The new A17 semiauto rifle from Savage Arms is chambered for the .17 HMR cartridge. MSRP is $465. The A17, Stock Number 47001, has a delayed-blowback action, hard chrome bolt, case-hardened receiver, and 10-round detachable rotary magazine.
The AccuTrigger is also user-adjustable. Weight for the A17 is 5.4 pounds. Overall Length is 42 inches. The button-rifled 22-inch carbon-steel barrel has a one-in-nine twist rate. We’ll let you know when we have them in stock.
So why can’t that old autoloader you’ve got fire a modern rimfire cartridge like the .17 HMR? Here’s an explanation of how the new A17 action differs from a standard autoloading design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnAV-VxEWes&feature=youtu.be
I saw the video above and purchased a savage A17 along with the CCi A17 Ammo, when first shot at 100 yards, the elevation was extremely low and the grouping erratic, it was sent back to savage and their gunsmith could not repair it so a new one was sent, the second after shooting 10 rounds, it would not pick up the cartridge from the magazine, a call to Savage indicating the problem, suggested to trade for a Savage 17hmr bolt action, after some talk, they agreed but as an even exchange plus the cost of sending it to a registered dealer as it was a different gun, the loss would be close to 100.00 dls, so I opted to have it repaired for the third time, and yes I bought my gun in June
2015 it is Mid November 2015 and still not have it back.
Would I purchase another Savage product? I leave this to your imagination.
I wish they or someone else will develop more semi-auto rifles for the 5.7 x 28mm cartridge which is a pretty darn good small caliber round!
I thought I wanted a semi-auto 17 hmr,until i bought the A-17! It is on its way back to savage for the second time. It will not cock when a round is fired.It will cock if the bolt is pulled back manually!The problem was the same on the first return!To no avail,savage sent my new A-17back to me without properly test firing !One of my coworkers has the A-17 and he has to use a small screwdriver to remove the magazine out of his !!!!!!!!!?????
i bought one ,ordered three more magazines and shot 200 rounds of cci a17 ammo thru it and not one single magazine shot thru it without jamming. perhaps alittle more tweaking is necessary on the bolt.
On this website, the .177 is constantly being compared with the .22 standard LR round. Why not compare it with a 22 WMR? After all, the base shell for both calibers is the 22 WMR shell. Wouldn’t that equalize things more evenly?
Actually the 22 long rifle is not parented by the .22 mag. It is smaller in diameter by a couple hundredths.
.177 is the caliber for air gun pellets.
.172 is the firearm caliber.
i tried to use .172 bullets in my air rifle and found the difference.
The .22 wmr is different in design than .22 lr, in that it is actually a straight wall case , while the .22 lr case is the same diameter as the projectile. I prefer the .22 wmr to the .17 .
Thanks for the video, I could never understand why no one could produce a semi auto .17.
I think it was Marlin who in the 90’s was the first company to put a bolt action .17 on the market and I brought the stainless steel with a laminated stock version that I still have today. I like to tell fellow shooters at the range that this is the least expensive, but most consistently accurate rifle I own.
I’m not much of a hunter but I do love precision shooting off the bench and on the days when I don’t feel like getting kicked around by a .308 the .17 is the ticket.
Waited a long time for a semi-auto .17 and am putting off another purchase to buy one when they become available.
The 5.56mm so-called NATO cartridge did it’s designed job well until the bullet stabilization boys got into extending the down range performance. That service to decrease bullet ‘tumble’ on impact and resulted in our soldiers too often hitting, but not stopping their targets. The cartridge was at it’s best when used at close range with a barrel twist rate that maximized damage. It was not intended for long range performance. Fifty years on, the military teams have learned how to get 7.62mm (also a ‘NATO” cartridge) beating performance from the 5.56mm albeit by loading a single round too long to fit a magazine into the chamber. A .22 caliber round lets one tote more ammo. Lethal hits may not follow.
i agree that although over velocity for it the 5.56 is a short range caliber, I use the 6.8sp now. i hunt in Georgia and never had to shoot over 50 yards and usually less than 30 yards. Interestingly enough i have killed as many deer with an original Colt AR15 as I have with my 55 yr old Rem.1100. That said, the “lethality of a particular caliber is always the function of the man on the trigger.
