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Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report. In this ongoing series we discover, review, and discuss anything and everything surrounding the rimfire firearm world. This week we’ll be covering a recent release by Savage Arms – the Savage Arms Minimalist rimfire rifles. These newer offerings from Savage are set to redefine the rimfire rifle world with their distinctly different stock design. We covered the initial release of these rifles before here.
The Rimfire Report: The Savage Arms Minimalist Rimfire Rifle
The Rimfire Report: A Fresh Look at the Savage Arms Minimalist Rimfire Rifle
The Minimalist line of rifles will make use of the already existing Mark II, 93 and 93R17 rifles. Chambered in everything from 22LR, 22WMR, and even 17 HRM the new stocks will allow you to choose from your favorite rimfire calibers.
Features
- Bolt action rimfire chambered in 22 LR, 22 WMR, and 17 HMR
- 18” carbon steel barreled action
- Matte black sporter contour barrel
- 1⁄2-28 threaded barrel with cap
- Green or brown laminate stock
- 2.5-6 lb. user-adjustable AccuTrigger
- 10-Round detachable magazine
- 2-Piece Weaver bases
The Rimfire Report: The Savage Arms Minimalist Rimfire Rifle
The Minimalist stock combines a lightweight laminate stock with a unique design which makes it ideal for both youth and adult shooters. The shape alone makes this rifle look like an odd duck but with a total weight of 5.68 pounds you can’t really complain as this would find itself right at home with a younger shooter or even a seasoned adult shooter looking for a lightweight plinker or varmint hunter in some popular rimfire calibers
Modern SHooting Modern Ergonomics
The carbon steel barreled action is the heart of the minimalist rifle but the continued laminate stock is what makes the connection between the shooter and the rifle. The grip area helps the shooter line up their hand with the adjustable AccuTrigger – which is adjustable from 2.5 lbs all the way up to a safe 6lbs. This positioning gives the shooter the ability to stay accurate and safe regardless of the shooting situation.
The Rimfire Report: The Savage Arms Minimalist Rimfire Rifle
The stock is said to provide improved ergonomics and just by looking at it, I would say this mostly has to do with the reduced weight cut out off the bottom of the stock, the dropped shoulder pad, and the raised cheek weld. This covers all the important contact points while cutting out unnecessary weight
Features
Most of the features between the different models of the Minimalist are identical. They all feature the same 18″ button rifled sporter contour carbon steel barrels which are capped off with a matte black finish and a 1/2×28 threaded barrel with an end cap.
The Rimfire Report: The Savage Arms Minimalist Rimfire Rifle
All of the rifles feature included 10-round detachable box magazines and weaver scope bases pre-installed on the receivers so they are ready to accept weaver rings and the accompanying optics. The overall length of each of the rifles comes in at 37-inches with a length of pull sitting at 13.75-inches.
One thing I’d like to see included in future iterations of the minimalist is the option for a left-handed action. This is a sector of shooters that often goes unrepresented and while this isn’t a problem for pistol shooters, it is a problem for rifle shooters – no one likes having hot pieces of brass flung in their face.
Worth The Fuss?
TFB hasn’t been able to get their hands on a minimalist yet but I’d be interested in testing one out to see if the stock really does make a difference. I know from experience that the AccuTrigger and barreled actions of Savage Arms are top-notch so I would have high hopes as these essentially already exist with different stock configurations.
The Rimfire Report: The Savage Arms Minimalist Rimfire Rifle
According to Savage, the Minimalist rifle: “…combines the perfect balance of lightweight ergonomics and reliable performance. At just 5.68 pounds, they’re perfect for backyard plinking or hunting on the move. You can carry one all day and hardly feel it.”
Personally, I tend to compare this rifle to its contemporaries like the Ruger American series of rifles which weigh just about the same and also offer a “no-frills” experience. In addition to being nearly the same weight and length and having an identical length of pull, the Ruger offering also features a Picatinny mount which I find to be far more common these days than weaver mounts.
The Comparable Ruger American Rimfire Rifle
I don’t even own a weaver mount anymore and I honestly don’t see the benefit unless you’ve already heavily invested in weaver components – even then you can mount most weaver accessories on Picatinny rails anyway.
Price, availability, and value
Compared to other bolt action magazine-fed rimfire rifles, the Savage looks as if it’s attempting to come in at just a bit cheaper than its competitors. At an MSRP of $359.99, the Minimalist is almost $50 cheaper than the Ruger American. However, it is nearly $100 more than a comparable Marlin but does offer many nice features like a threaded barrel, adjustable trigger, and pre-installed scope mounts.
The Savage Minimalist seems to be squeezed right in between these two other competitors and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and comments on what, in your experience, carries the most value for bolt action, magazine-fed rifle. As always thanks for stopping by to read the rimfire report and we’ll see you next time!
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