I acquired a Savage Edge in 223 about 10 days ago. Just thought I'd comment about a few things I didn't like about the rifle. Not a review, pleanty of those available on internet about the Edge.
1. Factory trigger is heavy....but I was able to reduce the trigger pull down to between 3-4lbs after playing with trigger mechanism.
2. Spacing between factory supplied scope mounts is about 4 7/8" (between centers of weaver mount groove for rings).....better have a long tubed scope for their weaver type mounts. When I first got the rifle, installed a spare scope that was a 6-18X40 SF and had no problem mounting it. So happened I had a new scope on order and when it arrived, decided to mount it since it was a much better scope and was a 4-20X44 SF. Much to my surprise, new scope wouldn't fit because of mount spacing. Had to use narrower band scope rings and then bevel outer edges of rings to mount the new scope and I had absolutely no room to adjust scope in rings forward or backward. So, you may need to buy extension rings to get your scope mounted properly. Not sure any other scope mounts are made for this rifle yet that would eliminate extension rings.
3. Flex in stock.....during my first trip to rifle range to zero the scope, will notice my elevation crosshair move when I applied pressure to my trigger. Had put the scope on 20 power. Movement of crosshair was at least 1 inch on my target. I shoot from a homemade rest/cradle that I've used for a couple of years now and have used about 20 different scoped rifles on it. Rifle stock rests on forend and just behind the pistol grip on a rifle stock in my cradle. Couldn't recall any such movement of 1 inch in elevation crosshair at a 100 yard target using my rest. Had another shooter near me to view thru scope and squeeze the trigger to verify what I was seeing. He was perplexed by it too. Rifle will be taken to another bench with different shooting rest and same thing happned. Since then I have come to conclusion Savage design of stock allows flex that effects vertical movement of crosshair. Quite simply, amount of plastic in area of stock from rear of receiver along the wrist to pistol grip is too weak. Plastic trigger guard plays a roll in this. Bolt to receiver holds the front of the trigger guard piece to the stock. However rear of this piece is not secured to the stock anyway whatsoever. This trigger guard piece is about 1/3 of the stock at the unsecured end. Applying pressure to my trigger, I can see the gap between the rear of trigger guard piece and the stock spread. Mind you, my trigger releases at 3 1/2 lbs or so and well before it releases you can see the movement in the elevation cross hair. Where possible in stock above the trigger guard, I have filled the cavities exposed there with liquid steel to stiffen it. However this didn't seem to help.
4. Size of spent brass receiver ejection port.....too narrow to suit me. I just shoot targets at range. Used to single loading of ammo thru top of receiver. This is not easy to do with the Edge. I have small hands/fingers and it it possible for me to feed a cartridge thru ejection port to chamber in rifle, but it is a pain. If you do align a cartridge above the magazine lips, be sure to place it well in front of the block in rear of the magazine to compensate for the shorter 223 cartridge. I have no problem doing this with my Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 and the magazine is corect size for its cartridge. Yep, I now remove the detachable magazine, which is easy to do, and put cartridges in it.
