Bought my first hunting rifle

[fgw_in_fla]

I had a rfile that the bolt head would catch on the edge of the action, right at the corner of the port only when there was another round in the mag. After pulling the bolt back then start to push forward it strips the next round out of the mag. As I pushed it forward to chamber the round, the next round in the mag or the mag feed lips pushed up on the bolt & caused it to hit the edge of the action just as it was going in. It was an older stagger feed 110. I had to adjust the mag feed lips a little to hold the next round a little lower.

The metal the mag was made of was real springy & did not bend very easy. I eventually got it all aligned to where if functioned OK. The magazine may be sitting a wee bit high and need to be adjusted accordingly. I recall someone at Savage telling me they didn't make that style of mag any longer beacuse of reliability issues & such.
I didn't have a lot of experience with Savage or any rifles at the time so I didn't bother to take it apart. I later found out I could have / should have pulled the action & check out why the mag was too hi.

He may be dealing with a similar issue, if it's not the action screw hitting the bottom of the bolt head on the way in.

Later........ Off to the SALT MINE.

Frank in Fla

[John_M]

I'm with M.O.A. and handsomerob. It sounds to me like the bolt might be hitting one of the front scope base mounting screws or receiver screws. If the rifle/scope was mounted by a "gunsmith" at Wal-Mart I would not be surprised if one or both of the two front scope base mounting screws or receiver screws are a teensy bit too long and interfering with the bolt. Bend your small finger into the top front grove in the receiver between the magazine and chamber. You might be able to feel the scope base mounting screw if it is too long. Even if you cannot feel one or both of those screws, you might try removing both of them. Then check the bolt for proper closing.

If you do send the rifle to Savage I would send it with both scope bases installed. Savage will thoroughly check the rifle and do a proper repair if something is wrong. You might have to pay for return shipping.

Good luck.

[Clint KY]

Brokebonez: Where in MO are you? I am in KY but make it over to the Cape Girardeau & St. Louis area quite a bit. When it comes back I could take a look at it and show you where your terminology made it difficult to describe what was happening.

[Brokebonez]

Brokebonez: Where in MO are you? I am in KY but make it over to the Cape Girardeau & St. Louis area quite a bit. When it comes back I could take a look at it and show you where your terminology made it difficult to describe what was happening.

UPS just picked it up, I'm from Whiteman AFB, mo a good 2 hours from St. Louis. There is a YouTube video of somebody that bought a walmart special just like mine and had problems. I believe he said that savage arms gave him a new one.

[Texas Solo]

It sounds like to me the front scope base screws might be hitting the bolt head.

If he bought the #10 FXP, it's a package deal from Savage to include the scope (which includes bases & rings), so I doubt the screws are too long.

Not being real experienced and more able to explain the issue technically, it's best he sends it in.

OP... I know it's a bummer, but don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Savage is THE BEST, MOST ACCURATE, out of the box rifle you can buy.

Like most folks here, I'm a Savage fan not because I own one...I own three! And I wouldn't own that many if they hadn't proven to be superior rifles.

[blkhog]

Good luck with this, I hope Savage is able to make this right for you. Sounds like it may be their problem to deal with.. Then I'd say use this one a while , then later if you want to upgrade scopes, stocks, etc you'll know what you do and don't like so you can get something you'll be happy with. You've got a gun you'll be able to customize easily as time and money permit.
Don't be afraid to ask questions here. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here to help you. Sometimes more information is needed for them to help. Sometimes you'll get answers, or wild guesses, from people who don't know as much as they want you to think they know. You'll figure out who's who soon enough.
Update us as you hear from Savage, and again, Good luck!

[Texas Solo]

Also what is a cheap scope that's better then the bushnell 3x9x40 that comes with it?

Since nobody else has addressed this for you, I'll give my .02:

Using the words "cheap" and "better" don't belong in the same sentence. You get out of a scope exactly what you put into it. For the same money, your best off with what's on the rifle now. Companies provide an "adequate" scope to get you in the field, but a decent scope will start about $100 and go up from there.
You'll get lots of opinions on this, but on that rifle, a decent 3-9x40 with good clarity and multicoating is all you need.

Nikon Pro Staff series is a good option for the $$$.

[Brokebonez]

Well here is the deal, I sent it and they received it on Monday on the 17th. I called Savage Arms on the 21st Friday, so 5 days after they received it. They put me on the phone with a guy named Randy Savage, and he tells me the gun tested fine. So I proceeded to tell him about the problems that I was having and he said it was normal and the bolt is suppose to be loose enough to hit the ejector port. Also they told me that rifles are only tested on a table and not standing or couching "as in a real hunting situation". After that I told him I wasn't happy with the situation and that is was my first and last savage arms. He said okay, I'm sending the rifle back to you today and hung up.

So much for that.

[devildogandboy]

UPS just picked it up, I'm from Whiteman AFB, mo a good 2 hours from St. Louis. There is a YouTube video of somebody that bought a walmart special just like mine and had problems. I believe he said that savage arms gave him a new one.

have you got a link to this video, would be helpful to everyone?

