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Savage bolt guns

DrDeath

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Dec 12, 2009
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Is there any Savage bolt gun love here? I don’t see much on the Axis precision or the 10-110,12/112 precision guns. Are the savages just not on par with tikkas, Remington’s and begara’s?
 
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Been discussed and million times and to me it always ends in "Savages are junk - I'll never buy another" by people who have likely had extraction and feeding issues and can't stand the lack of finesse in the action.

Me? I'm a dumbass and *LoVe!* my Savage 10 FCP-SR in 6.5 CM. *But* I have never had a failure to feed, extraction issues, and with an upgraded bolt body and AICS magazines while my Savage is not buttery and blueprinted it shoots lights out and has never missed a lick. There is Savage love here but it always gets shouted down and perhaps rightly so - this is an elite forum for Precision Shooters and base level factory rifles are on the back burner.

Just the Way it is here at 'The Hide. Expectations are high and Savage Love is hard to come by.

VooDoo
 
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Is there any Savage bolt gun love here? I don’t see much on the Axis precision or the 10-110,12/112 precision guns. Are the savages just not on par with tikkas, Remington’s and begara’s?

I've got one savage left, it's a LRP action that was originally a 6.5 CM. That rifle shot great as well as my custom impact action. But it wasn't as smooth, ejection wasn't as good. Never had a problem with it, and it still shoots well. It went from a 6.5 CM to a 7 Saum and now is a .223 with a 30 inch Fclass barrel on it. :). I've got three Tikka's now, they're nicer, nicer than my stiller action, and not quite as nice as my Impact.
 
I dont think savages are “bad” (like some of my opinions on other new hot brands) but I certainly think you can better spend your dollar. Not the worst but not the best.
My cousin just got an axis (free) and it shoots the rem corloct really well but the scope base holes on the receiver are visibly out of line and it eats up the scopes entire windage adjustment range to get zeroed, he’s got .75 moa left to one side before it’s allll the way out.
 
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My experience mirrors Voodoo. I have an FCP-SR in 6.5Cm that shoots great. That said, I am unlikely to buy another Savage because there are better options for not much more money (e.g. Tikka).
 
I've owned the Axis and another Savage.

Tried to send back to Savage because barrel wasn't concentric to the barrel. Hole is off to the side.

They told me they would accept it, hold it for 4-5 months and then ship it back and tell me it meets their QC standards.

Mind fed and ejected fine. Savage QC and CS are sh*t.

Great if you're a new hunter or trying out bolt guns to start.

Personal opinion:

Tikka > Remington, Bergara, Savage

Not even close.

Tikkas are a fantastic deal for the quality of barrel, action, trigger you get for the $.
 
I have a Savage model 10 GRS in 6.5 Creedmoor that I have 4,500 rounds through. About to screw the 3rd barrel on it. I have had very good luck with this gun it feeds and ejects just fine. This is my first bolt action rifle used for precision target shooting and I have learned a lot with it. I also wasn't afraid to work on it because it was some what cheap and common, not sure I would have been comfortable doing that to a high dollar custom rifle.

When I bought it one of the things that was attractive was that you could swap barrels in your garage using pre-fit barrels, at the time that wasn't really an option with most guns and not many pre-fits were available. The idea of having my gun stuck at a gunsmiths shop for months waiting on a barrel didn't appeal to me. Flash forward to today and their are several custom actions that allow barrel swaps by the end user.

If I replace this gun it will not be with another factory gun, I will go with a custom action and build off of that, but having the Savage taught me what I need to know to make that move.
 
Outside of a Ruger 10/22 all my other rifles are Savage and all very accurate. Picked up 110 Tactical from Cabelas around Christmas under $600. The main thing I want in a rifle is accuracy and they definitely satisfy that requirement. I have been one of the lucky ones and not had ejector or feed problems. I have handled Bergara and Tikka in the store and actions are very nice but haven't felt the need for that 50-200% increase in price. Maybe if I get into matches where time is of the essence but for now Savages give me what I need for a satisfying day of long range shooting.
 
