I am currently fixing up an old .234 caliber savage rifle, and the only thing missing is the bolt. I could be considered a novice, and the research I've done doesn't say whether or not I should buy a short or long-action bolt.
Not in an early Savage. Savage used to only offer Long Action receiver's for all centerfire cartridges. Manwithnoname,You need to measure the distance between the action screws - center to center,in order to figure out what action you actually have. Here's a link that will show you the different measurements in the different actions - http://www.savageshooters.com/content.php?128-Savage-Action-Lengths
Manwithnoname, can't you just contact Savage? It seems to me they should be able to tell you which bolt you need. http://www.savagearms.com/
no name that is exactly correct by contacting Savage. Also they can check by Serial Numbers as well. TX! Good Post on the Dimensions. 03