We visited Savage Arms in Westfield, Massachusetts, where we found something a bit different in the way the company makes its barrels. 

There are a lot of secrets, actually. Like starting with all-American-made carbon or stainless steel – no imports. Then, the steel is drilled, reamed, and button rifled broached the old way to impart the lands and grooves to the barrel. 

Next, you have a barrel straightening process. By a human. By hand. 

We spoke with Sheppard Torres, who has spent the past 21 years hand-straightening barrels at Savage to improve accuracy. Factory tours around the world rarely reveal this level of craftsmanship. 
 

Related: Savage Arms Factory Tour

After witnessing the straightening process first-hand, it’s not hard to see how Savage barrels have earned a reputation for being some of the most accurate in the world. 

We would like to thank Savage for opening their doors so that we could see "where the magic happens." 

Video by Ben Philippi and Scott Gara. Video thumbnail by Brian Vliet. Video shot on Sony cameras with Zeiss lenses. Video hosting via Cloudflare. Article and images by Chris Eger. Still shots made with Nikon equipment. Copy editing by Megan Bradley and Paul Peterson.