Ordering Parts from Savage
dan553622
Member Posts: 3 ✭
I tried to order a stripped bolt body for for an Axis rifle from Savage and I was told they couldn’t sell me it as it was a restricted part. I asked why and she said it was restricted because it is a serial number on it. I thought she was confused and thought I was wanting a receiver. I told her I didn’t want a receiver just the bolt body. She wasn’t confused. She said the bolt body is a restricted part as well as the bolt head, Firing pin, and barrel. Needless to say, I was very surprised I told her that I don’t believe these are restricted parts as I’m able to buy them from any other manufacturer. She was very adamant that I was wrong. She said the only way I could get the part I need is to send my rifle to them and they will install it. I told her I would not do that as it would cost more than I could buy a new rifle for. I looked at the parts She mentioned as restricted and I couldn’t see any serial numbers on them. Was this lady just off her rocker? I would believe this was a salvage policy, but she was adamant. It was the law. Any thoughts or experience with Savage?
Comments
It's a liability issue. They don't want to sell a bolt body and have it installed incorrectly.
Now if you are a FFL with a Gunmithing License ( (you have to send in copies) I've have bought those type of parts from Savage in the past.
Numrich has some Bolt bodies available (110)
I asked about the FFL route but she said no the gun needs to be sent in for service. That was my only option. She was polite but I don’t know if she was new or did Savage really become this restrictive. I don’t really buy into the liability side as the work is not performed from them. Their website even directs people where to buy parts for older guns. I don’t know of any other firearm company that won’t sell parts for their firearms. If they’re afraid to sell me parts they could at least direct me to a place that would sell me these parts or require me to sign a liability waiver. I have been doing barrel swaps on savages for years and I understand their worries about headspace and such but damn. I think Savage makes excellent budget rifles but I would never buy another.
Dave nailed it to the T.
You say:
I think Savage makes excellent budget rifles but I would never buy another.
Welcome to the club.
I stay away from Savage due to bad Customer Service.
They left a bad taste in my mouth about 20 years ago and I do not buy anything Savage.
I had a new Savage gun that had very bad accuracy, (under warranty type gun) I kept complaining to them making phone calls getting placed on hold, listening to that long haired type music and finally got hold of a tech manager after several phones calls over couple months time and he offered a exchange gun if I would send them my gun so they could confirm bad accuracy and they sent me a new replacement gun and it's accuracy was worse than the one I sent. They agreed to pay shipping both ways and sent me a RMA.
But I did get into a similar situation with Savage about parts. I was ordering some parts for a Savage and when I asked about getting the trigger and hammer group she in parts said no problem and priced the parts as dirt cheap. I ordered several of the parts as spares. The parts were labeled as restricted on my parts list and I was told such by another parts employee when previously ordering some parts few weeks before when i inquired. That told me that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing in the parts dept at Savage arms.
They also told me I could take my gun that I need parts for to a Authorized Savage repair center and they could order the parts and install such. I did not bite on that one because as you stated I could buy another gun cheaper than fool around with that situation.
When I see the name Savage i think of pee poor CS and get a bad taste in my mouth and sure appreciate that they are NOT THE ONLY GUN MAKER IN THE WORLD.
I was deer hunting with a guy last year that was carrying a new Savage 30-06 bolt action rifle.
When it came daylight we noticed that his trigger guard was gone. Fell off in the woods. I told him that is no surprise at all to me, you are lucky that the trigger is still there. That was a UGLY gun with the trigger guard gone and him hunting with such. I told him it would be a shame if a deer seen that it was going to get shot with a UGLY gun. I also told him that LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO HUNT WITH A UGLY GUN. The trigger guard screws were only held on by the wood stock, not metal. He told me later that the Savage replacement trigger guard was plastic and the screws were wood screws and as he was installing the trigger guard one of the screws broke/split the size out of the plastic screw hole. I asked him if the wood screws were also plastic. He is no longer proud of his Savage stuff. I noticed a company sometime later on the computer was selling aftermarket metal replacement Savage trigger guards for $40 so apparently quite a demand for such. I called the guy I was hunting with and told him such and he said said thanks for the info but all my Savage stuff is gone gone because I remembered what you said about hunting with a UGLY gun.
Sorry to hear this. Poor CS is more and more common across the board now days. It's a shame.
We have a Savage .22 rifle that we love. Very accurate and never had an issue.
I own 2 savages . A model 99e in 308 that's about 45 years old and a 110 in 30-06 about 25 years old . Both used when I got them . Only parts ever needed was a magazine spring for the 110 so I have on knowledge about service ..
A few years ago I watched ol' Buck McNeely (The Outdoorsman show) give a tour of the Savage Arms manufacturing..........where they showed how they STRAIGHTENED their newly made centerfire rifle barrels.
I don't think so...........no........not for me.
Besides.......as has been stated.......they're uuuuuuuuuuuugly(pronounced youuuuuuugly).🤪
I will say that I've seen some Very accurate Savage centerfire rifle barrels on their ugly guns.
Maybe the two NEW guns they were working on for me they may have bent/warped the barrels in a S shape.
AND Savage Arms accu trigger was a good thing for Savage. I've seen some of the non Savage accu trigger guns have a non- adjustable trigger pull of 10 lbs. (and due to liability reasons Savage nor their authorized repair stations won't correct such for a customer)
But bending a rifle barrel after it's bored would not be a good thing for me to know of either.
I have had only one customer service order for a small part from Savage several years ago and it was done quick and efficiently with no cost to me. I can't say how competent they are now. I have several Savage rifles two of which are synthetic 110 models. The others are 110 series or variants with high gloss wood or laminated stocks. I like wood better but synthetic does have its place .Don't have any of their budget rifles. All shoot well, The biggest issue I have with Savage is when they changed their logo from Chief Lame Deer to whatever that supposedly S is now. Went politically correct and I don't care for it.
If I find that any company has bad Customer Service dept, they get on my SXXX list fast and never ever get uncarved from the stone. What is a shame is some of them companies and people inside CS do not seem to know that it hurts their business, especially now days when complaints and communication is more wide spread. I have several, including people I've put on the list over the years, carved in stone.
I've also noticed that the more difficult that it is to contact CS/customer relations by email or phone the less likely that they are going to be and really help you. (hoping you will give up and go away by being put on hold and listing to long haired depressing music and then the phone call transfer drops during the transfer to the other dept)