Savage Bolt Gun Question

B

bernie

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2003
Messages
898
Location
The great state of Arkansas
I know that the Savage bolt guns like the 110 and even the Axis are very accurate. I understand that the floating bolt head is likely one of the reasons for this. However, I simply do not trust the Savage bolt guns and I really want to like and to trust them. A few years back I had a Savage Scout Rifle and the bolt head retaining pin broke. It very nearly locked the rifle up so that I could not get the bolt open. While the bolt head retaining pin looks substantial, it is relatively thin on the sides because the firing pin has to pass through it. Have any of you or anyone that you know broken a bolt head retaining pin on a Savage bolt rifle? I would like to build a Savage up as a moderately hard use hunting rifle, but I just do not trust them.
 
Savage makes a fine rifle. I had a 1950s or so .222 as a teenager; I sold to my Dad, which he sold in about 2010 to buy a .223 Savage. My main hunting rifle is a 20 year old .270 Win model 110, pre Accu trigger
No brand is perfect. Savage is pretty good, IMHO.
 
Last edited:
Thats sucky luck for sure!
Ive heard of other guns using the same design having those pins break, but i dont believe ive heard/read of a savage doing it.
Course I haven't made a study of the mater lol.

If you want to build on a savage, I'd say go for it.

But, no matter what we say, I doubt you will have total confidence in the system until you use it for a while.

If you decide you can't trust the savage, there's plenty of other options for building hunting rifles. All with there own advantages and disadvantages, as well as quirks.
 
I've owned several Savages, a 110 and a 111. Both were older ones, pre 2003, chambered in 30-06. I didn't have any issues with the pin. The 110 was well used when I got it, so much so that it wouldn't eject due to weak extractor and ejector springs. Lord only knows how much it'd been fired.
 
I've never seen a bolt retaining pin break on a Savage 10 / 110 series rifle. There had to be something else going on with the bolt head lugs getting jammed in the action in order for that to even happen. I've got 6 Savage action's / rifle's from the 1990's - 2009, and have shot thousand's of round's out of them.
The only issues that I've ever had with a Savage action is making them extract and eject cases properly. I just keep extra springs / extractors / and larger detent ball bearings in stock, and change them out whenever I start having issues.
 
I bought a 110 in the 1990's, the first shot the bolt jammed. I returned it to Cabela's and got my money back. They said the bolt was assembled incorrectly. I did buy an Axis a few years ago. It worked fine but the stock was way too flexible. I like Tikkas. No repairs needed.
 
Txhillbilly said:
I've never seen a bolt retaining pin break on a Savage 10 / 110 series rifle. There had to be something else going on with the bolt head lugs getting jammed in the action in order for that to even happen. I've got 6 Savage action's / rifle's from the 1990's - 2009, and have shot thousand's of round's out of them.
The only issues that I've ever had with a Savage action is making them extract and eject cases properly. I just keep extra springs / extractors / and larger detent ball bearings in stock, and change them out whenever I start having issues.
Click to expand...
This completely mirrors my experiences.
 
I've tried to like Savage rifles but just can't. I've had 2-3 but just never warmed up to them. IMO their accuracy claims are misunderstood. I think that it is safe to say that the design of Savage rifles makes it hard to produce an inaccurate rifle. And those design features not only contribute to consistent accuracy, but they also reduce the costs of precision machining, and the cost of the rifles. You almost never hear about one that shoots poorly.

I think that was more of an advantage years ago when most other rifles required a lot more handwork and skilled machinists to produce an accurate rifle. The accuracy potential of most any bolt rifle will match or beat most Savage rifles as long as they are machined and assembled correctly. But there was a lot more to go wrong when building other rifles and if everything wasn't right, you'd get a poor shooting rifle.

Today other manufacturers have found ways to build rifles that are very accurate and also reasonably priced. CNC machining has made it possible to build rifles and sell them at reasonable prices.

