First Look: Savage Arms 110 PCS Bolt-Action Pistol for Handgun Hunting

Savage Arms launched on Dec. 13 its new 110 PCS, a bolt-action pistol built around the gunmaker’s classic factory-blueprinted 110 action.

As most hunters and shooters are aware, the 110 action has been around for several decades, and in that time, it’s performed remarkably well, with countless game animals to its name. Now, with the 110 PCS, Savage brings all the features shooters expect from the venerable Model 110 down into a much more compact configuration—one that serious handgun hunters, and shooters more generally, are sure to love.

The letters "PCS" stand for Pistol Chassis System, and this chassis is probably one of the first things you notice about the gun. The machined aluminum one-piece chassis comes from Modular Driven Technologies (MDT), and it features a 7-inch free-floating forend complete with M-LOK attachment slots for adding accessories. The chassis also has a Cerakote finish.

For its barrel, the 110 PCS bolt-action pistol uses a medium-contour 10.5-inch carbon steel barrel with a threaded (5/8-24) muzzle. Both barrel and receiver wear a matte black finish, and the gun utilizes Savage's excellent AccuTrigger, which is user-adjustable from 2.5 to 6 pounds. A one-piece 0 MOA rail sits atop the chassis, so you’re all set to mount your desired optic. There’s also a picatinny rail at the rear of the chassis for folding braces, buffer tube adapters, etc. As a bonus, the chassis accepts most AR-15 pistol grips, too, if you find you don’t like the one included or have a favorite you prefer.

The 110 PCS feeds from reliable 10-round AICS-style magazines, and the chassis has an easily accessible ambidextrous magazine release located near the front of the trigger guard. The safety, meanwhile, is a standard tang-mounted design.

The 110 PCS has a spiral-fluted bolt body, and one of the more unique aspects of the gun is its left-side placement of the bolt and its right-side ejection. You run the bolt with your left hand, and the spent cartridge ejects to the gun’s right.

Total weight on the 110 PCS is 5.625 pounds, so it’s fairly light, which most hunters will appreciate in the field.

Although the 110 PCS made its public debut this week, I actually got to shoot it a few weeks earlier while on a whitetail hunt in western Oklahoma. I didn’t take a hog or a doe with the pistol (I tagged a mature buck with Savage’s new Impulse Predator, however), but I was able to spend a bit of time with it on the range.

Paired with the proper optic, it’s a solid shooter. Savage states that they’ve taken the "gun out past 500 yards with reliable, repeatable accuracy," and I believe it. In fact, one shooter in our group was able to ring steel at 700 yards with a 110 PCS chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. This is beyond the range and capabilities of most hunters, but the gun’s ability to hit at a distance speaks well to its accuracy at closer ranges, too.

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The left-handed bolt operation of the 110 PCS initially threw me off a bit. However, it didn’t take long to make the adjustment, especially shooting off a benchrest or other well-supported position. Overall, during my limited time with the 110 PCS, I came away very impressed with its feel, function and performance. And I think many hunters will be as well.

The new Savage Arms 110 PCS bolt-action pistol will be available in the following chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Winchester, .350 Legend, .300 Blackout and .223 Remington. It is priced at $999 for all models.

Savage Arms 110 PCS Features

• Carbon steel, matte black, barrel and receiver
• Medium-contour 10.5” barrel, with threaded muzzle (5/8-24)
• Machined aluminum, 1-piece chassis with 7” free floating modular forend with M-LOK™ slots
• 1-piece 0 MOA rail
• Left hand bolt, right hand ejection
• Spiral fluted bolt body
• 2.5-6 lb user-adjustable AccuTrigger
• Picatinny rail on rear of chassis
• Accepts most AR-15 pistol grips
• Barricade grooves milled into the front of the magazine well
• Ambidextrous magazine release and AICS Magazine