10fcp hs precision sticky bolt badness...

[glassbeaver]

Just picked up a new 10fcp hs precision stock and found the bolt to be... well less than desirable lol. (been a remington guy and this is my first dive into the savage world) Specifically, after firing the bolt requires a great amount of force to draw back. I read on another forum that polishing the "caming surface" greatly alleviates this. Possible to post a pic depicting where exactly to polish/apply grease? BTW... it shoots lights out bone stock. Have only fired 3 groups with it and all 3 can be covered by a quarter. Unreal lol. I've officially been converted. Just need to get this bolt smoother...

Posted this here as I felt as though I was hijacking another's thread. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I really like this gun and it shoots well, but the "sticky bolt" is a real issue. Also, there are no signs of pressure that I can see.

[ellobo]

Is it bolt lift that is the problem or actually drawing the bolt back to eject a shell? Bolt lift is a recurring problem but this is the first time I have heard of sticky bolt retraction?

El Lobo

[Ninedv]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/ninedv/IMAG0501.jpg
Just for you Sir,
I personally polish everything i can find that moves inside there. My list is the flat surface on the 1/4" hex bolt, The sides of the "button" as they ride in the action as it cams, the small portion if you can get at it as well, the castle looking piece as im sure it drags on something in there. The caming ramp is the surface on the bolt where the button would ride. I dont touch this with any polishing compound as I havent figured a way to keep the surface square while doing it. I simply sit down while watching a movie, pref while no one is around to give me dirty looks and will hold the trigger down and cycle the action for an hr or two till it feels smoother. The button will ride on the ramp polishing it. I pull the bolt and clean it off every so often Sorry for all the technical terms. My 10FPK was horrible till I did this, now it feels much more like my well worn varmit rifle.
That is what I do-others may have better advise.
Jesse

[calling4life]

First thing I did with mine was soak it in oil, fp10 if I recall. Cycled it a lot, let it soak again overnight, cycle it, washed her and gold. 1,000 rounds later I'm still in love, I'm using a remmy while my savage is at GAP for a makeover, the remmy bolt feels like it has gum stuck inside.

Give it a workout, put that tack driver to use and enjoy.

[pdog06]

Since it is a new action the bolt lift will be a little stiff. But it will wear in with continued use.

If it is hard to retract it could be due to the blackened bolt body. My 220f shotgun was the same way. It has a rougher surface when new than a normal bolt body. It too will wear in with time.

Like mentioned above, just sit down and watch tv and work the bolt. Look at it this way, nobody is gonna try to take the remote from you ;)

[ellobo]

no one is going to taker the remote from you.
You gotta love that one. Good sense of humor guy.

El Lobo

[glassbeaver]

I appreciate the responses. Will disassemble, run through the ultrasonic, re oil, and cycle like lance armstrong lol. I'm just glad to hear that this is normalish. I was worried for a little. Also, to answer the above question, the main issue was the "draw back" and not the bolt lift (although that is currently kinda suckish as well...). I had another suggest a SSS tactical bolt handle to improve lift. Will do as well. Thank you once again for the help. Will post picks of those first groups. No picks... then it never happened lol.

[1jonzmith]

no one is going to taker the remote from you.
You gotta love that one. Good sense of humor guy.

El Lobo


+1 Now I gotta change shorts!

[1jonzmith]

Just for you Sir,
I personally polish everything i can find that moves inside there. .................... I dont touch this with any polishing compound as I havent figured a way to keep the surface square while doing it. I simply sit down while watching a movie,............ hold the trigger down and cycle the action for an hr or two till it feels smoother. The button will ride on the ramp polishing it. I pull the bolt and clean it off every so often ...............
That is what I do-others may have better advise.
Jesse


If you cycle it dry you will knock down the really high rough surface. It will be smother than when you started. That may be enuff for you...it has been for many. But the "real" way is to lap the mating surfaces. You need not worry about keeping "everything square". They square the surface to each other. Point is you want the facing surface smooth AND you want that mating surface to be as "wide" as possible and you shoot for 100%. When you look at the surface after lapping you should see the mating surface and you can judge how "complete" it is. Start off with 200 grit silicone carbide compound. Work it a few minutes...disassemble bolt and flush with carb cleaner....inspect surface with loupe....if it has a "signature" on almost all of the contact surface move up to 400 grit....repeat till you get to 1000grit. You end up with a near polish on the mating surface and when it is lubricated it will be as effortless as it can possibly be. You can destroy all your work by "dry cycling" the bolt as you "drag metal" by doing so. Now, a bolt that has drug metal surfaces may be smoother than the original but it is not as smooth as it can be. If you cycle the bolt with a lube on it the wear will be minimized but the lapping principle applies. It will just take forever. But that works and is valid. Advantage with that method is you need no materials and you get to soak up some 'trons. With compounds you can finish it up in a half an hour at the bench.