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When I was 16 I bought a used Axis in .308. Hunted with it for about 8 years and then gave it to my brother. I worked up some 1.25-1.5 MOA hunting hand loads, then my brother ran 168 grain FGMM and it shot MOA out to a few hundred yards.
Put a rifle basix trigger in it and never had a single issue out of the rifle.
 
Like many comments above, you'll find a lot of people spewing nothing but negativity about Savage.

I jumped into the long range game back in 2011. Back then a Savage was the only way for a guy on a small budget to enter the game.

I snagged a "top bolt release" Model 10 that was a .243 hunter rifle.....skinny barrel and flimsy stock.

I bought that rifle solely to take the action/bolt and build a LR setup. I slowly bought parts like a Criterion Barrel ......just barely chose 6.5CM over .260 because I didn't have reloading equipment yet and Hornady had 140 AMAX factory ammo. I placed an order, waited and finally got my Manners T4.....Tom ended up doing the milling to fit the new at the time PTG M5 bottom metal. I slapped my Super Sniper 10x on it and it shot REALLY well.

I got lucky because my Savage action is smoother than 95% of all other actions I've ever shot or played with. If I didn't have it in my own hands and see it myself.....I'd be hard pressed to believe this.

I eventually snagged one of the 100 AICS that was only ever offered at Mile High. The only reason I got rid of that chassis was because APO takeoffs were floating around and that chassis is lighter, more modular and has front handguard that goes all the way around the barrel.

I started reloading and filing Form1's for my cans and that's when it got real fun.

My Savage with a 26 inch 1:8 twist Criterion stainless barrel and 9 inch form 1 suppressor slings a Hornady ELD-M 147gr at 2868 fps with handloads using IMR4451.

I have had nothing but great times with my Savage. However, I've had ZERO issues and I'm sure my opinion would be different if I had encountered the issues that I know truly do exist.

My action and bolt are still all 100% OEM and the trigger is the factory trigger as well.

I've shot deer with it with 3x different bullets and it has performed flawlessly no matter the conditions......even sitting in a stand with 8 hours of rain, snow on others days and even sleet/freezing rain. I have a video of a 632yard cold bore shot on a whitetail, search my posts on here ....pm me if it's not showing up.

In general having fundamentals down and understanding your gear is more important than what brand a rifle is. Yes........in general a rifle must group decent and be repeatable.....understanding everything that goes into that such as scope rings, proper torque specs on all screws/bolts, the optic itself .....knowing your natural point of aim/shoulder ....and much more. With all that said........you then go out and face mother nature and the wind is the most humbling experience you can have as a shooter.

I could go on and on...but.....years have passed and now there's a TON of options as far as factory rifles, parts, accessories and companies that just didn't exist 10+ years ago.
 
I dont think savages are “bad” (like some of my opinions on other new hot brands) but I certainly think you can better spend your dollar. Not the worst but not the best.
My cousin just got an axis (free) and it shoots the rem corloct really well but the scope base holes on the receiver are visibly out of line and it eats up the scopes entire windage adjustment range to get zeroed, he’s got .75 moa left to one side before it’s allll the way

what is a better option in this price range in the US? I don't own a savage, but here in Europe everything else is more expensive. pick up a tikka, a sauer, a steyr, a mauser.
 
what is a better option in this price range in the US? I don't own a savage, but here in Europe everything else is more expensive. pick up a tikka, a sauer, a steyr, a mauser.
Ruger, howa, tikka is a few more bones but not significantly more
 
Like many others I started with a savage. It shot well and was very accurate but mine was plagued with ejection issues. It worked great and within 200 rounds it would eject worth a damn. Started flipped the brass all the way backwards and back into the action. Then started failing to eject at all but just keep the brass pushed out the chamber but I would have to reach up and pull it out.

