Savage 110 BA Bolt Head Issue

[MongooseV8]

What load are you using?

[Wrangler John]

Glad it broke free and is working. But it's a Savage for crying out loud - owning five of 'em, all but one on the target action - and switching between cartridge head sizes, I keep a supply of spare parts on hand. I recommend a good supply at least three to six of each. Parts are available from Brownell's, but for gosh sakes don't buy the extractor detent ball @ $3.99 each from them. Go here instead, you can get a bag of 100 balls for $4.95 in chrome steel:

http://www.vxb.com/100-1-8-inch-Diameter-Chrome-Steel-Balls-G25-p/kit8589.htm

Or a bag of 10 in 302 Stainless Steel for $6.37:

http://www.vxb.com/1-8-inch-Diameter-Loose-SS302-G100-Pack-of-10-p/kit15982.htm

I buy a couple of bags at a pop. I learned how to remove and replace the extractor with my thumb alone, but with big old numb hands some times that little ball gets loose only to find a seam in the concrete floor and vanish.

If you replace the ejector, use a new retaining pin as the knurl portion holds it tightly in place, don't use them over. I drive them out with a real genuine 1/16" pin punch and back in with a larger punch seating them down flush with the recess.

Some of this stuff is out of stock at Brownell's, but MidwayUSA has it available.

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/ejector-parts/ejectors/ejector-prod12814.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/ejector-parts/ejector-pins/ejector-retaining-pin-prod12815.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/ejector-parts/ejector-springs/ejector-spring-prod12816.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/extractor-parts/extractors/extractor-prod12817.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/extractor-parts/extractor-springs/extractor-spring-prod12870.aspx

Enjoy your Savage, it was designed after an explosion in a hardware factory operated by vision impaired people with missing digits. Easy to fix. Also those PT&G bolt heads are not completely drop-in. I bought some of the earliest only to find that they made the magnum bolt head wrong, had to send it back. They admitted the mistake (how often does that happen) and sent me a redesigned one. For the most part I use loads in the mid-pressure range and have never had any problems with the bolt heads. I would suspect that having a large firing pin hole bushed and the pin matched would solve a lot of problems, but the target action already has a small diameter pin.

[hambam105]

This is a honest question, I'm not looking to tip over someone's cereal bowel...

Question:
Would the OP be having these bolt related issues had he been using a Remington 700 Action or a Mauser type action?

[MongooseV8]

Almost certainly. The bolt issues are caused by his over pressured loads, not the design or quality of the savage bolt head.

[Fjold]

Information on Savage Bolt head parts from Sharp Shooter Supply



We sell the modified extractor kits. They contain the modified extractor, improved ejector, ejector spring and large detent ball. $20ea + shipping. We can add the extractor spring for +$4.25.

Lisa

SSS

[ar15barrels]

Would the OP be having these bolt related issues had he been using a Remington 700 Action or a Mauser type action?

Less likely.
The savage ejector is very small in diameter so it does not take much debris in there to lock it up.
The remington has a spring loaded ejector, but it's bigger so its a little more tolerant of debris before it will lock up.
The mauser does not have a spring loaded ejector.

[MongooseV8]

The savage has a spring loaded ejector as well.

[2shotjoe]

Information on Savage Bolt head parts from Sharp Shooter Supply



We sell the modified extractor kits. They contain the modified extractor, improved ejector, ejector spring and large detent ball. $20ea + shipping. We can add the extractor spring for +$4.25.

Lisa

SSS

thanks, i emailed them just now.

[ar15barrels]

The savage has a spring loaded ejector as well.

...which is very small in diameter.

[LynnJr]

This Pacific Tool & Gauge Savage Bolt Head is a precision machined, drop-in replacement part for your Savage 10 or 110 Series rifle. Perfect for use in benchrest or F-class competition rifles that fire thousands of round per year, PTG's Savage bolt head is not subject to the quick deterioration or bolt face dishing that Savage factory bolt heads tend to display after a high volume of fire. The result is a drastic reduction in primer flow and case head rounding over time. Made in the USA

The factory bolt head is good enough for a hunting rifle that gets shot less than 20 rounds a year.

[kendog4570]

...which is very small in diameter.

And usually a sloppy fit in it's bore. Easy for crap to work it's way in and jam it up.

[6mmintl]

Curious how the ejector got stuck? Did it get stuch with normal operation, or did you mess with it? Looks like there is some marring marks from tools...

Savage bolt heads are sintered (compressed powder metal heat treated with binders to meld together while heat treating) and unfortunately porous and soft.

Under repeated firing the bolt face dishes compressing the ejector hole and seizing the ejector.

If sticking is caught early and you can remove ejector, you can ream out the hole larger and reassemble till it sticks again down the road.

There is no other way to "Solve" the problem then to have Kendog4570 tune/true up action and install a new ptg bolt head.

[In My Cold Dead Hands]

already installed the ptg bolt head. it did require some head space adjustment. Anyone know where I can get a muzzle brake crush washer? I really had to tighten the break back up when re-installing. Good news is there's an overage of length for the muzzle brake threads so you can't tighten the brake up against the crown of the barrel. At least savage did the brake threads right.

[ar15barrels]

Anyone know where I can get a muzzle brake crush washer? I really had to tighten the break back up when re-installing. Good news is there's an overage of length for the muzzle brake threads so you can't tighten the brake up against the crown of the barrel. At least savage did the brake threads right.

I don't like crush washers.
I would rather machine the brake and barrel so it clocks correctly.
Next best option is shims.
Last choice is a crush washer.

I don't know that I would call excessively long threads a good thing.
The most common reason that muzzle devices will not tighten all the way on is that the threads don't have a relief against the shoulder or the muzzle device does not have a relief to account for the lack of relief on the barrel.

[In My Cold Dead Hands]

I don't like crush washers.
I would rather machine the brake and barrel so it clocks correctly.
Next best option is shims.
Last choice is a crush washer.

I don't know that I would call excessively long threads a good thing.
The most common reason that muzzle devices will not tighten all the way on is that the threads don't have a relief against the shoulder or the muzzle device does not have a relief to account for the lack of relief on the barrel.

yeah but for a novice like myself, they prevent me from contacting the crown of the barrel and damaging it. Plus its a factory machined barrel, not gonna have the craftmanship and time that are put into barrels that you make...