The button isn't keyed so you need to mark it with a file so you put it in with the same orientation every time. Regardless you will be truing up the ramp to the pin surface.

I haven't done mine yet. It was stiff when I got it and lubed with some water thin oil. I applied some "machine gun" grease and is OK +. MG grease is as thick as tar, almost, and way way thicker than wheel bearing grease. Savage advises against using grease anywhere on the bolt cause in cold weather the bolt will freeze up. The Germans discovered this at Leningrad and learned too late that the Russians were using a thin oil that turned into light grease at 20 below. I wish Savage had said "don't use grease if hunting or target shooting below 32*F.

[dksac2]

The Savage bolt can be improved, but it will never be as good as a Rem, but can be made better.
My smith has an easy trick that I did on mine, made a decent difference and was very easy.
There are not many who really understand the Savage rifle inside out, more claim to than do.

My Best, John K

[stangfish]

Who is your smith dk? ;D

[cwop]

i have one of pd06s target actions it has been shot a lot and it is very smooth. the new one i bought from jim briggs and it has awhile to go yet but been doing the working the action while watching the tv.

bob

[earl39]

Just picked up a new 10fcp hs precision stock and found the bolt to be... well less than desirable lol. (been a remington guy and this is my first dive into the savage world) Specifically, after firing the bolt requires a great amount of force to draw back.


If hard to draw back i would look at the action screws and see if they are sticking up and causing a drag on the bolt body.

[stewart33]

there have been thousands of posts concerning the lift weight of savage bolts. seriously, i have only jumped on this band wagon 1yr ago and everyone Knows that there is heavy bolt lift. this topic has been visited over and over again. if you want silky smooth actions tuned to crazy moa pay for it! otherwise deal with it. and cycle on while watching jim shockey. gag me!!!

[glassbeaver]

there have been thousands of posts concerning the lift weight of savage bolts. seriously, i have only jumped on this band wagon 1yr ago and everyone Knows that there is heavy bolt lift. this topic has been visited over and over again. if you want silky smooth actions tuned to crazy moa pay for it! otherwise deal with it. and cycle on while watching jim shockey. gag me!!!


Wow lol. Well read the initial post. Primary concern wasn't bolt lift, it was the force required to draw it back. Also, what of this "tuning to crazy moa" you speak of? :o

[jonbearman]

I think he means buying a custom action. Personally I have done my own mods and have 3 rifles with Kevin Rayhills lift kit and a little metal removal in the right spot.Mine are way easier to work than my tuned remingtons.I would call Kevin or Fred or savage gunsmithing and ask away.Most of these fellas will give you good free advice.Just dont talk their ear off as they need to keep working.Jim Briggs at northland is a real decent guy,and he knows alot.Any other questions PM me.

[barrel-nut]

there have been thousands of posts concerning the lift weight of savage bolts. seriously, i have only jumped on this band wagon 1yr ago and everyone Knows that there is heavy bolt lift. this topic has been visited over and over again. if you want silky smooth actions tuned to crazy moa pay for it! otherwise deal with it. and cycle on while watching jim shockey. gag me!!!


Ouch ! Someone forget to take their meds? :) :)

[1jonzmith]

The Savage bolt can be improved, but it will never be as good as a Rem, but can be made better.
My smith has an easy trick that I did on mine, made a decent difference and was very easy.
There are not many who really understand the Savage rifle inside out, more claim to than do.

My Best, John K


dk (John),

I don't care so much "who" your Smith is but I sure would be interested in hearing about that "easy trick". I have been "messing" with rifles for most of my life but I never turn up my nose at "new old" info and wisdom. I don't claim any expertise with the Savage or even the rifles that I have had for 20 years and rebuilt more than once. Experts have academic training and/or many years of experience in a varied professional environment being supervised by an accredited Smith. But, I can't be a judge.

I recently started building my first Savage from the Target action on up. I got my action NIB from Jim Briggs ( great guy). It is beautiful! I don't find the bolt effort objectionable but then I own a few Mosin Nagants. It is with the MNs that I have earned a PhD in lapping. LOL I think by lubing with proper grease my bolt would be satisfactory but I can easily see where other models, not finished to the level of the Target action, would need serious help. Of course I will go thru mine in time...who can resist refining and improving a rifle? Even if it is an ever so slight improvement. :)

Hope to hear you Smiths method.

John