SWThomas
interesting to see how Lehigh is going to improve all these products that the actual manufacturers weren't able to improve.... Especially the Savage which I haven't heard a single complaint about.
I really do not think it is a matter of the Savage or Knight being able to improve the products... but a problem of whether it was economically feasable to improve on themselves.
I Knight case - until the 25ACP and the Speed Breech it was an accepted fact that blow back was going to occur. With the 25acp which totally controlled blow back then TC trying to do the same thing with the Speed Breech we we were happy. Then throw in the problems that BH brought about - new BP's were needed TC did it with a Speed Breech, but, have you bought one of those lately... that added a hefty expense to the TC - who were locked in a very competitve battel with CVA to keep their prices down. Knight on the other hand was also in the process of changing the breech plug and the bolt to accomodate the new podwer and to reduce blow back, and from all reports it would have worked just fine... but enter a greater expense at doing so and again unable to compete with the foreign made prices of CVA/Traditions.
So certainly they had the abillty, but it came down could they afford to do it and be competitive?
In the Savage case, apparently you do not shoot a vent liner.... Savage recommends they be replaced every so many shots... I can not remember the exact numbers but it seems every 100 shots with smokeless and every 50 shots of BP. Not only that the size of the flash hole in a Savage Vent liner is in question and it erodes very quickly.
There are several people making after market vent liners for a Savage and it is a documented problem with the Savage, Randy Wakeman offers and upgrade, even Precision Rifle offers one - both thought to be superior to the Savage vent liners.
Having a more reliable vent liner that is more resistance to gas cutting is a desired feature.
So yes! the companies could do it also but for them it is a matter of buliding for the masses, economics and competition with foregn manufactures...
And one last thing you are not going to want to hear but yes! Tom is driving some of these projects as means of improving his shooting but also for me and other ML shooters that also try to get better. And yes! Lehigh is willing to listen and experiment with Tom to develope better possibly products for me and others... but, there really is nothing that says you have to take advantage of these upgrades or even the ones that Mike Bellum has produced for you... TC could have done it better also.