The Stevens 200 is intriguing, not because it is different from existing products, but because it is the same. The 200 is basically a repackaging of Savage’s tried and true 110. The 110 in its various incarnations has never been a pretty gun or particularly smooth, but that is not what people buy them for. Savage rifles shoot wonderful little groups over and over again, a performance is made all the sweeter knowing what you shelled out for such a great-shooting gun. There is nothing more satisfying than having a rifle that shoots better, but costs less, than the rifle one bench down. With an MSRP of $420 (in the real world you’ll probably get one for around $350), the Stevens 200 will have a lot of people eating crow.
The 200 has everything that makes a Savage shoot well. The barrel is free floated and the floating bolt head allows for better accuracy and less factory fitting. The only thing missing is Savage’s AccuTrigger, but Savage owners got by without it for a long time and one can be installed aftermarket if the 200 owner wants it. The 200 probably has all the little foibles of its Savage ancestors, but it also has their attributes. The areas in which we deducted points from the Stevens shouldn’t come as a surprise, with the floating bolt head being a bit of a double-edged sword. While the bolt design resulted in an excellent score for accuracy, more parts means more points of failure and ultimately lower overall reliability and durability.