Took it apart and went with the upgraded ejector extractor kits from NSS and continued to have problems.

Sold the complete rifle, bought an impact, and have lived problem free ever since.
 
Older savages use to be great, the newer stuff not so much. They changed something with their barrels, and they are not the barrels of 10-15 years ago. Bore scope a new barrel, and you will see why.
 
Older savages use to be great, the newer stuff not so much. They changed something with their barrels, and they are not the barrels of 10-15 years ago. Bore scope a new barrel, and you will see why.
They’ve always resembled a corrugated drain pipe inside. My precision carbine I had about 10 years ago had chatter marks easily visible from the muzzle. But it did shoot about 3/4-1 moa
 
Bought my 223 F/TR and two precision actions back before there were pre-fits with the Remington footprint. I have had no problems with the Savage products I have bought in the past. I have seen others with some of the mentioned complaints at prone matches. There is no need to buy them anymore if you are seeking a rifle you can rebarrel without it being gone to a smith for months.

Waiting on a barrel for my first Origin.

I've complained about the pos Remingtons I've bought before elsewhere in the forum.
 
Anyone have a 110 Elite 3⁰ PRC? I have been shooting F-TR for a long time and am wanting to double my distance. I don't care about any other Savage, just the Elite in 300 PRC.

I want to know if it is a 1/2 moa or better under 400 yards.
 
I have a lot of savage rifles. I try as hard as possible to put together a lego gun on my customs and not shoot my savages. The ones I have are older and were insanely accurate out of the box. The feeding and smoothness have been shit on all of them. I learned a great deal about making them work when on a budget. After making a career move and being able to afford better, there is no way I would go back.

That said, I did manage to get one tuned up well enough to shoot border wars for a couple seasons and managed a few top ten and a couple top 5 finishes. The number of points I lost due to shit breaking on that gun in one season was probably enough to win a match.
 
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Have an older 110 243 that I got from a coworker for $75. Gave it to the youngest after a stock refinish, and he loves it. Shoots bug holes with factory 100gr Wolf Gold soft points.

Last year I bought a 110 Switchback in 6ARC and have done nothing to it, other than throwing a cheap scope on top and it’ll shoot 109 Bergers into 3’s and 4’s.

Finally, about 2 months ago I strolled into the LGS and they had a 110 Elite Precision 308 sitting there, with an Accu Tac BR-4 on it, for $1149. I figured it was so cheap because it had the dreaded ejection issues and somebody unloaded it for whatever they could get to the store. They passed along what they thought was a deal. Hell, the ACC sells for more than they wanted for the set up. Sure as shit, I get it to the range and it won’t eject. But, it’ll shoot FGMM into 3/4” groups, so I have hope. Got home, grabbed the dremel and a stone and gave the ejector just the slightest bit of angle to it. Didn’t even take the bolt apart. Did it while the ejector sat in place. Now, it runs like it’s supposed to. Found a load with 175RDF’s and TAC that shoot under 1/2” every time I don’t jerk the fuck out of the trigger, with reliable hits on steel out to 750 that almost get boring. Should I have had to do that on a $2000 rifle? Hell no. I would never pay that for one of these. But for what I paid, including a $400-ish bipod? Yes please. I didn’t even want a 308, but with a prefit, a 6 creed will be easy to put together. That’s the plan. For right now though, I’m gonna cut the barrel down to 16”. Fuck it, I really have nothing to lose since I didn’t really want a 308 anyways. Plus, I love shorty rifles.

gonna go from the top pic now, to something close to the phot-chop I did below.

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I'll hop in with my opinion.....I bought 10 FCP-SR in .308, and it shot about 1.25" at 100yds. Slapped a prefit on it and strapped it to an Oryx chassis and it will now hold about 1/2"...... but ended up turning a $500 rifle into a $1400 rifle. Picked up another .308 for myself and a 7mm-08 for my daughter, for deer hunting, and both of these shoot about 1" groups. I think, in general, Savage rifles are pretty good.....but I don't expect it to be the finest of rifles. At the end of the day, I enjoy shooting these three, and I enjoyed tinkering with the first one, but truth be told, I'm a M700 lover and I tend to gravitate to my older Remingtons.
 
