Savage Model 110 (SA/round-back))

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The History of Savage Arms

Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Arthur Savage held two important patents at the time: a patent for a repeating rifle with a single-column magazine lever-action rifle, which he acquired in 1891, and a patent for a hammerless lever-action design. That paved the way for Savage’s quick rise to success.

The company’s first breakthrough came in 1895 when it introduced Model 1895 – the first hammerless lever-action rifle on the market. It was modeled after Model 1892, an earlier design that never saw production due to losing a bid for a US Army contract. Model 1895, however, won the contract for New York National Guard, but it was soon canceled due to getting caught in a contemporary political climate.

Savage continued investing efforts into the production of military-grade weapons. It was named one of the two finalists in the US Army trials for a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and it lost only to the now-famous Colt M1911. Savage used the gained experience to produce high-quality pocket pistols, though, which resulted in the introduction of Model 1907, 1915, and 1917.

During World War I, Savage was merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance company. The joint company focused all its efforts on the production of Lewis machine guns and heavy equipment for war purposes.

Between the two wars, Savage decided to expand its business inside the USA. In 1920 it bought Stevens Arms of Chicopee, followed by A.H. Fox Gun Co. of Philadelphia and Davis-Warner Arms and CrescentArms Co. of Norwich in 1930. Success followed and in 1939 Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun which sold over a million copies.

When World War II commenced, though, Savage was once again ready to answer the call of duty. It focused all its resources on war efforts, producing a staggering number of weapons. It already signed a contract with Auto Ordinance Co. in 1938 to manufacture the famous .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun, and most of these submachine guns that were used in WWII were produced by none other than Savage. The company was also contracted by the US government in 1940 to produce .30 and .50 caliber Browning machine guns. On top of that, Savage manufactured one of the most mass-produced bolt-action rifles of WWII, the British No. 4 Lee–Enfield. A record of 1.2 million Lee-Enfield rifles was produced by Savage during the time of war.

Production dialed down after the war, though. In 1946, Savage closed its facilities in Utica and moved all its operations to the Stevens manufacturing premises. Even though the Model 110 was introduced in 1958, which remains one of the company’s most successful rifles to this date, Savage started to experience some issues. In 1960 all production was moved to the current location of Westfield, Massachusetts, and what followed was a series of different ownerships over the company. Savage gradually ran into serious financial problems and in 1988 the company declared bankruptcy.

The company had to cut back on its manufacturing costs to the point where it even stopped producing short-action configurations of its most successful model, the aforementioned Model 110. It wasn’t until 1995 when Savage returned to private ownership led by Ronald Coburn who sort of rejuvenated the whole company.

In 2002 Savage introduced and patented AccuTrigger – a safe and user-adjustable trigger that soon became a success. The following year, in 2003, the company was named Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence, further reaffirming Savage’s distinction. Four years later, on May 15, 2007, Savage 93R17 BTVS has been named the best rifle in the Best of the Best presentation by Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, and Shooting Gazette magazines.

In 2013 Savage once again changed ownership. It was acquired by Orbital ATK for 315 million dollars, and it was later handed over to Vista Outdoor which later sold it for $170 million in 2019 to a group of private investors led by Savage’s management.

The company also had its logo changed in the middle of the 2010s when it decided to retire its old logo that presumably featured Chief Lame Deer, a native-American tribesman leader. The latter supposedly approached Arthur Savage in 1919 to purchase rifles for his tribe. In exchange for a discount, Lame Deer agreed to a deal. According to the deal, Savage was allowed to use Lame Deer’s face for promotional purposes. Many doubt the authenticity of this story, however, and Savage itself removed it from its official website as well.

Savage Model 110 (SA/Round-Back) Rifle Review

Savage Model 110 Varmint in .223 Rem.

Figure 1: Savage Model 110 Varmint in .223 Rem. (Source: Savage Arms)

Savage Model 110 bolt-action repeating rifle was first introduced in 1958 by Savage Arms and has been in continuous production to this day. It was designed by Nicholas L. Brewer, who was tasked with designing a cheap alternative to the pricier contemporary hunting rifles on the market. Brewer surpassed the original expectations and designed a rifle that would get Savage Arms through its darkest times.

During its long history, the Model 110 saw a lot of changes that altered the rifle in various, sometimes significant ways. This makes reviewing this Savage model sort of complicated and special naming needs to be adopted for different periods of the rifle’s production. This is why we differentiate between 5 different versions of this model:

long-action flat-back Savage Model 110
medium-action flat-back Model 110 (pre-1988 short-action)
short-action flat-back Model 110 (also known as flat-back Model 10)
long-action round-back Model 110
short-action round-back Model 110 (also known as round-back Model 10)

If you are unsure which one you own, you can read this article: How to know which Savage Model 110 you have

In this review, we’ll focus on the short action (SA) round-back Savage Model 110. This is a model that first saw production in 2003. Up to this year, Savage Model 110 featured a flat surface at the back of the receiver, but it was in 2002 when AccuTrigger was introduced. Consequently, Savage started manufacturing Model 110 with a rounded surface at the front and back of the receiver the following year. This is why this model is now referred to as the “round-back” Model 110. “Post-AccuTrigger”, “Round rear”, and “post-2003” are also used at times. Another name for this model is “Savage Model 10” due to some naming changes which we’ll cover later on.

