Lightest Factory Action

[RepeatPete]

What’s the lightest factory (non-custom) steel action?
So many things vary the weight of factory rifles (barrel lengths and profiles, stocks, metal vs plastic magazines, etc.) that I can’t go on overall weight to judge the action weight alone.

I’m going for steel only - I’m sure the few titanium factory actions are light, but also very expensive on the used market. So far all I’ve found is that Winchester M70’s are heavier than Remington M700’s. The Savage lightweight actions have a lot of fluting and lightening cuts, and I’m sure the Kimber actions are light too.

Anyone have any data to share?

 

[IrkedCitizen]

What are you trying to accomplish? You can have the majority of actions machined to be lighter but it'll cost you. At that point you might as well went with an aftermarket "custom".

Savage actions are less than smooth in function. Even if they are the lightest option I would buy a heavier action that functioned better.

 

[RepeatPete]

What are you trying to accomplish? You can have the majority of actions machined to be lighter but it'll cost you. At that point you might as well went with an aftermarket "custom".

Savage actions are less than smooth in function. Even if they are the lightest option I would buy a heavier action that functioned better.

I’m looking to build a cheaper whitetail woods gun. I’ve started building carbon fiber stocks, so want to see how light I can build something without spending custom level money.

I understand that this is Rokslide so Tikka over everything, however I’ve never had a problem with the savages I’ve handled.

Just looking to see if anyone had weight numbers for the common factory actions.

 

[hunterjmj]

Not sure the weight but my wife's kimber 84m rifle is very light and the action is smaller it seems. Have no numbers but it's light.

 

[TxLite]

I don’t know the answer to your question but here’s a stainless Tikka with factory trigger (minus bottom metal and mag) for your research. With factory bottom metal and mag it came out to 33.5 oz.

 

[RepeatPete]

I don’t know the answer to your question but here’s a stainless Tikka with factory trigger (minus bottom metal and mag) for your research. With factory bottom metal and mag it came out to 33.5 oz.

View attachment 617873

Exactly the info I was looking for, thank you!

 

[RepeatPete]

Just to keep track for myself, and for anyone else wondering:
From JA Outdoors website:
- Tikka T3X Lite SS .308 w/ mag and trigger guard: 2 lbs 1 oz (lines up exactly with what @TxLite posted above)
- Savage 110 ultralight short action .308, no mag or trigger guard: 27.2 oz

- Savage 110 lightweight storm magazine: 2.5 oz, from a savage shooters thread
- Rem 700, from a long range hunting thread

 

[Jbuck]

If you don't want to go titanium. I'd guess the kimber action is going to be right up there. It's pretty much a scaled down m70 action. Designed around the 308win or 30-06 cartridge.

Not sure on the howa superlite action either. My buddy just got a 6.5superlight and it seems pretty trim as well.

 

[Spoonbill]

Milled Tikka action

Just ran across this image and was hoping someone on here knows of a gunsmith that would be willing to mill off the top of a tikka action like the one in the picture.

rokslide.com

You can always do this to a Tikka to shave weight

 

[left hunter]

Here is the weight of a left hand Forbes 20b. Not the easiest to find but when I do they seem to be way undervalued

 

[Pickettpuncher]

 

[ElPollo]

I’m looking to build a cheaper whitetail woods gun. I’ve started building carbon fiber stocks, so want to see how light I can build something without spending custom level money.

I understand that this is Rokslide so Tikka over everything, however I’ve never had a problem with the savages I’ve handled.

Just looking to see if anyone had weight numbers for the common factory actions.

If you are looking to go inexpensive, milling an action is probably not the path. Take a look at the threads on lightening up the Kimber hunter. The stock ergonomics are one of the downsides of that gun. If you are building your own carbon stocks, you may be able to resolve that.

 

[wind gypsy]

I'd be surprised if kimbers weren't on the low end.

The draw to lightweight rifles for big woods whitetail left me after spending time humping rifles around the mountains. An 8-9.5# ready to go rifle feels light in the northwoods now.