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I've owned a couple. Still have a LA Stevens 200 that I play with occasionally. It's in a Stockade stock, Rifle Basix trigger, Rock Creek prefit. But I wouldn't buy one today. If you want to use prefits, just get a Nucleus or Origin action.

IMO, Savage had a golden opportunity a few years ago if they would've maybe done some redesign on their bolts and triggers.

That time has past and that's what the competition has done to them. They should've never let Ruger beat them getting out the RPR.
 
I'll hop in with my opinion.....I bought 10 FCP-SR in .308, and it shot about 1.25" at 100yds. Slapped a prefit on it and strapped it to an Oryx chassis and it will now hold about 1/2"...... but ended up turning a $500 rifle into a $1400 rifle. Picked up another .308 for myself and a 7mm-08 for my daughter, for deer hunting, and both of these shoot about 1" groups. I think, in general, Savage rifles are pretty good.....but I don't expect it to be the finest of rifles. At the end of the day, I enjoy shooting these three, and I enjoyed tinkering with the first one, but truth be told, I'm a M700 lover and I tend to gravitate to my older Remingtons.
Trying to remember when my Savage 110 Storm in .223 with a Vortex Crossfire II scope didn`t shoot sub-MOA groups at 100 yards. Probably back when I was shooting FMJ loads. Can`t speak for the long range, precision rifles, but if my gun is any example, Savage hunting rifles, while perhaps not as refined as Tikkas, Bergaras, etc., just bring home dinner. Interesting in that the run up to deer season at our local range features a preponderance of Savage rifles. The rest of the year it`s AR type rifles almost exclusively burning through ammo as fast as they can pull the trigger!
 
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I'll hop in with my opinion.....I bought 10 FCP-SR in .308, and it shot about 1.25" at 100yds. Slapped a prefit on it and strapped it to an Oryx chassis and it will now hold about 1/2"...... but ended up turning a $500 rifle into a $1400 rifle. Picked up another .308 for myself and a 7mm-08 for my daughter, for deer hunting, and both of these shoot about 1" groups. I think, in general, Savage rifles are pretty good.....but I don't expect it to be the finest of rifles. At the end of the day, I enjoy shooting these three, and I enjoyed tinkering with the first one, but truth be told, I'm a M700 lover and I tend to gravitate to my older Remingtons.
I'm right with you on the 700's, I have a first gen 700SS 5R Milspec 308 and competed in F-Class FTR using Federal GMM, and did quite well with it.
 
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I have and shoot a Savage 12 Target RBLP action. Hooked to it is a 30 inch Bartlein chambered in 6mm Dasher. I adjusted the trigger down to 8 oz. I am 72 so I don't have the steadiness I used to, but it shoots really well. I work really hard to make good ammo. I do have ejection issues and would love to hear what will cure this. Otherwise, I have I have no other problems. Feeds smooth from the MDT mags. I love it.
 
Savage guns are like Remmy's and Winchester to me. They are different and I'll say fill a gap for this person or that person. I've got several and do shoot them. The main reason I got Savages years ago is because other then Remmy....Savage was the only other left handed bolt gun maker. Yes I'm a lefty.

Some people say Remmy is better than a Savage. I say the actions are both round. What's better about the Remmy? The Remmy is the small block Chevy of the gun world. Everyone makes accessories for the Remmy. Not as much for the Savage.

The Savages I like are the older guns made back in the late 60's thru the 70's. The older or should I say the original 112V single shot varmint rifles are the favorite. All the stocks have been pillar bedded. Some use the barrel nut some are shouldered barrels. No accuracy difference between the two in my opinion. Comes down to person preference. All have o.s. recoil lugs and all double pinned to the receivers. The other thing that is nice about the older Savages is for a factory trigger they are fully adjustable. I'll say you cannot safely go below about 2.75# for pull weight but for a varmint gun/entry level rifle....more than good enough.