Round-back Model 110 on the top and flat-back Model 110 below it

Figure 2: Round-back Model 110 on the top and flat-back Model 110 below it (source: https://savagearms.com/blog?p=how-to-find-the-right-bases-for-a-savage-centerfire-rifle)

Round-back Savage Model 110 (SA) usually features a carbon or stainless-steel receiver with two gas ports and four drilled and tapped holes for mounting purposes. It almost always hosts a smooth and fast-working satin-slide bolt with two locking lugs, but some variants also feature a matte black and/or fluted bolt.

Model 110’s bolt-release catch is often found on the right side of the action behind the bolt handle. But because the shooter needs to press both the trigger and the release catch when removing the bolt, this design proved to be somewhat cumbersome. This is why the newer versions have a bolt-release catch located at front of the trigger guard on the bottom of the rifle, which makes the process a whole lot easier.

The action of the round-back Savage Model 110 is usually of the push-feed style, although some of the long-action variants that are chambered for magnum cartridges and were made before 2009 have a controlled feed action. Those are usually the variants that were meant for big game hunting, such as Savage 116SE (Safari Express), for instance.

Savage Model 110’s barrel is tapered and usually features two iron sights – one at the front and one at the back, with the latter one being adjustable. The barrel is made of either chromed steel or stainless steel, and its length depends on the variant and/or intended use. The barrel length ranges from 420 to 711 mm (16.5 to 28-inch).

The very first Model 110s produced had a fixed magazine, but in 1966 the model saw some upgrades that, among other things, introduced a new ejector that allowed the use of detachable box magazines. Nowadays, whether the magazine is detachable or not depends on the variant. Though most of them have a magazine with a capacity for up to 4 cartridges, there are also a few single-shot and muzzle-loading variants.

Another important thing we need to mention about 110’s magazine is its feed. Up to 2005, all versions of Savage Model 110 were made with a staggered-feed magazine, but then Savage introduced a center-feed one. This didn’t affect the long-action Model 110 much since all important dimensions stayed the same, but the action screw spacing on the short-action version changed and it was enough for the pre-2005 short-action Model 110 to lose stock interchangeability with the post-2005 version of the rifle. Therefore, short-action Savage Model 110s with center-feed magazines don’t have interchangeable stocks with the short-action flat-back and/or round-back Model 110 variants with staggered-feed magazines.

The 3-position safety catch of Savage Model 110 is located on top of the rifle’s tang. Both the trigger and the bolt are locked in the rearmost position. In the middle position, the trigger remains locked while the bolt can be cycled, and in the forward position, the rifle is in firing mode.

Due to stricter US laws that were introduced in the second half of the 20th century regarding the safety of rifles, most of the rifles on the market back in the day featured triggers with a fairly weighty trigger pull-weight. For Savage, this changed with the introduction of the aforementioned AccuTrigger which allows the user to easily adjust the trigger’s weight of the pull while still ensuring the complete safety of the rifle. Every round-back Savage Model 110 features the AccuTrigger.

The stock material of the round-back Model 110 used to depend on the variant, as did the buttstock style. This changed in 2018 when Savage introduced AccuFit, an impressive and innovative synthetic stock system that allows shooters to easily adjust the buttstock style, length of pull, and comb height from the comfort of their own home. Except for the few selected variants, every Savage Model 110 made after 2018 comes with the necessary tools and several modular parts to make the best use of this new system.

AccuFit on newer Savage rifles

Figure 3: AccuFit on newer Savage rifles (Source: Savage Arms)

Round-Back Savage Model 110 (SA) Calibers

Round-back Savage Model 110 (SA) can be chambered for a wide range of calibers:

223 Remington
204 Ruger
22-250 Remington
7mm-08 Remington
243 Winchester
260 Remington
270 WSM
6.5 Creedmoor
308 Winchester
300 Savage
300 WSM
350 Legend
450 Bushmaster

Round-Back Savage Model 110 (SA) Variants

There is a lot of confusion surrounding Savage Model 110 variants. Initially, Savage opted for a pretty unconventional naming system for their rifles. Instead of giving them different names and sticking to them, they decided to use letters to mark the variants, with letter combinations corresponding to different specifications the rifle featured. There are a lot of possible letter combinations and each variant that subsequently occurred was often just slightly different than the previous one, but they all operated on the same mechanism and were fairly similar. You can use the image below to make some sense of these markings.

letter markings of Savage rifles

There was another layer of confusion added to Model 110 when Savage decided to introduce a new numbering system somewhere in the late 70s or early 80s. Savages 111, 112, 114, and 116 were gradually introduced, but they are essentially just different variants of the base Model 110 with slightly different features, such as stainless-steel barrels on 116s and American walnut stocks on 114s, etc.

