Savage has built upon its experience with the .22 Hornet only Model 40, the beautifully done “Classic” centerfire line, its hugely successful rimfire rifles, and cooked up a new rifle. At a glance, the Model 25 looks like the big brother to Savage’s 93R17 Classic .17 HMR. Looking closer, it is a lot more than that.

This is a brand new diameter specific short action from Savage, stemming from neither their Model 40 nor their revered Model 110 short-action. The Model 25 has a solid bolt, no floating bolt head, and has three generous locking lugs at the front that make it more than suitably robust for this application. It is more compact, lighter action with a threaded and pinned barrel array, including a recoil lug that, though not the familiar Savage “switch barrel,” allows this gun to be lighter and livelier than previously possible. Here are some manufacturer's specifications:

·        Action - Bolt with three locking lugs, 60 degree rotation

·        Caliber - .223 Remington (.204 Ruger also available)

·        Overall length - 41.75"

·        Barrel - 22" sleeved, free-floating

·        Trigger - AccuTrigger adjustable from 2.5-3.25 pounds

·        Weight - 7.15 pounds

·        Magazine - Detachable box, 4 round capacity

·        Stock - Satin lacquer finished American walnut with black forend tip and wrap around checkering

·        Sights - None; Weaver scope bases installed

·        Rifling twist - 1 in 12" (.223)

·        2009 MSRP - $672

Cosmetically it shares some of the refinements we have come to expect in Savage’s Classic line: walnut stocks with cut checkering, black fore end tip, jeweled bolt, grip cap and highly polished bluing. Like the well known Savage short actions, the barrel is floated and the barreled action is secured with dual pillars. Overall, it is a downsized action well suited to the cartridges for which it is offered: .204 Ruger and 223 Remington. It retains the AccuTrigger, with a two-position thumb safety at the right of the action.

This Savage AccuTrigger breaks at 2 pounds, 11 ounces right out of the box. It felt so good I have not bothered to adjust it further.

The magazine set-up appears to be all new. Examining the magazine well, you’ll notice that the bottom "iron," including the trigger guard, is one piece. A plastic piece, to be a bit more precise, but extremely well done. In gunland we have all kinds of code names for “plastic.” It can be composite, polymer, structural or synthetic. In any case, as far as I am concerned, “plastic” does not tell me much. There is plastic wrap and then there are plastic materials of high strength or density such as UHMWPE, which is used to replace joints in the body or for body armor, to cite a couple of examples.

Although I am a blued steel and walnut enthusiast, it is fairly easy for me to grade plastics used in ancillary parts: there is good and bad. I do have a problem with visible, sloppy mold lines and materials that are either unsightly or fragile. In the case of the Model 25’s magazine/trigger guard array, it is both aesthetically pleasing and well fitted.

Savage has a new magazine, also plastic, that accompanies the Model 25. It has a four-shot capacity, loads and feeds like a dream, and fits its mating surfaces well with no rattling. It is an example of a very good application, adding the obvious functional benefits (no corrosion, less weight) without being hard on the eyes. It is best described as a structural polymer, rather than the vague “plastic.” It is very well done. Most of our shooters didn’t notice one way or the other.

The Savage comes supplied with Weaver bases already installed, a thoughtful touch. I used Warne steel permanent rings to attach a Kahles CL 3-9x42mm riflescope. With the 60-degree bolt lift of the Savage, scope mounting was a breeze. The Savage shot superbly right out of the box. When I flinched just right, I was able to make the bullet holes touch. The Model 25 is an MOA gun with bulk American Eagle ammo and half-MOA with the right ammo.

Comparing the Savage Model 25 to a CZ 527 American I also had at the range that day, I could not decide which rifle was the most accurate. I concluded that, as a practical matter, both the Savage Model 25 and the CZ could place bullets far more precisely than I could in field conditions. The difference of 1/8^th inch in group size either way came down to specific ammo for the individual rifle.

Both the Model 25 and the CZ were outstanding rifles, with accuracy in the arena of some dedicated varmint rifles rather than the light, handy, fast-handling platforms that they are. The Savage was clearly the best value for the dollar of the tested rifles, easy to work with from a scope mounting perspective and it had the benefit of always being able to use all the rounds we put into the clip magazine with no snags.

I liked the Savage plunger ejector's ability to eject brass positively, regardless of bolt speed. I also appreciated that the Savage safety was far quieter in operation than the CZ’s push-forward “snapper.” The lines of the Savage were less blocky than the CZ and the grip cap, jeweled bolt, and closer to flush mount magazine configuration made the Savage a more stylish choice, with nicer lines. I also liked the ability to feed a single cartridge directly into the chamber, rather than having to feed from the magazine, as in the Mauser-esque action of the CZ. The Savage action, I felt, was more appropriate for both the cartridge and general use. I would happily buy the Savage, and I did just that.