Savage Impulse

About the Savage Impulse

The Savage Impulse is the first American-made straight-pull bolt-action rifle, introduced in 2021. Its defining feature is the Hexlock locking system: six hardened steel ball bearings cam outward into recesses in a barrel extension, locking the bolt in battery and giving the rifle the speed of a straight-pull action without sacrificing the strength of a traditional turnbolt. The Impulse is fully ambidextrous - the bolt handle can be swapped to either side of the receiver and adjusted for angle - and it accepts standard Model 110 detachable magazines. It is offered across a wide caliber range from .22-250 Remington up to .338 Lapua Magnum.

Straight-pull bolt actions had long been a European specialty (Blaser R8, Heym SR30, Browning Maral) but the Impulse was the first time an American manufacturer brought one to mass production - and crucially, at a price competitive with traditional turnbolts. Hexlock's six-ball bearing system was patented by Savage's engineering team specifically to make a straight-pull strong enough for .338 Lapua Magnum, something no other affordable straight-pull had attempted.

Savage Impulse specifications

Specifications shown are typical for an Impulse Hunter in .308 Winchester. Available variants include Hunter, Predator, Mountain Hunter, Big Game, KLYM, Elite Precision (over 5.9 kg, 30" barrel) and Ultralite Pro. Receiver is machined aluminum with a steel barrel extension housing the Hexlock; barrel is carbon steel and finished in Cerakote. Originally MSRP $1,379-$2,437 depending on variant.