On top of that, when Savage fell into a deep financial hole in 1988, they decided to cut back on resources by producing one action length for all calibers, effectively retiring the short-action version of the Model 110. When the financial difficulties were finally behind them in 1997, Savage decided to re-introduce short-action versions of the rifle. They opted for a numbering system that was intended to simplify the distinction between short actions and long actions. Short-action models adopted a shortened name, so a short-action Savage Model 110 simply became Savage Model 10 (short-action 111 became 11, etc.). This numbering system persisted until 2018, but it, too, is now obsolete. Except for the few select models, every 110 variant nowadays features a 110 number and a designated name. Each of them can either come in a long-action or short-action configuration.

The following list of round-back Savage Model 110 variants lists every modern Model 110 (SA) variant and some of the most popular older ones:

Savage Model 11
Savage Model 12
Savage Model 14
Savage Model 16
Savage Model 12BVSS
Savage Model 12FVSS
Savage Model 12FV
Savage Model 10FP (also known as Tactic)
Savage Model 12VSS (also known as Varminter)
Savage Model 116FCSS (SA)
Savage Model 116FSS (SA)
Savage Model 110 Scout (SA)
Savage Model 110 Hunter (SA)
Savage Model 110 Varmint (SA)
Savage Model 110 Storm (SA)
Savage Model 110 Predator (SA)
Savage Model 110 Long Range Hunter (SA)
Savage Model 110 Storm Left Hand (SA)
Savage Model 110 Tactical (SA)
Savage Model 110 Tactical Left Hand (SA)
Savage Model 110 Tactical Desert (SA)
Savage Model 110 Tactical Desert Left Hand (SA)
Savage Model 110 High Country (SA)
Savage Model 110 Bear Hunter (SA)
Savage Model 110 Hog Hunter (SA)
Savage Model 110 Brush Hunter (SA)
Savage Model 110 Lightweight Storm (SA)
Savage Model 110 Classic (SA)
Savage Model 110 Timberline (SA)
Savage Model 110 Timberline Left Hand (SA)

* Please note that some of the models mentioned above used to be known under a different name. For instance, Savage Model 110 Bear Hunter (SA) was known as Savage Model 16 Bear Hunter.

Round-back Savage Model 110 (SA) has four drilled and tapped holes on the receiver for mounting purposes. You can find all the dimensions below.

Receiver of the round-back Savage Model 110 Varmint (SA) with a visible mounting surface

Figure 4: Receiver of the round-back Savage Model 110 Varmint (SA) with a visible mounting surface (Source: Savage Arms)

Receiver Dimensions of a Savage rifle

A: 21.84 mm
B: 99.82 mm
C: 21.84 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Fi: 6-48 or 8-40 (more on that below)
R1: R17
R2: R17

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Round-Back Savage Model 110 (SA)

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Round-Back Savage Model 110 (SA)

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with round-back Savage Model 110 (SA) are the following:

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Round-Back Savage Model 110 (SA)

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary (distance B on the image above). This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with round-back Savage Model 110 SA are the following:

Should you have any additional information regarding possible mount matches, please contact us. We will gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.

Best Scope Mounts for Savage Model 110 (SA/Round-Back)

There is another thing we need to mention before you buy a scope mount for your Savage Model 110.

Up to recently, every Savage Model 110, short-action or long-action and regardless of the variant, was tapped for #6-48 screws. However, some of the newer variants have the receiver drilled and tapped for larger diameter #8-40 screws.

This is something to keep in mind only if you have a Model 110 variant that was made after 2020, in which case we kindly ask you to choose the correct SCREW SIZE before ordering a scope mount. You will find the drop-down menu on the right side of the product’s image, above the price.

You can also read: How to know which screws fit your Savage rifle?

Picatinny Rails for Savage Model 110 (SA/Round-Back)

By far the easiest way to avoid any troubles with the diameter of the screws on the short-action round-back Savage Model 110 is to make use of the EGW Picatinny Rail. Since September 2021, EGW is drilling these rails to accommodate both the #8-40 and #6-48 screws. The head diameter on the #6-48 screws provided with this mount is larger than on EGW’s normal #6-48 screws, which is a rather simple yet very effective solution to the problem.

The buyers get both types of screws included when they purchase the mount.

Fixed Scope Mounts for Savage Model 110 (SA/Round-Back)

If you are looking for a quality fixed scope mount for your round-back Savage Model 110 (SA), then look no further than this 30 mm DNZ Game Reaper. It is made of aluminum and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Please choose the correct screw size before ordering the mount.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Savage Model 110 (SA/Round-Back)

Henneberger one-piece scope mount earned our top recommendation for a detachable repeatable scope mount for a short-action round-back Savage Model 110. It is manufactured in Germany, is made of aluminum, and has a 30-year warranty attached to it.

It will, however, need to be coupled with a Picatinny rail. We recommend the EGW Picatinny Rail.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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