Swap Savage Barrels - 1000 Yard Savage Axis Budget Long Range Rifle | The Social Regressive

Swapping barrels is easy on Savage rifles. The Savage Axis uses the same barrel nut and replacement barrels as the more expensive centerfire models.

Before you order a replacement barrel, bear in mind that while a barrel swap is easy and quick, it does require some special tools. You will need a barrel vise, a barrel nut wrench, and some headspace gauges.

In this video we removed the .308 Winchester Axis barrel and replaced it with a 7mm-08 barrel we pulled off a Stevens 200. A few taps with a mallet, and the barrel nut spun right off. When we removed the action, however, we noticed that the threads were jammed with hundreds of small steel pellets. Other Axis owners have noticed this; they suspect that this is steel shot used to blast the action and barrel. In our case, the steel shot did not cause any damage or binding, so we just cleaned up the threads and proceeded.

CAUTION! Proper headspace is extremely important. Make sure that you clean each headspace gage before you use it, and clean the barrel's chamber as well. A dirty chamber or gauge could result in a chamber that is too long. Also be sure to check your final headspace with that No-Go gage. If the bolt closes on a NOGO, then the headspace is not correct.

- The Social Regressive