Here are a couple of pic's. First rifle I built for my kid when he was about 12. A 223 bolt gun on a Savage J series 112v single shot. Great trainer rifle. Had the original stock altered to an adjustable cheeck piece with KMW hardware and an o.s. bolt knob put on the original handle as well.

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Next pic is of a lefty 110. Was originally a 308 gun standard sporter rifle. The stock (Savage never offered a 110S (silhouette rifle in left hand from the factory but did run the stocks in anticipation of doing it...I got the stock for a $100 and it was brand new). Made a new barrel in 6.5CM and had the shop turn the barrel nut as part of the barrel so it's all one piece. So it's a shouldered barrel in the Savage target contour.

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All that being said....I love my AI rifle and my Badger M2008 and F class gun with a Barnard action and other guns with the Defiance actions more but taking any of these to the range...I don't feel handicapped at all. I've got three others at home as well but I don't go out of my way looking for them anymore....

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
Is there any Savage bolt gun love here? I don’t see much on the Axis precision or the 10-110,12/112 precision guns. Are the savages just not on par with tikkas, Remington’s and begara’s?
I’d definitely put them above Remington imo. I have no issues with my 110 Tactical in 300 win mag.
 
Is there any Savage bolt gun love here? I don’t see much on the Axis precision or the 10-110,12/112 precision guns. Are the savages just not on par with tikkas, Remington’s and begara’s?
Tikka and Bergara make excellent rifles. I`ve not owned either ( not owned a Remington rifle either ) so cannot personally compare them to my Savage rifles. Certainly compared to the Axis line they occupy higher price points. I think it`s safe to say that they are considered more refined in fit and finish than Savage guns. Are they better than the Axis and 110 lines in putting metal on targets ( live or otherwise ) .......?
 
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O.K. finally got the pics to load. 20" .308 110 Tactical in an Oryx chassis with a Tract Toric 4-20 x 50. two groups at 100 .350" & .375" with 165 gr, Sierra Game Kings. Not bad for a hunting bullet. And a 2.000" group at 300 yards with 168 Gr. Tipped Match Kings over 42.0 gr. of Benchmark. I've had thid for about 2 years now with the only issue being ejection is a bit weak and erratic. I'm shooting F-TR class club matches with this set-up.
 
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I have a Savage 110E in .30-‘06. It’s probably 25-30 years old. I glass-bedded the action (that’s fun with that barrel nut) and worked up a good handload of 57.0 grains IMR-4350 and a 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. It will shoot 0.75” 3-shot groups all day.

Savage makes butt-ugly but accurate and dependable rifles.
 
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View attachment 7988118View attachment 7988119View attachment 7988120View attachment 7988121
O.K. finally got the pics to load. 20" .308 110 Tactical in an Oryx chassis with a Tract Toric 4-20 x 50. two groups at 100 .350" & .375" with 165 gr, Sierra Game Kings. Not bad for a hunting bullet. And a 2.000" group at 300 yards with 168 Gr. Tipped Match Kings over 42.0 gr. of Benchmark. I've had thid for about 2 years now with the only issue being ejection is a bit weak and erratic. I'm shooting F-TR class club matches with this set-up.
Replace the detent ball under the extractor with a 9/64 detent ball. I got 100 for like $.60 at fastenal

It’s the cheap and easy fix for what you have going on. Takes 5 minutes to fix. Worked on several I’ve had and friends have had with the same issue

Not guaranteed but worth a shot
 
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Seen this before and seeing it again on this thread, so while it may be a touch off the subject, its something to consider.

Not the first time I have heard that the holes for the scope mounts are not in line. Years ago (decades now actually) we had problems with not enough elevation on our scopes. A simple shim solved the problem, worked forever and did not damage the scopes in any way. It would seem that if the bolt holes were out of line a thin plastic shim would solve the issue and leave the shooter with plenty of windage on both sides.

