By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Savage Arms has been in business since 1894. Founded by Arthur William Savage, the company started out in Utica, NY. In its early days, Savage produced several arms for civilian use, such as their Model 99 hunting rifle.
At the beginning of WWI, they switched over to military arms and produced the Lewis Machinegun. After the war, life went back to normal, times were good, and in 1920, Savage purchased Stevens arms, and later the A.H. Fox Gun company in 1929.
When WWII began, Savage started up its military lines once again, producing the British No. 4 Lee-Enfield bolt action rifle for England under the Lend-Lease program. They also produced the majority of Thompson Submachine guns used during WWII!
After the war, Savage once again returned to producing more civilian models of shotguns and rifles. Eventually, they started to run into financial problems and filed for bankruptcy in 1988.
In the 2000s, Savage started a comeback and was named the Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. Firearms manufacturing is a wild industry, and in 2013 Savage was acquired by Vista Outdoor, a firearms accessory and ammunition firm. In 2019, Savage was sold again to an investor group led by Savage management, and the company hasn’t looked back since.
Now the company is headquartered in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts, with some operations in Canada. I have a message for Savage Arms management: Move to Florida! Stop giving money and jobs to governments that hate your politics and the firearms industry!
I’m done with my rant, now let me get back to the subject.
The new Savage Axis II Precision rifle is one of the first rifles to be manufactured under the new owners. It’s an upgrade to its Axis II line, and a budget precision rifle full of features you’d expect to see in more expensive guns. The Axis II is built on an exclusive black aluminum Modern Driven Technologies (MDT) chassis with injection molded “Skin.” It’s equipped with the proprietary Savage 2.5 – 6 lb. AccuTrigger, and a 22” carbon steel heavy barrel for accuracy. Other features include adjustable comb and length of pull, an MLOK forend, and it’s offered in six calibers!
SPECIFICATIONS
Action Type: Bolt
Caliber: 223 Rem, 243 Win, 270 Win, 30-06 Spfld, 308 Win, or 6.5 Creedmoor.
Magazine capacity: 10 round with either a metal or polymer AICS magazine depending on caliber.
Sights: Action length picatinny rail for use with optics of your choice.
Barrel Length: 22”
Overall Length: 24.5” to 43.5”
Weight: 9.85 lbs.
MSRP: $899
The last few years have been great for the shooting sports. The engineers have been let loose, and the competition amongst firearm manufacturers is phenomenal! Now, if we can just get the ammunition situation taken care of!
The Savage Axis II Precision rifle is rich with features at a budget-friendly price. With entry-level precision rifles generally starting in the $1,500 to 2,000 range, the Savage Axis II Precision is a bargain at $899!
That’s all for now folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s be careful out there.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism, Firearms, First Aid, Active Shooter Response, and Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations in Florida. His writing has appeared in The Counter Terrorist Magazine, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected].
Photo from https://www.savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=57550