward conversion.
It looks like they all use the same receiver block, just milled on different sides for right or left hand bolts. Different magazine length for either Long or short, and different barrels.
So yea I think starting with the longer 30.06 receiver and swapping the barrel out with a .280ai should be pretty straightforward.
 
Savage offers .280ai in the left-hand timberline. It’s more than twice the price of the Axis II and weighs 2lbs more and it’s still a 22” barrel if I’m reading the site correctly. I’d rather have the lighter rifle and a RH .30-06.
 
Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:
Well I was observing my new Axis myself and the receiver and barrel are pretty streamlined in this sense that they look very swappable. Not like unscrewing it yourself swappable, but if you change the barrel it'd be a pretty straightforward conversion.
It looks like they all use the same receiver block, just milled on different sides for right or left hand bolts. Different magazine length for either Long or short, and different barrels.
So yea I think starting with the longer 30.06 receiver and swapping the barrel out with a .280ai should be pretty straightforward.
Click to expand...
I know it’s possible to do, because I’ve read about others doing it, but I’m wondering what I’d be getting into. I think I’d need the Savage barrel wrench, a gun vice and a head space gauge for each chambering. But, I’ve never done it so I could be missing something (or missing a lot).
 
wombat13 said:
I think I’d need the Savage barrel wrench, a gun vice and a head space gauge for each chambering. But, I’ve never done it so I could be missing something (or missing a lot).
Click to expand...

Those are the base tools , yes. Friction powder (i don't know what it's called) can come in handy. You'd need some cloth on the vise as to not damage the barrel surface. Or maybe gun vices already have padding, I don't know. I just use a regular machine vice.
 
So it looks like tools would add about $200 to the cost. $70 for the vise, $25 for the wrench, and $50 each for the go and no go gauges. So, I’d be looking at about $1k plus scopes for two rifles.
 
It is very easy to swap barrels on a Savage. I have a couple barrel wrenches and I 3D printed an action vice if you want to borrow both just send me a PM and pay the shipping.

Now this is not advice, I’m just telling you want I do, but I have never used go/no-go gauges. I size a spent piece of brass in my reloading dies and head space it to that. I screw the barrel in on the piece of sized brass and set it to where there is just a bit of drag to close the bolt. Then I tighten the nut and check again. After that I super glue a .003” shim to the brass and check to make sure the bolt will not close on it. If you are planning to shoot factory ammo you would probably be wise to rent the gauges to make sure you are in spec for factory ammo. I handload exclusively so I set it to match my dies.
 
Oh and barrels on an axis and 110 are interchangeable, so if you want you could get an axis and a 110 and switch them if you prefer
 
A 110 is an easy barrel change. Almost foolproof if you can follow simple instructions. All you "need" is a hammer, punch & a loaded round. Is MUCH better to have an barrel nut wrench, a no go gauge & either an action wrench OR a barrel vise of some type.
 
someguy2800 said:
It is very easy to swap barrels on a Savage. I have a couple barrel wrenches and I 3D printed an action vice if you want to borrow both just send me a PM and pay the shipping.

Now this is not advice, I’m just telling you want I do, but I have never used go/no-go gauges. I size a spent piece of brass in my reloading dies and head space it to that. I screw the barrel in on the piece of sized brass and set it to where there is just a bit of drag to close the bolt. Then I tighten the nut and check again. After that I super glue a .003” shim to the brass and check to make sure the bolt will not close on it. If you are planning to shoot factory ammo you would probably be wise to rent the gauges to make sure you are in spec for factory ammo. I handload exclusively so I set it to match my dies.
Click to expand...
That’s is a very generous offer. Thank you. I may take you up on that if I go this route. Honestly, I was most surprised by the cost of the go/no-go gauges. $100 to get both! Where would I rent them instead?
 
someguy2800 said:
Oh and barrels on an axis and 110 are interchangeable, so if you want you could get an axis and a 110 and switch them if you prefer
Click to expand...
That’s good to know. I was very surprised by how much heavier the 110 is. The LH 110 timberline is more than 2 lbs heavier than the Axis II. Both have the same barrel. Where is the extra weight? The biggest negative to the Axis is that I don’t see many aftermarket synthetic stocks.
 
wombat13 said:
That’s good to know. I was very surprised by how much heavier the 110 is. The LH 110 timberline is more than 2 lbs heavier than the Axis II. Both have the same barrel. Where is the extra weight? The biggest negative to the Axis is that I don’t see many aftermarket synthetic stocks.
Click to expand...

I have never seen a timberline so I don’t know. I looked it up on the Savage website and that model seams to be different from all the other 110 models that they have made for the last 60 years. A 110 normally has an open top reciever. The timberline looks from the pictures like it’s built on an axis receiver or something resembling it, which begs the question why it costs twice as much as an axis II.
 
The Timberline appears to be a closer to a box fed savage Target action as opposed to the regular 110 or axis...
The 110 receiver and bolt are lighter than the axis in general. The stocks are heavier, and the 110s not built for low weight come with heavier profile barrels (timberline is probably .750+/- at the muzzle with a shallow taper) axis is .6ish if i remember correctly.


Were it my go round I'd probably be looking for any cheap left hand 110 and a 280/280 custom or take off barrel, but as others have said as long as your operating in the same shank size and case rim diameters you should be good to go.
 
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