Stock and trigger mods for a Savage Edge

EasternYote

New member
OK, I asked this on another site so the more opinions the better I say....

I have a Savage Edge and I notice it seems abit flexible in the wrist as some mentioned before. IS there a way to stiffen that wrist area to reduce-eliminate that flexing in the vertical plain? Also, I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble to bed the forend of the stock..I hear that the area around the recoil lug can be a problem.
Any opinions on bedding an stiffening this stock? I know there are no replacement stocks out right now.

I think the Accutrigger will fit the Edge, but what pull range can I get with that mechanism? I have a friend with a Stevens 200 with a 3lb pull....it's good but I think I can do better. I've looked into RifleBasix and may go that root. I haven't got tons of money (or I woulda bought a model 12 or something), so If I can improve things here without too much cash outlay then I'll do it.

Thanks
Eastern'
 
EasternYote,

Guess I may be the one who wrote about the vertical stock flex problem with Edge in area around end of receiver where rear of trigger guard joins stock. I've filled the exposed cavities in stock under receiver with Devcon steel with no improvement on stock flex problem. Think bedding the forend of stock would be a waste of time. Only thing I've thought about doing that I haven't tried is fill the area inside stock at wrist (behind plastic with hole for rear of trigger guard nub to fit into). I just haven't figured out best way to get something into this cavity in area I want to fill.

As for trigger pull, you have several options to try before buying a new trigger assembly. It is possible to reduce trigger pull by removing a coil or two on trigger spring. Remove too much spring,will be loose, then you have a safety problem. Or you can fashion a new trigger spring with thinner/weaker coils...I did this with a 75 cent spring bought from my local Ace Hardware store. I was able to adapt the Ace spring to fit into the small hole the narrow diameter end of the factory coil spring fit into by using JB Weld to secure the shank from a brass screw inside the Ace spring. Once JB Weld had set, then ground down shank to fit into trigger hole. This worked well, reducing trigger pull easily by 1/2. Other thing you can do to lighten/smooth trigger pull is to polish areas of metal contact between trigger and trigger sear. I used 1000 grit wet/dry metal sandpaper to do this. Using such a super fine sandpaper with a firm backing (like a hard smooth and flat small piece of wood that I used) will do the trick, but metal would be better.

After fashioning a new spring and polishing the metal, a gent I shoot with used his Lyman electronic trigger pull guage to tell me my Edge trigger pull was now just under a crisp 2 Lbs.

Final comment. Gent PM'd me about a month ago with same stock flex problem who'd called Savage about it. Savage person told him they were not aware of any such problem, but told him to send his rifle to them to check, which he did. Savage returned rifle to him recently with note they found nothing wrong with stock/rifle. Two targets included with rifle showing groups shot with rifle when tested by Savage shooters. Note said groups shot with rifle within specs they expect from the rifle. In short, Savage did nothing to deal with stock flex problem experienced by this gent who has same problem as us.
 
YEs DGW, I remember it was you I think....Ya, I hoped that there was room on the inner walls of reciever area and wrist to JBWELD a piece of flat plate steel on both sides to stiffen the vertical flex. To be honest I haven't disassembled the rifle yet to check this theory, maybe you and others have...Well, some rainy afternoon, I'll have to disassemble and take a look myself.
I can't imagine why Savage designed such as obviously weak area in the wrist. I'm no rifle designer but I'd know better than that.LOL..

Thing is, I'm not much of a smith to try the spring clipping or replacement for fear of ruining the job....but then if I do, I can always just buy the SAV-1 as planned couldn't I?
Thanks DGW.
 
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I've shot a couple of them... never noticed the "stock flex" problem... and both were well under MOA with factory loads. The .223 was hitting milk jugs at 500 yards with relitive ease before it even had 20 rounds down the pipe.

I did snip about 1 coil off the trigger return spring and did a little polishing on both of them... this dropped the pull to about 3 pounds...
 
Well, maybe I'm making too much out of the flexing I saw....if the rifle shoots as good as everyone says, then it can't have much impact overall right?

I'll see what I can do just for fun....maybe nothing but nothing ventured....
 
Just shoot it! Many times we out think the gun when in reality it is the finger on the trigger.
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Shooter,

the vertical stock flex is real, but one shooting rifle from shoulder and etc. and not from a bench shooting cradle like me would probably not notice it. Leastways, that is my assumption never having shot my rifle without the cradle. I just shoot paper from a benchrest using a cradle I made. Have 18 or so scoped rifles I've shot from my cradle for several years now and the Edge was the first and only rifle I've observed the crosshair movement on a 100 yard target. Gave rifle to a fellow shooter at range to try on his bench with his Caldwell shooting rig and after 4 or 5 rounds, told me YEP, vertical movement on his shooting arrangement, but not as bad as he noticed when rifle on mine.

However, even with the odd vertical movement of crosshair, the Edge shoots pretty decent groups at 100 yards. I have no problem busting clay pigeons on our 200 yard berm. It is just very bothersome the crosshair movement.
 