I'm not going to say anything bad about a Savage. Just that I have found other rifles that I like better that shoot as well.
 
jmr40 said:
I've tried to like Savage rifles but just can't. I've had 2-3 but just never warmed up to them. IMO their accuracy claims are misunderstood. I think that it is safe to say that the design of Savage rifles makes it hard to produce an inaccurate rifle. And those design features not only contribute to consistent accuracy, but they also reduce the costs of precision machining, and the cost of the rifles. You almost never hear about one that shoots poorly.

I think that was more of an advantage years ago when most other rifles required a lot more handwork and skilled machinists to produce an accurate rifle. The accuracy potential of most any bolt rifle will match or beat most Savage rifles as long as they are machined and assembled correctly. But there was a lot more to go wrong when building other rifles and if everything wasn't right, you'd get a poor shooting rifle.

Today other manufacturers have found ways to build rifles that are very accurate and also reasonably priced. CNC machining has made it possible to build rifles and sell them at reasonable prices.

I'm not going to say anything bad about a Savage. Just that I have found other rifles that I like better that shoot as well.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with that. I enjoy my Savage rifles but they are certainly not perfect. I wonder if there`s ever been a Savage rifle produced that doesn`t have a heavy bolt lift, especially as compared to other brands, particularly Tikka? Extraction and ejection issues. Feeding issues due to inferior magazines. In some cases, it depends on how much something might bother a given owner/shooter ( or not ). Personally, other than some early magazine issues that have since been resolved, I`ve had no functionality issues that I`ve considered significant. While there are relatively easy fixes for these issues, they shouldn`t be necessary if Savage would pay attention to their customers and make a commitment to rectifying these long standing short comings. Just one guy`s opinion!
 
Turkeytider said:
Nothing wrong with that. I enjoy my Savage rifles but they are certainly not perfect. I wonder if there`s ever been a Savage rifle produced that doesn`t have a heavy bolt lift, especially as compared to other brands, particularly Tikka? Extraction and ejection issues. Feeding issues due to inferior magazines. In some cases, it depends on how much something might bother a given owner/shooter ( or not ). Personally, other than some early magazine issues that have since been resolved, I`ve had no functionality issues that I`ve considered significant. While there are relatively easy fixes for these issues, they shouldn`t be necessary if Savage would pay attention to their customers and make a commitment to rectifying these long standing short comings. Just one guy`s opinion!
Click to expand...
The newer savages have a revised firingpin/spring system more akin to the Axis than the old heavy springs.....bolt lift is alot smoother.....but i dont trust the new set up yet.
 
That’s a new one to me.

I like savage’s as varmint/target rifles because of being able to easily remove and headspace the barrels and even replace the bolt head. The accutrigger is also fantastic. I just really don’t care for them otherwise. They feel clunky and are ugly. I’ve had a model 12 for many years. Probably will never sell it but will never buy another either. Love the bolt action rimfires.
 
Last edited:
Turkeytider said:
Nothing wrong with that. I enjoy my Savage rifles but they are certainly not perfect. I wonder if there`s ever been a Savage rifle produced that doesn`t have a heavy bolt lift, especially as compared to other brands, particularly Tikka? Extraction and ejection issues. Feeding issues due to inferior magazines. In some cases, it depends on how much something might bother a given owner/shooter ( or not ). Personally, other than some early magazine issues that have since been resolved, I`ve had no functionality issues that I`ve considered significant. While there are relatively easy fixes for these issues, they shouldn`t be necessary if Savage would pay attention to their customers and make a commitment to rectifying these long standing short comings. Just one guy`s opinion!
Click to expand...
The bolt lift is greatly improved by adjusting the firing pin spring tension.
 
I have a Savage 12FV chambered in 204 Ruger and my friend has a 12 FV chambered in 22-250. Both have survived several prairie dog shoots without any reliability issues. We put 300-500 rounds through each rifle at each outing.

From my experience with the 12FV, I assembled a 22 BR rifle on a Savage competition single shot action for prairie dogs. I have not shot the rifle much but it has been very reliable so far. When we go on our next prairie dog shoot, it will go with us.
 
Last edited:
The only issue I ever seen after thousands of rounds, were feed issues. It was a center feed, blind mag set up. After dropping the action into a chassis using AIC mags, it ran 100% perfect:)
 
I stiffened the plastic stocks on my Axis rifles by epoxy in some carbon fiber arrows, I watched some videos about it and was surprised how easy it was. The ones with wood stocks are stiffer from the factory. The bolt on my older 30-06 is a lot smoother than the newer Axis rifles but you can tell it is not an entry-level rifle, I compare it with a Rem 700.
I've never had an issue with any of mine (223, 243, 6.5cm, 270, and 30-06). I disassembled each bolt and cleaned/relubed before using witch I do for any new gun. Each one shoots as good as expected from a hunting gun and I think the stiffened stocks helps with accuracy.
 
I have owned a Stevens 200 and the very early Axis and never had a minute's trouble with the bolt on either. I wasn't aware that they could have a problem until reading the OP. Both were less than MOA accurate with my handloads.

OTOH I find Savage rifles to be unattractive compared to most other brands. That might not be a big deal for most but I find it to affect my choice.
 
someguy2800 said:
They feel clunky and are ugly.
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing of my friend's Ruger Precision Rifle. I shot them side by side (mine a .308 model 10 cheapo Cabela's version, his a 6.5CM.) After we got back home, when I was sure no one was looking, I hugged my Savage... it felt like a Cadillac next to the Briggs and Stratton klunky RPR. ...but, it sure did shoot. FWIW, the Savage isn't fancy in it's synthetic stock, much like most of the synth-stocked rifles these days. If I wanted a looker, I'd find a pre-70 Winchester.

someguy2800 said:
The bolt lift is greatly improved by adjusting the firing pin spring tension.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I thought it was just me... thinking it felt like I was trying to jack my truck up as heavy as the bolt lift was. Shooting prone I don't have a lot of leverage...

What is the best way to 'adjust the firing pin spring tension?' Does someone make a replacement part, or do you mod the factory spring?
 
Charlie98 said:
Interesting. I thought it was just me... thinking it felt like I was trying to jack my truck up as heavy as the bolt lift was. Shooting prone I don't have a lot of leverage...

What is the best way to 'adjust the firing pin spring tension?' Does someone make a replacement part, or do you mod the factory spring?
Click to expand...

Its been too long since I did it, I don't remember anymore. I can't remember if I shortened the spring or if there was some way to adjust it. When my model 12 was all stock you could pick up the rifle by the bolt handle before the bolt would come open. Really annoying. I got in the habit of holding the butt down with my cheek when I would lift the bolt.
 
Charlie98 said:
What is the best way to 'adjust the firing pin spring tension?' Does someone make a replacement part, or do you mod the factory spring?
Click to expand...
It's an indirect operation - after removing the firing pin assembly from the bolt body, you first set the firing pin protrusion to .035" (adjusting the front collar on firing pin assembly) and then set the spring length on the firing pin to 2.6" (long action) or 1.9" (short action) by adjusting the rear retainer collar on the firing pin assembly.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

greyling22
  • Locked
savage 110 bolt question
Replies
7
Views
1K
ironworkerwill
ironworkerwill
S
  • Locked
Alter Rem 700 Bolt with Savage Bolt Head
Replies
1
Views
414
dirtyjim
D
M
  • Locked
Savage 116, 300 RUM firing itself!!
Replies
20
Views
2K
mwurman
M
RugerOldArmy
  • Locked
Savage Bolt Issues - Design Issue or Shrill Internet Myth?
Replies
5
Views
862
Master of Arms
M
B
  • Locked
Replacing a bolt head retaining pin on a savage bolt
Replies
3
Views
2K
Jim K
J
Back
Top