I wish I had taken a photo.Hard to envision what you're describing. I looked at mine. I see 1 or 2 threads showing on the barrel but the barrel is seated tight and it's pretty accurate. Was the barrel "loose" on the gun at the store?
I would buy that one. It is looks great compared to what I saw.Mine looks the same as those above. I think if the barrel is tight, it shouldn't be an issue. We're not talking about tight congruences like you would with precision rifles. It's a shotgun.
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I bought 12 boxes of remington accutips so I hope they shoot well.It is simply extra threads showing past the barrel nut. It has nothing to do with function. It is an aesthetics thing. Savage guns are not aesthetically pleasing anyway. The 220 with remington accutips is a good suggestion if you are limited to slug gun only.
The sx4 will have a lot less recoil. I handled one yesterday and was surprised at how much the cantilever scope mounting flexed. Probably stiffen up with a scope on it.I am in this same conundrum. I recently got access to a private ranch for my daughter but it’s in a shotgun only zone. After my research, I’m torn between a savage 220 and a Winchester SX4 cantilever buck semi auto. My kid is only 10, so either way she’s gonna get the snot kicked out of her, which sucks, so I’m kinda leaning towards the Sx4 because of the recoil.