Eastern, due to your post, decided to have another go at solving flex in my .223 Edge stock.

Had idea of just glueing the oversize trigger guard to stock to strenghtened the weak area of stock. Permanently securing the trigger guard would not affect removing the barreled action from stock or anything else for that matter as far as I can tell. So, called Savage to inquire about material stock made from with idea of finding what adheasive would be best to use. LOL, answer from Savage rep, "its a composite stock", biteing my tongue, I replied that answer won't work, what is its material, PCV, Polystrene or etc. Answer, "I don't know, we are to answer its a composite stock."

OK, I told the gent on phone, tell me how to remove the butt recoil pad on stock and is butt hollow like I suspect it is. Answer, "butt stock is hollow and then he told me to remove sling screw on bottom of butt and then depress square button on top of butt to remove pad. This worked, however, careful in depressing the square button, I managed to break mine off when depressing it to remove the pad. With butt pad off, I was able to fill about 1" of wrist area inside of stock with a Marine all purpose Epoxy putty for fiberglass and etc. purchased from my Ace hardware store. Molded it to rough shape, dropped it into stock and used a long enough wooden dowel piece of wood to pack it into area I wanted it. Then I cleared out the hole, filled by the putty, the nub of the trigger guard fit into. In the meantime, I corrected a mistake I'd made in an earlier attempt at fixing stock flex. I'd used Devcon steel for most of cavities exposed when barreled receiver removed from stock. However, I used polyurethane glue to fill the two rear cavities that are next to plastic wall the nub of trigger guard fits into. Mistake on my part, polyurethane glue does not solidify hard, more like a hard sponge. Removed the Polyurethane glue from cavities and filled them with a quick drying JB Weld like product.

So, between the marine epoxy putty and refilling the rear cavities with the JB Weld like product, I may have corrected the stock flex problem. I've held the stock in my hands and tried to flex the stock like it did before...don't notice the flex it once had. Won't know if this is true till I'm at range next Sunday to shoot rifle.
 
Thta's great DGW! Please keep me informed on how this turns out for ya. That was one of my solutions I thought of...possibly filling the wrist area cavity with fiberglass epoxy(putty), or maybe autobody filler. Once I have a look myself this weekend, I may try that myself!
Well if glueing the trigger gaurd shut has no effect on removing the triggered actin, then why design it to drop away as they did? Does it have something to do with the magazine seating, that if that point wears, then you can replace the trigger guard housing??? Always something to think about huh??
Got any pictures to share?
Thank You!
Eastern'
 
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Trigger guard wear due to magazine? Good question, thought about that myself. My answer is NO. Why, well to remove trigger guard, you depress latch on front of magazine to disengage it from stock and pull down on front of mag to remove it. Doing so, the metal tab on top rear of mag slides off top of trigger guard part it is resting on. Installing magazine, you slip rear of mag into stock at a slight angle to slip tab on mag on top of trigger guard part it rests on and then push up on front of mag to engage latch. Only wear should be between latch on mag and notch in stock (not trigger guard) it engages. More likely, over time, the wear will be on plastic latch on magazine or notch in stock it engages. Also, plastic latch may become brittle and break or just lose the flex needed to keep magazine latched in stock.

As for pictures of what I've done, none available. If I have time tomorrow may take some and post if I can...seems I remember trying to post pics here but couldn't figure out how to do it. LOL, kinda funny for a guy who has built/repaired his own desktop computers since early 90s that can't figure out how to post a d--- picture on this site.
 
DGW here you go buddy! How to post pics

I have also head of guys filling the butt of the stock with that expanding foam. You guys are tempting me to clip some springs on my edge! And I thought stock AR triggers were bad!
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Also there is a Mod over on the Savageshooters forum that has hinted a accutrigger can fit the Edge with a slight mod but that is the only place I have heard of it. I have been told Timney's trigger will also fit.



 
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Originally Posted By: dmpowderDGW here you go buddy! How to post pics

I have also head of guys filling the butt of the stock with that expanding foam. You guys are tempting me to clip some springs on my edge! And I thought stock AR triggers were bad!
rolleyes.gif

Also there is a Mod over on the Savageshooters forum that has hinted a accutrigger can fit the Edge with a slight mod but that is the only place I have heard of it. I have been told Timney's trigger will also fit.


DMPowder, I wondered if Timney triggers would fit the Edge. I know RifleBasix Sav-1 does.
Like everything I hear some bad reports of accidental discharge with the RB's during slam-bang testing. Dunno if it's just adjustment error from the installers that cause it or what.
Anybody got opinions on Timney over RifleBasix ro should that be another thread?
 
What gets me about the triggers RB's both say they will fit Savage with or without the Accutrigger? So if both of the triggers will fit you should be able to install a Accutrigger. I will say I did mod my trigger last night and cut the pull in half. Took it out hunting today and it is a pleasure to shoot. All I did was go to ACE and buy a spring that felt about half the tension as the factory one and ended cutting 1.5 coils off it. To keep the spring in place I got a tension pin that fit in the hole and now it works prefect and can be put back to factory and no JB weld and no cutting threads. Best part is I did it all for under $1.
 
