Rough Savage 111 action

[gordonie]

hey guys, first official post here besides my intro. anyway i've had a problem ever since I bought my savage 111 chambered in 300winmag. (which I have now re chambered in 300prc) And that is the bolt seems really sloppy when pulled to the back and sometimes when i cycle the bolt without perfectly applying force it gets really rough to cycle. The bolt lugs seem smooth, but i've noticed the raceways both look and feel rather rough when compared to the bolt itself... could this be the cause? still scouring the internet for a tool with lapping compound i could use to smooth things out. Although that worries me because i've read some forums where people have said lapping never fixes bad machining.

Any advice?

edit: ive also looked into a replacement bolt body like this one which apparently helps the slop, but not the roughness.

Savage LA (Long Action) Bolt Body - Pacific Tool and Gauge

Savage LA (Long Action) Bolt Body at Pacific Tool and Gauge

pacifictoolandgauge.com

 

[slv hunter]

Do you use gun grease on the bolt and lugs? I would suggest that first.
Savage design lends to a lot of "slop" in bolt.

 

[Will16]

It's a savage. If you don't like it get something else.

 

[gordonie]

Do you use gun grease on the bolt and lugs? I would suggest that first.
Savage design lends to a lot of "slop" in bolt.

I use a light oil, perhaps I should try something thicker.

 

[can1010]

the PTG bolt body will help with the slop but they are not just drop in and go they take a good amount of tuning for bolt lift and primary extraction

 

[338 dude]

I use a light oil, perhaps I should try something thicker.

Whatever you choose for oil you'll find out during a cold winter day hunting if it will work or not I'm kind of embarrassed to say this on a forum but I am a scent freak when it comes to hunting one time I thought my gun smells of oil and cleaning products I switched to using peanut oil deer like peanut butter well when I went out back on my property to hunt I tried to load my rifle the bolt would not move I had to warm the gun up and remove any kind of oil to free it up again so be careful what you use

 

[slv hunter]

I use Tetra gun grease, won't freeze and no scent. My gunsmith gives you a tube when picking up a rifle.

 

[338 dude]

I use Tetra gun grease, won't freeze and no scent. My gunsmith gives you a tube when picking up a rifle.

I believe I will get some and give it a try been using Montana extreme but it says nothing about being scent free

 

[slv hunter]

Hey Bill I'm not sure it's sent free, but my 60 year old nose can't smell it. If you don't like it try some apple butter lol

 

[jrock]

I assume you don't mean binding when you say rough. I'm not sure how to fix that yet. I have a weatherby vanguard that I believe has a sloppy bolt. It will bind if I impart a perpendicular force to the bolt.

Not that this is a solution for your case but I use a little JB bore paste when I'm trying to smoothing something out. You could smear that on the raceways and move the bolt back and forth. Lubrication works as well but I don't like exposed surfaces with lubrication as dirt clings to it.

Cerakote can smooth things up a bit along with taking up some slop. They also make micro slick which for coating bolts.

More expensive resort, you could get your bolt and head nitrided

Best option if you are picky about action smoothness, sell it and buy a custom.

 

[blvette75]

If your stock is pillar bedded on your Savage, try loosening the action screws a little bit and cycle your bolt, and see if it cycles smoother. It is a Savage and the action does not compare with other bolt guns like a Bergara, Tikka, Browning X-bolts, etc. After re-barreling mine, I had to smooth out (slightly open up) inside of my action pillars (not much)not sure if it was the added weight of the new barrel. Also had to open up the forearm of my stock to free float the barrel again prior to full re-bedding my stock. The other suggestions such as JB bore paste and I have used plus the lubricant. The action will smooth out over time by just firing rounds through it at about 500 rounds it smooths out pretty good. Savage is a good shooter out of the box, but requires a lot of user tuning to get it to be comparable to the aforementioned brands, (I will not buy another Savage except an action to build on) there are others brands as well that have pricing close to the 111 range. Good luck

 

[Tommytrees]

Bill, re: the peanut oil, LOL, but you don't really know til u try things out. When I hunted in -32 degrees we would run it dry or a light squirt of graphite. Some liked it some didn't. Might have had something to do with the particular firearm.

 

[jrock]

I've used dry lubes and the work well for a few strokes. It seems to wear off pretty quick. I found a product that was advertised as an impregnating teflon lubricate that I use on the rails. Goes on as a liquid but dries out and leaves it pretty slick. I've been told its not made anymore.

 

[jasonco]

The "sloppy" bolt and floating bolt head, is what makes them accurate. That will go away over time and use, as the race-ways wear in, which is common on new Savage rifles. The addition of a Savage bolt lift kit, will smooth it up even more.