Now, the best of all worlds would be the maker drilling the darn holes right in the first place. But, if the rest of the firearm is acceptable, why not try a shim?
 
Replace the detent ball under the extractor with a 9/64 detent ball. I got 100 for like $.60 at fastenal

It’s the cheap and easy fix for what you have going on. Takes 5 minutes to fix. Worked on several I’ve had and friends have had with the same issue

Not guaranteed but worth a shot
Thanks. Fastenal is one of my suppliers at work. I can get one of my buyers to skip an extra line item in a PO and get them virtually for free.
 
Thanks. Fastenal is one of my suppliers at work. I can get one of my buyers to skip an extra line item in a PO and get them virtually for free.
Just use a flathead screwdriver to push the extractor towards the inside of the bolt head. Doing this in a bag is a good idea as parts may go flying.

Pull the extractor/ball and spring. Check for burs then apply just a touch of lube. Put it back together in the bag for same reasons.I polished/cleaned the extractor and bolt head where it rides if needed.

I’ve had several savages that would just drop rounds in the chamber or barely eject them. This has always fixed this problem for me
 
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Was unaware until today that Savage bolt rifles have been in use by special ops units and snipers in Ukraine against the Russians. Apparently Savage has a rather extensive distribution network, to include in Europe. Ukraine has developed their own sniper rifles as well, so don`t know if the Savage guns have been stop gap until these are developed or will continue in use.

Don`t have to take my word for it. Google " Savage rifles in Ukraine ".
 
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I went from Savage to ARC Mausingfield for my PRS and ELR builds. I still have a few Savage rifles and won't get rid of them. Here's a 7mm rem mag i had built 2012 for my college graduation gift
7mm rem mag.jpg
 
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I got a used Savage Axis .223 at the local (Springfield, Mo) gun show. It's a skinny hunting rifle, very light weight. I forget what glass I out on it, but with my handloads I am VERY pleased with performance out to 450 meters.

The problem with it is the DBM's. Plastic lock piece broke. Original is 4+1, I think. After market one was expensive, but I paid, and modified it/mated/welded it to a surplus AR 30 rd mag. Works great.

I would LOVE to have a heavy bbl target/tactical .223 bolt gun, but this Savage Axis .223 shoots SO WELL I cannot justify replacing it, so it is my .223 precision go-to gun. ARs, & other .223/5.56 auto guns can't keep up with it. And it's a hunting rifle, not a target/precision gun.
 
I went from Savage to ARC Mausingfield for my PRS and ELR builds. I still have a few Savage rifles and won't get rid of them. Here's a 7mm rem mag i had built 2012 for my college graduation giftView attachment 7989434
I am but a baby-faced young lad compared to this He-Man of Manly Values. I’ll bet he uses his shooting bag as a pillow.
 
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I have always had 1-2 Savage rifles in the safe and they have always been stupid accurate in stock configuration.
A few years ago I noticed that you could pick up decent Savage 10 / 110 rifles CHEAP. So I went down the rabbit hole and started playing with them. I learned just how easy a barrel swap was and how easy it is to tune the triggers. My first "custom " was a Long action 110 that was originally in 223 (I know sounds goofy) but I did some work to it and replaced the barrel to a 224 Valkyrie. With my 88Gr ELD handloads it is by far the most accurate rifle I own. If you can get past the sloppy bolt and non ejecting ejectors Etc. they do have some redeeming qualities. I think I'm up to 7 and the last one I picked up came with a scope and 100 rds of .243 Win for $350. I think it might soon be a 6Creed !
I have a .308 model 10 that I have been playing with. I found a KRG chassis for it and with my handloads it will shoot very nice little groups.
Yes they are not as refined as some of the others but once you learn enough to correct some of the shortcomings they are not all that bad.

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