Originally Posted By: dmpowderWhat gets me about the triggers RB's both say they will fit Savage with or without the Accutrigger? So if both of the triggers will fit you should be able to install a Accutrigger. I will say I did mod my trigger last night and cut the pull in half. Took it out hunting today and it is a pleasure to shoot. All I did was go to ACE and buy a spring that felt about half the tension as the factory one and ended cutting 1.5 coils off it. To keep the spring in place I got a tension pin that fit in the hole and now it works prefect and can be put back to factory and no JB weld and no cutting threads. Best part is I did it all for under $1.

That's great news and all for a buck huh? I LIKE!
This tension pin??? what is it and why did you need it? How did you assemble this set-up?
Of course if I found time to disassemble my rifle I'd probably know the answer by now. Sorry!
 
I just purchased a Savage model 11/111. Took her out to the range for the first time and hated the [beeep] thing.
My first big rifle and I wanted very much to love it however when pulling and pulling that stock trigger became
cumbersome, quickly. The range master seeing my struggle and knowing it was my first time shooting that gun
told me two very very important things. The first was to tighten every bolt on the gun especially on the sights.
I mean pull off the sight and tighten the screws of the rail then systematically go through every bolt on the
sight and tighten (huge help). The second thing he mentioned is if your are having problems with your trigger
pull try purchasing a Timney trigger. Now mind you he said he had never purchased one but sold his favorite
rifle to his best friend because he couldn't stand the pull of the trigger. His friend replaced the trigger and
called him back thanking him for the wonderful rifle. Sharing this with me must have been difficult for him as
he lost his favorite rifle. Nothing like learning from someone else’s mistakes. I went home purchased a Timney
it came and I installed the new trigger with a cast on in 20 minutes. The difference was unbelievable.
Now I know there are other triggers out there and I can't speak about them. However this was easy to install
and the pull is now perfect. To like your rifle means you like your trip if its to the range or on the hunt.
Although it was a tad more expensive than the others the ease and feel of the pull makes the purchase a
no brainer. If you have a Savage without the accutrigger do what I did, buy it, install it, and enjoy it.
 
Super4me2000, you sure you don't work for Timney???

Well, I thought of replacing the trigger, but Timney rep wasn't sure if it would fit the new Edge, so he suggested waiting abit in case they do somemore rifle setups and call back to see if these will drop-in.

I looke dat Riflebasix as well, more economical but I am leaning toward the Timney. Might try my own mod on the factory one first...if it don't work or I screw up, I can always buy that replacement then.
Cheers
 
Originally Posted By: EasternYote
That's great news and all for a buck huh? I LIKE!
This tension pin??? what is it and why did you need it? How did you assemble this set-up?
Of course if I found time to disassemble my rifle I'd probably know the answer by now. Sorry!

Yeah the spring was .40 and same with the tension pin. The reason you need the pin is to keep the spring in place. To be honest I'm not even sure if it's for sure needed and the new spring sat in there pretty snug but I just didn't want it popping out during a hunt.

The tension pin is nice because there is no altering the factory trigger. So as long as you keep your stock spring all you have to do is pull the pin out and replace your factory spring. I don't recall the exact size of the pin as I just took my trigger with me and got the size that would just sit in the hole. You will have to tap it into the hole or use channel locks like I did and squeeze it into place. Then I just cut the pin down some. I can take pics of it in the morning and post them up. The best thing is you can keep cutting the spring until you find what you like the best and if you cut too much just go buy another spring and start over. As I have read before Savage does not list a part number for the spring so if you cut too much you might not be able to get a new one.
 
This is just a quick edit I did to the RB trigger. I just erased the screws that are not there on the stock trigger. Once you open yours up you will see how its done. I will still post pics of mine in the morning. If you want pm me your address and I will mail you a pin already cut or if you want you can cut it yourself. I can get them from work for free so I can save you .40 cents.
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SAV_1.jpg
 
Hope this helps anyone looking to help the pull on the Edge. Again all that is needed to put it back to stock is just pull the tension pin out with a pair of pliers and put your factory spring back in. All the other mods I have heard of use JB weld or threading in a set screw. This way only cost $1.00 and does not alter the stock trigger in anyway. You can buy a couple of springs and clip them to adjust your pull just make sure you check the drop test before you call it good.


This is the factory spring you can see how they made a tighter coil so the spring would stay in the hole and keep the spring where it needs to be.
IMAG0089.jpg


Here is the under side of the trigger with the tension pin installed. I just used chanl locks to press the pin in flush with the bottom of the trigger.
IMAG0087.jpg


Then I just cut the tension pin down with a hack saw. Just make sure you cut it shorter then the safety screw. Again the only reason you use the pin is so the spring won't pop/fall out.
IMAG0086.jpg


This is what it will look like with the new spring.
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And this is what it looks like all back together.
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Please be careful and check for safety and make sure it functions correctly after wards by doing the drop test. Then cock the rifle unloaded of course and try and fire the trigger with all the force you can with the safety on.
 
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