I love the 17 hmr round for small game hunting but use solids for small game not the varmint rounds it just destroys small game . I have taken coyote ,rabbit ,squiirel , groundhogs among other game with great success with the 17 hmr round with a 20 grain solid it will shoot clean through a deers head if you need a survival rifle easily and far out does the 22 mag round to me in perormance i use the bolt action savage and out to 150 yrds i never miss . And i think it could shoot farther but i believe in ethical shots only but it drops everything i hit with it with a hollow point or 20 grain solid you want to shoot varmints the v max bullets explode groundhogs like watermelons .Would have to actually try it in a semi auto to know its auto loader potential but it has never failed me in the field ever. And if it works well great idea
Thanks Woody, good info on this system. Best description of a DBB bolt I’ve seen. May have to add this Savage to my collection an pair it to the thumb hole stock 93 I use now.
I don’t know that the .17 HMR is a “wonder round”, Roy but it is indeed here to stay. It’s not a flash in the pan by any means. I don’t know where you live or who your talking with but I’ve not run across anyone who’s put this varmiter aside once they use it. I’d match it side by side with any other rimfire or center fire varmite round inside the 175 meter engagement envelope. I use one nearly exclusively (Savage 93, thumb hole stock, BSA Sweet 17 optics) now for all things Coyote an smaller and it has been unfailing. The 17 grain BT rounds are accurate a provide excellent ballistics. The 17gr HP is also an excellent performer. The 20 grain FMJ offers a bit more terminal energy without extensive pelt damage if one is looking to skin their quarry.
I don’t know that the .17 will replace the .22 Mag. My feel is that it won’t, however it will remain as a complement to or as ones stand along rimfire in the future on its own merits. I see it as a solid evolution of an already established munition.
While I familiar with delayed blow back designs (Steyr GB pistol MP5 SMG etc) this is absolutely the best computer animation of the challenge of timing the opening of the bolt and delyed blow back system I have ever seen.!
The .17 HMR always seemed to be as one of the ‘wonder rounds’ that pop up from time to time trying to make a niche for it’s self where there is no real need. Have know people that have used this round for varmits, went back to .22 Mag. Remember from way-back- when, the .22 Express was supposed to replace the .22 Long Rifle. It just kind of faded away. Sad to say; the .22 Long Rifle has faded into history with the .22 Express. Few people remember it ,( the .22 Express),but for ‘old timers’ like myself. Almost that way for the .22 LR. If the .17 HMR is attempting to replace the .22 Mag., lots-of-luck.
Roy,
The .22 WMR and .17 HMR are not an “either / or” choice as if you can’t have both — they have some differing applications where each is better than the other.
Physics is physics, and for any given amount of gunpowder the .17 HMR would always deliver more kinetic energy (and thus more “hydrostatic shock”) than the .22 WMR while the .22 WMR would always deliver more mass (and thus a deeper wound channel) than the .17 HMR. Whichever you think you need for any given application (kinetic energy or mass), you have a choice.
When NATO went to a light / fast .22 caliber bullet with a lot of gunpowder behind it (5.56 NATO), that was not just a coin flip.
Again, physics is physics, and all the “expert” opinion and “life experience” in the world can’t change that.
17HMR DELIVERS MORE KINETIC ENERGY THAN 22WMR??? REALLY? ACCORDING TO CCI, 17 HMR = ABOUT 250 FPE, WHILE 22WMR = ABOUT 325 FPE. DO YOU THINK CCI IS IN ERROR?
After hunting for many yrs with both in my opinion and all i know who switched to the 17 hmr after seeing it’s potential and performance.
The average 17 hmr factory load leaves the muzzle at over 2550 fps on my chonie with a 20 grain bullet none of my 22 wmr ‘scan obtain that speed and after shooting many varmints and critters with my savage 17 hmr out to 150 yrds i would not go back to a 22 wmr for any reason all. It is all about bullet choice in the 17 hmr what are you hunting with it? To me the 22wmr just does not compare in lethality ,accuracy and the wide range of diff tipped bullets on the market for certain game and all around survival abilties if it is all you have but that is why the make chocolate and vanilla all have diff tatses and opinions my man. I will stick with my 17 HMR all day long and be happy .