This is an easy modification to Savage MKII rifles which have the flip safety lever. The modification is to the pivot and no other parts, but be aware that any modifications made to any firearm could void your warranty, and any work to be done should be carried out by a qualified gunsmith or professional if you have any doubts. This is the part in question, and it rests within the trigger group just under the safety lever and it pivots along the safety spring providing tension for the safety arm. I've found that moving the safety to the 'safe' position is rather ordinary, but taking the rifle off safe to the 'fire' position can be troublesome because the angle of the safety spring relative to this part which pivots is too severe and it takes a great deal of force to click the rifle to 'fire'. Whether or not it's a safety issue is not a concern, because my old school mentality is that the operator is the primary safety and the safety button or lever in this case should function smoothly, not like a super tight water valve. How did I fix this? Easy, pop off the retaining washer on the reverse side of the trigger housing, pull out the retaining pin while holding the trigger spring down to relieve tension, and remove this pivot part. Next, use your choice of sand paper and sand the right edge, the side that rides on the trigger safety spring when pushing it to the 'fire' position. Finally, follow up with some buffing compound and leather strop to highly polish the part. As seen here, I have slightly modified the angle, decreasing the severity along the right edge. I left the other side alone, but I did slightly roll over the top as well. The highly polished edge will be a huge improvement, allowing for a smooth, yet still firm click to the 'fire' position. No longer will you have to push with great force to set the rifle to fire, taking you off target and irritating your thumb. I do this to all my Savage MKII rifles, and it works beautifully.
The trigger unit with safety in the SAFE position, part shown installed. Picture of the trigger unit, part shown in the FIRE position:
