New Rifle. Utterly horrific chamber...UPDATED 4/19/20

[jasonco]

Not downplaying your experience in any manner, Savage raked you over the coals big time, I know the point of this whole thing isn't to spend more money and be "gtg" on a rifle that by all rights should have been from the factory. Heck, by all rights the $250 Axis rigs shouldn't even have the issues your dealing with. If they are going to the effort to make a rifle, at bare minimum at least make it function properly. I was trying to add sarcasm/humor to the sitiuation, not making a pointed statement, so I apologize for not making that more clear, I realize it was somewhat clouded.

I posted while playing cards with the family and didn't put much thought into it, just kind of laughed in disgust at the whole situation, then had a conversation with my cousin about how not to buy savages (or nearly any other high production factory bolt rifle) for anything but an action. Out of 5 that I have recently dealt with, I'm fairly certain two of them have screwed up throats and another had a dinged up chamber from the factory that physically couldn'tchamber a round, and that is just the savages, have a few experiences with Remington as well. The ones with the suspicious throats, it is very hard to find a solid reading on the lands, and when you do, if you chamber a round it leaves scratches on one side of the bullet, almost as if one land comes further down towards the chamber (as I have seen on other factory savages). I need to purchase a bore scope to confirm, but it seems somewhat obvious. So these $550 rifles will need a minimum of another $350 just to be accurate consistent rifles, when the chamber is reamed off center, I doubt it's possible to just push a reamer in to clean it up.

The one with the dinged up throat that wouldn't even chamber a round was an axis that I paid $250 for, and instead of sending it back to the factory, I paid my smith to ream and finish the chamber properly, about $60. In principle, savage should have fixed it free of charge. If it was a more expensive rifle like yours, I likely would have gone the same route as you, to much dismay obviously. But being it was a cheaper model, and I had very little faith in them fixing a rifle that they sent out like that in the first place, I just had my smith do it.

I suppose the point of all this should be, if you buy a savage, just plan on either buying a new barrel for it or having your smith fix your new rifle to get it in proper functioning order, reguardless of which tier it is in savages line up. Pretty ridiculous that is a consideration.

I am currently working on a friends remington 700 BDL 7mm rem mag that was built in 1974, and it's amazing!! Upon bolt lift, I can hear and feel solid defined functioning, the primary extraction works flawlessly, timing is right, and feeding is smooth as butter. Pretty sad, that almost 50 years later with much better technology, I have to send the same brand new action off to LRI to have the timing advanced and primary extraction fixed because in this day and age Remington can't consistently make an action that is capable of EXTRACTING a round. That isn't even taking into account the chamber issues that Remington has that mirror your Savage.

Again, my comment wasn't meant as a directive or a quick fix, it was in jest, as the products that make it out both Remington and Savage doors these days (maybe others) are past the point of out of spec, and to the point of flat laughable.

"Buy with the intent of fixing".

Excellent points & explanation. This is exactly why, I get FV's only (new), because I'm gonna take it apart and put my own together, and pre-Accutrigger top bolt release LA, when I can find them. The newest Savage I'v got is the 2017 1st Gen 10BA Stealth 6.5 Creedmoor, zero problems and this one will stay "stock" for little while longer as I'v threatened to take it apart several times.

 

[entoptics]

Another amusing update.

Got the rifle back today, haven't done anything with it yet, but heard brass jangling around inside, so I opened it up. I wanted to take a look at the brass I sent, and see if there really was any signs of "over pressure reloads" as the service manager had accused me.

All that was in there was Hornady and Winchester (Ni plated) that had come back with the rifle in the first place. Huh? I thought, did those muppets steal my brass?...So I dug around my bench, and found all the brass that I'd fired.

That's right! I never sent my brass back! The turkeys at Savage must have thought the Hornady stuff in the bag was my reloads!

So...Moral of the story? Obviously, stay away from Hornady Ammunition. It's over pressure, and will void your warranty!

ROFL...

(It's really not overpressure. The primers are a little flat, like all 300WM factory ammunition I've ever seen.)

 

[348 fan]

I want to see reports and RMA documents......obviously just joking and in reference to a 22 page or maybe more thread about brand bashing....some of you may hevechecked it out.

 

[entoptics]

I want to see reports and RMA documents......obviously just joking and in reference to a 22 page or maybe more thread about brand bashing....some of you may hevechecked it out.

Here's some from rifle 2 (Feb) and 3 (arrived today).


I know you're being facetious (and where it came from), but I want anyone visiting this thread to be crystal clear that I'm not "my brother's cousin's uncle's niece".

 

[25WSM]

Did they finally fix it?
Shep

 

[25WSM]

Well how is that chamber now.
Don't let us hang.
Shep

 

[PBR driver]

Another amusing update.

Got the rifle back today, haven't done anything with it yet, but heard brass jangling around inside, so I opened it up. I wanted to take a look at the brass I sent, and see if there really was any signs of "over pressure reloads" as the service manager had accused me.

All that was in there was Hornady and Winchester (Ni plated) that had come back with the rifle in the first place. Huh? I thought, did those muppets steal my brass?...So I dug around my bench, and found all the brass that I'd fired.

That's right! I never sent my brass back! The turkeys at Savage must have thought the Hornady stuff in the bag was my reloads!

So...Moral of the story? Obviously, stay away from Hornady Ammunition. It's over pressure, and will void your warranty!

ROFL...

(It's really not overpressure. The primers are a little flat, like all 300WM factory ammunition I've ever seen.)

Question, How are you determining no pressure signs (case expansion)?
What method are you using to measure your case expansion?
I have had many guns at my counter that were shot with hand loaded ammo that were "showing no pressure signs" but were in fact over loaded. Some to the point of damaged beyond repair.
Just asking for inquiring minds like mine would like to know.
Savage turning out chambers that would cripple a saddle horse shows me their QC has slipped badly.
Customer service is a huge issue, it can help a company or help sink it.
When you get a Rep on the phone that tows the party line and rejects the idea that they made mistakes it sound like an issue I had with Ruger(still do) and I swore off Ruger Rifles because of this attitude.
When corporations buy these companies it seems they are attempting to run them into the ground I.E. like when the Corporation that took over Remington and their lines like Marlin and Para ordnance, Para is gone and Marlin has been over all crap, not to mention H&R which is history.
I have never had a Savage with a rough chamber but sure have Ruger with that issue.
Sounds like it is time for new BBL's.
BTW guys be careful of polishing your chambers lest you go beyond chamber specs.

 

[25WSM]

I would rather have a slightly oversize chamber that is smooth and ring free than a perfect chamber left rough. One will work. One won't.
Shep

 

[entoptics]

Well how is that chamber now.
Don't let us hang.
Shep

It appears to be a little better, but is still leaving marks on the brass. The "polishing" job doesn't look that great, and actually seems to have made some new scratches that leave more random marks on the brass. I also discovered a real nice ring, about 1.5" from the muzzle. I didn't notice it when I scoped it before sending it back, but after looking at that video, it was there, I just blew past it.

Question, How are you determining no pressure signs (case expansion)?
What method are you using to measure your case expansion?...

No ejector wipe, no bolt lift, good looking primers, and a load (and velocity) well within book/internet safe range. I believe I was wrong in my update post on page 4 when I stated 2860 fps. I failed to record data at the time, as I was completely distracted by the problems, but I started well below my typical load (2860 fps, 208 ELDM), since it was a new rifle, and didn't know where it would sit. I had a couple leftovers from that batch, which I fired in my old 300WM last week, and they were going 2750 fps, ~110 fps slower than my pet load for that rifle. If memory serves, the stuff I shot in the 2 High Countrys was 75 gr of H1000 under a 208 ELDM. My old 300WM runs between 77 and 79 for comparison, with still tight pockets on 5X fired brass.

 

[25WSM]

That ring looks like it's from a loose fitting pilot. Not ideal but probably won't hurt much. How does it shoot.
Shep

 

[entoptics]

That ring looks like it's from a loose fitting pilot. Not ideal but probably won't hurt much. How does it shoot.
Shep

Meh.

I haven't even begun to tune for it and have only shot 4 groups looking for velocity info, but it's hanging in around 1 MOA for 4 shots. There's at least some potential, as all of the groups but one had tight clusters with a flier opening things up.

I can't discount shooter error either. I know it's simply a mechanical device with no agency, but I can't help but hate the rifle and everything it represents.

Also, the muppets at Savage didn't get the spacers and combs for the new AccuStock back in the box on return, and it's not quite fitting me right. They're shipping a new kit out, but until that arrives, I'm gonna leave it alone.

 

[25WSM]

I feel the frustration. Sucks the way they handled this. Just another example how the big corporate world works. They can't even get the simple things right. The negative exposure of this one rifle cost them much more than a manager taking 5 minutes to go pick you a nice one and solve the situation.
Shep

 

[DoneNOut]

I'm glad you posted all of this. I'm sitting on the exact same problems with my 110 HC in 300WM. I'll just Flitz the chamber and bore best I can and press on. Probably end up getting a Ruger LRT or Bergara HMR

I knew something was weird when I first got the rifle and it looked like it was shot 100 times and oozed blue on the patches. I also thought the bore was dark and initially thought it might have been micro grooved like the old Marlins...nope, it's just got a million concentric chatter marks all throughout.

I've struggled getting the gun to shoot consistently under MOA. Ive spent roughly 250 rounds of various bullet weights and brands with no 5 shot groups under MOA. (Hand loaded in ladder test fashion)

In addition, I'm not thrilled on the design of the cheek riser. I have to clean from muzzle end to save myself the PITA of unscrewing the butt pad each time. Those screw holes are going to wear out doing that. I also had to call customer service for a replacement magazine. Rounds would pop up over the bolt face and then get into a nosedive jam. Turns out with both the original and replacement magazine it took spreading the feed lips apart with a pair of needle nose pliers. This reduced the speed the rounds released from the mag and eliminated the case head popping above the bolt face.

Ok, after all that I'm bummed out. Trump gonna buy me a new rifle. Lol!

 

[DJ Fergus]

I don't always buy Savage.....
But when I do, I plan on rebarreling it.