Cutting down Savage Axis?

[EvlMdnghtBmr]

This may be (probably is) a dumb idea. I'm a lefty that would like a cheap, short, bolt action for hiking and that sort of thing. No one sells lefty carbines at a reasonable price. Is it feasible to buy an Axis (because it is cheap and comes in lefty) and cut down the barrel to 16"? Is there a way to reduce stock at all? If so, would I have to pay a smith, or could a reasonably handy person with the proper tools get away with doing the work themselves?

[ar15barrels]

Cutting down wood stocks is pretty easy because the stock is solid wood.
You just remove the recoil pad, shorten the stock, re-attach the recoil pad and then trim the recoil pad to match the smaller stock.
Cutting down composite and plastic stocks is more troublesome as the stocks are often hollow and don't have a way to mount the recoil pad after they are shortened.

It's no problem for a gunsmith to shorten the barrel.

[Whiterabbit]

A reasonably handy person can do all the work at home. If you are comfortable using a file, hacksaw, stock oil, etc, you can do the work at home. You can search numerous "bubba" jobs online and find results that look like bubba, but shoot plenty accurate for woods walking.

If you have two right hands (pun), then a gunsmith can do all.

IMO if you are good with a file and are willing to rent a reamer then your hardest job will be refinishing the stock to look decent. You may not need to putz with the stock at all.

(btw, shortening a barrel is a good excuse to buy a couple really nice files, a small machinist's square, and get familiar with reamer rental company processes)