Savage 110 Magpul Scout Rifle: Review

The gun club I shoot at has more than 1,000 members, and while weekends are crowded, on other days I can usually get my work done practically undisturbed. Only two of us were there while I was shooting the Savage Magpul Scout. The other fellow and I had hunted spring gobblers together a couple of times, so after the shooting was done we chatted for a while.

The first thing out of his mouth was, “I know why so many gun companies are building short rifles like that Savage you were shooting.” Before I could reply, he followed with, “Everybody these days either has a suppressor or is in the process of getting one, and with a can hanging on the barrel of your rifle it is no longer than a with a 24-inch barrel.”

And he was right. For another assignment, I was also shooting a Savage 110 Klym with a 24-inch barrel that day, and with its muzzle brake removed, it was a half-inch longer than the Magpul Scout wearing my Banish 30 suppressor, which is nine inches long.

Savage has been selling variations of the Model 110 rifles with the Scout moniker for more than 20 years, and the Model 110 Magpul Scout is the latest version to come down the pike. It should have been called Model 110 Magpul Hunter because that’s the actual name of the component stock itself.

Background

For the benefit of those who are interested in a bit of history, Magpul was founded in 1999 by former U.S. Marine Richard Fitzpatrick. His very first products, called MAGPULs, were rubber loops that attached to the bottoms of AR-15 magazines to allow them to be more quickly removed from carrying pouches during combat. He got the idea from fellow soldiers who often fashioned similar magazine pullers from paracord.

The Magpul Scout has a number of features often seen on synthetic stocks these days. Beginning at the south end, spacers included in the package allow length of pull to be adjusted from 13 to 15 inches. Simply remove the two retention screws from the recoil pad, pull it off, add or remove spacers as needed and reattach the pad.

Unlike recoil pads on some rifles, the one on the Magpul Scout stock actually does work. Integral sling attachment points are on both sides of the stock. Moving forward to the semi-vertical wrist with its non-slip gripping surface, shallow touch points on both sides are there for shooters who prefer a thumb-forward rather than a wraparound grip.

Instead of a traditional sling swivel, the Magpul Scout’s buttstock has slots in the side for a strap-type sling. On the fore-end, an abundance of M-Lok slots on its bottom and sides allows easy attachment of sling, bipod and other accessories. The wide fore-end has a flat bottom for resting on a sandbag or barricade while the rifle is seeing action in competition.

Weight and Construction

My scale indicated a weight of three pounds for the stock, which, if you’re keeping score on the price, retails for $300 on its own. Color options are black or flat dark earth, and as is to be expected from Savage, the rifle is available with right- or left-hand action.

A long aluminum bedding block in the stock has a mortise at the front for the recoil lug of the receiver, along with threaded attachment points that receive four bolts securing the receiver and bottom metal. This design detail allows a drop-in fit of the barreled action at the factory while delivering good accuracy.

Like the stock, the bottom assembly is black polymer. The trigger guard is roomy enough for three fingers, or one large finger clad in a very thick glove. A paddle-shaped ambidextrous magazine release at the front of the guard is within easy reach of an index finger, with a push forward dropping the empty AICS-style polymer magazine and making room for 10 more rounds (four rounds for the .450 Bushmaster). With a bit of practice, loaded magazine insertion becomes quick and easy. Nothing feeds cartridges more smoothly than a good polymer magazine of single-stack design.

The receiver and bolt of the 110 action on this rifle are blueprinted. Bolt rotation, travel and lockup were a bit rough, but a thin coat of lube on the rear surfaces of the two locking lugs on the bolt body and the firing pin cocking ramp worked wonders as usual. It will improve as the bolt wears in.

Short Action

Short cartridges such as the 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win. and .450 Bushmaster were designed for a short action, and that’s exactly what the Savage rifle has. It also has the old-style grooved barrel retention nut, and I am equally happy to see the exposed end of the sear at the right-hand side of the receiver bridge serving as a bolt release. Just like on the original Model 110, holding it down with a thumb while holding back the trigger allows the bolt to be removed from the receiver.

The blued carbon steel barrel measures 16.5 inches from bolt face to muzzle, and close examination with my Lyman Borecam revealed fairly smooth lands and grooves with a few tool marks. Outside barrel diameters are 1.025 inches in front of the receiver ring and 0.700 inch at the muzzle, which is nicely crowned.

The barrel has the usual 5/8x24 threads, and it comes with the same muzzle brake as was on a Savage 110 Elite Precision I shot some time ago. The brake has left-hand exterior threads and attaches to a retention sleeve, which has internal right-hand 5/8x24 threads.

Here is how it works. With the sleeve snug against the brake, both are turned clockwise until they reach the limit of the threaded shank. At that point, the four ports of the brake are not likely to be in their correct horizontal position. Through trial and error, readjust the two until the ports are properly aligned, with the sleeve pulling the brake hard against the muzzle of the barrel.

Easy to See Accuracy

Attached to the receiver is a 24-slot Picatinny rail that reaches 5 3⁄8 inches beyond the front of the receiver. Sitting atop its aft end is a fully adjustable Williams rear sight with a 0.180-inch aperture. Up front, an elevation adjustable AR-15 style sight is protected from damage by sturdy steel ears that allow plenty of light to reach the sight.

I love iron sights and prior to attaching a scope to the rifle for accuracy testing, I found banging steel out to 300 yards to be both fun and easy. You will not find a better sight picture for both accuracy and quick target acquisition.

The tang safety slide blocks trigger movement in its rearward position, and pushing the slide to its middle position allows the bolt to be cycled for loading or unloading while the trigger is still blocked. Pushing the slide all the way forward readies the rifle for firing. The safety is wide enough to be easily moved while wearing gloves, and deep horizontal grooves on its surface offer no-slip operation with the thumb.

Shooting the rifle reminded me once again of how good a mass-produced trigger can be. With no detectable trace of creep or overtravel, the AccuTrigger broke crisply at 3.75 pounds with a variation of only three ounces. According to the specs, I could have gone down to 1.5 pounds, and would have if I had been shooting a varmint rifle or a rifle used for precision shooting. However, since the Magpul Scout is for down and dirty use in a world of hard knocks, I left the trigger alone.

Savage Model 110 Magpul Scout Specs

• Type: two-lug centerfire
• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win (tested), .450 Bushmaster
• Capacity: 10-round detachable magazine
• Barrel: 16.5 in., 1:10 twist
• Overall Length: 36 5⁄8 in.
• Weight: 8.5 lb.
• Stock: injection-molded polymer w/bedding block
• Trigger: AccuTrigger adjustable; 3.75 lb. pull (measured)
• Safety: 3-position tang
• Sights: adjustable Williams aperture rear, AR-15-style front; Picatinny rail
• MSRP: $1,099
• Manufacturer: Savage Arms, SavageArms.com

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