Accomplishing this resulted in 13 patents filed to support the Impulse, and these improvements join a raft of previously proven Savage innovations. The challenge for Savage in developing the Impulse was to design a rifle that would not only meet the consumer’s expectations of the brand - accuracy, reliability, safety, price - it also had to compete against entrenched preconceptions of American shooters regarding straight pulls, and improve upon the platform’s perceived shortcomings, be they real or imagined. Thanks to the modular design of the bolt assembly, users can personalize the reach, feel and operation of the bolt handle by adjusting the angle, or rake.
With the well-regarded Model 10/110 bolt action atop it’s resume, Savage is also one of the few domestic manufacturers that may actually be able to pull it off. Lessons learned abroad have not been lost on the riflemakers at Savage Arms, and the company’s engineers and product managers, many of whom are passionate shooters and outdoorsmen and -women, have determined that the time is right for an American-made straight-pull rifle. This is the straight-pull mirage, and unfortunately it disregards long years of reliable service in the hands of hunters elsewhere around the world. No doubt, it must have influenced the now-ingrained opinion of straight-pull rifles and metric chamberings in our minds. Navy and Marine Corps adopted the 6mm Lee Navy rifle in 1895, and its brief service life from 1895 to 1907. Honestly, I’d be hard pressed to identify a serious effort to sell American rifleman on a straight pull since the U.S. (Have you heard of the Browning Maral?) Perhaps the most familiar contemporary is Blaser’s R8 rifle, but with a starting price north of $2,500, it remains the domain of well-heeled huntsmen. Modern manufacturers including Blaser, Heym, Merkel, and even Browning, offer different approaches to the linear action, though few companies bother to market to American consumers. Respected arms makers have been building and improving the straight-pull bolt-action concept since the Mannlicher M1886. Removal requires depressing the handle’s detent pin, which also holds the cover plate in place when fully assembled (inset). There are three important pieces to the bolt: The handle, the threaded spacer sleeve, and the cover plate. Add to these perceptions some of the typical flairs of Euro-centric firearm styling such as Schnabel forends, tightly curved pistol grips, and thumbhole stocks, and it’s easy to see why many American hunters believe such rifles are simply not for them. It doesn’t matter if these perceptions are based on data or real experiences, they are believed to be true and treated as fact. Straight pulls are understood to be fast-handling, but informal surveys at local ranges and gun shops reveal they are also perceived to be too expensive, lack in accuracy, and are potentially unsafe. I’d suggest that it’s a matter of perception. So, why haven’t straight-pull rifles caught on among American sportsmen? As chamber pressure rises, Hexlock’s hold becomes stronger. The removeable bolthead (inset) houses six stainless-steel ball bearings that act as lugs and lock the bolt into battery. Hexlock is Savage’s answer to the question of safety in a straight-pull rifle. Meet the Impulse, an American-made straight-pull, bolt-action rifle.
In 2021, Savage is adding a new chapter to its catalog of long-arm history. Considering Savage’s penchant for innovation, adaptability and safety, it’s small wonder the company has earned the trust and business of so many American sportsmen. Founded in 1894, the Massachusetts-based firm builds some of the market’s most accurate and financially accessible rifles with its flagship Model 10 and 110 series. For more than a century, these guns have remained our country’s most popular tool for hunting and precision shooting.Ī leading American firearms manufacturer, Savage Arms enjoys a place among the country’s most tenured and popular gunmakers. It was shortly after World War I that the lever guns responsible for winning the West began to give way to sporterized service rifles in the hands of hunters, but purpose-built bolt-action rifles followed soon after. Bolt-action rifles are an American past time, and a pillar of shooting and sporting culture in the United States.