The problem with older Savage rifles lies mostly in the stock and with that the blind magazine. In the 70's=early 90's, Savage 110's came with a pathetic-looking walnut-stained hardwood stock. They had blind magazines when everyone else had floorplates. In other words, they looked cheap, like a stained 2x4.
The action itself was good. I've had pre accu-trigger 110's that were very accurate.
The problem lies mostly in brand loyalty, with the Remington 700 supposedly being the best rifle ever made, the torch-bearer from Paul Mauser himself. The reality is that the 700 and 110 are far more similar than different, and neither is particularly Mauser other than the double-bridge receiver and enclosed box magazine. Both are push-feed bolt action rifles with tubular-steel receivers. The only real difference is in the nature of the safeties and the barrel-mounting.
The barrel nut is cheaper to do. It just was. It was introduced on their bottom-line 340 because it is cheap. Chamber a go-gauge, screw down the barrel until it stops, then tighten the nut. Easy, quick, reliably, consistent head-spacing. That is why the vast majority of new designs from Marlin, Ruger, and Mossberg copy the Savage system.
The reality is that the cheaper method makes a more-consistent chambering. Consistent head-spacing is far easier using a barrel nut than a shoulder. You could even adjust a barrel for a specific brass, if you wanted to (too much trouble, in my opinion, but possible). But you can be far more consistent with a barrel nut, and that supports accuracy.
1980's Savages were indeed cheap, ugly rifles. But they shot great.