[John_M]

devildog and others, Here is a youtube link which MIGHT be the one Brokebonez has referenced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdpG1h5GJi8

There are interesting viewer comments posted to the bottom of the video. I prefer not to comment on the video because I believe my 10FP(?) is one of the finest, most accurate, sensible and "fun" rifles I have owned during my many adult years. Others are free to form their own opinions on the video and its maker.

Best wishes and good luck.

[Brokebonez]

No, this is not my YouTube video but I wish I would have seen this video on YouTube before I bought this gun. I'm still waiting to receive my rifle back from Savage Arms. It's been 5 days since they were suppose to ship so I got curious and called them up for a shipping number and again Savage Arms never fails to disappoint. My rifle was never shipped!! So I guess they were just sitting on it for the last 5 days :/

[Admin]

devildog and others, Here is a youtube link which MIGHT be the one Brokebonez has referenced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdpG1h5GJi8

There are interesting viewer comments posted to the bottom of the video. I prefer not to comment on the video because I believe my 10FP(?) is one of the finest, most accurate, sensible and "fun" rifles I have owned during my many adult years. Others are free to form their own opinions on the video and its maker.

Best wishes and good luck.

Oh boy, where to start with this video! I guess the beginning will suffice...

1. He complained about the barrel not being centered and free floated, and that the bolt also cocked a little to the left when pulled rearward when he first got it.
Anyone who's owned a Savage with a synthetic stock knows there's some wiggle room in them and all you have to do is loosen the action screws slightly, center the barrel in the barrel channel, and retighten. Doing so would have likely resolved both problems and he wouldn't have wasted Savage's time (or money) when he sent it back to have the receiver replaced for a non-existent defect.

2. He says to check the bases to ensure the action was machined correctly, and states the way to check it is to try to slide a dollar bill between the base and the action.
The 2-piece bases Savage includes with their rifles - be it a 110 model, a rimfire, slug gun or whatever - are about as cheap as cheap gets. If you look at them closely you'll find the radius on the bottom is usually slightly off-center. As such, when you look at the top of the rings you'll see one side is stamped with a number and you'll want to make sure that # is on the same side for both mounts or it will cock the scope off to one side or the other and out of parallel with the bore. Has nothing to do with the action and if it was or wasn't machined correctly - it's just cheap/low quality bases.

3. He goes on to blame the front mount holes to be the problem, stating they are either not drilled/tapped deep enough or the threads are buggered.
It's common knowledge (and has been for years) that you have to keep an eye on the length of the front scope mount screws. If the very front one is too long it will bottom out on the barrel threads before it snugs the base up to the action. If the rear front screw is too long it will bottom out on the bolt head OR (if the bolt was removed during installation) protrude into the bore of the action and prevent the bolt from closing into battery. We even cover this in our FAQ's here (http://www.savageshooters.com/content.php?155-Front-Scope-Mount-Screws).

4. He complains about a mark on the bolt head from pounding in the ejector retaining pin.
Sorry dude, they're all going to look like that because that's how they are installed. It's purely cosmetic and doesn't affect functionality at all.

5. He complains about "swirly tooling marks" on the rear face of the receiver (under where the rear baffle would sit).
Really? Are you actually this anal retentive and nit-picky? This is just getting comical! It's a rifle, not a Rolex for Christ's sake!

6. Complains about a non-visible scratch in the finish along the inside bore of the action from the bolt sliding back and forward.
Well, I guess if you want it to look all shiny and new forever you just better never cycle the bolt or shoot it. A hardened part that moves across/through another non-hardned part is bound to leave marks where they contact no matter how well finished or machined they are. It's a simple fact of life.

7. He goes on to point out supposed "high spots" on the rear tang of the action - yet another "machining flaw" in his opinion.
No my friend, this isn't a machining flaw, it's called a contact point. And where there's contact there will be wear - see above.

8. He complains about all the sharp, crisp edges on the action and the finish wearing off them.
Well, what do you expect? When you move things and they interact with one another along a sharp edge it's going to wear. It's not rocket science.

9. Now he starts complaining about the barrel and that the writing isn't clocked correctly
Well, he did say they replaced the action, right? Well right there's the reason why! Barrels are roll-stamped AFTER they're installed on the action to ensure proper alignment. But since they had to pull yours and fit it to a new action, the odds of the stamp lining up correctly is about a million to one. I suppose he wants a new barrel now to? His reading of the explanation for this from Joe DeGrande just goes to further show this guy hasn't a clue what he's talking about.

10. He goes on to complain about UPS and how they handle packages and yadda yadda yadda.
Am I the only person starting to sense a pattern here? That this is one of those people who no matter what you do, he'll always find something to nit-pick and will never be happy or satisfied no matter how far you bend over backwards to appease him.

Yet another perfect example of why some people shouldn't be allowed to own a video camera or have access to posting on YouTube. If he put half the time/effort into educating himself on Savage's that he put into making that video he could have eliminated/resolved all the so-called defects he found at no additional cost.

[Clint KY]

^^^ You said what I was thinking when I watched the video. Thanks

[Admin]

No, this is not my YouTube video but I wish I would have seen this video on YouTube before I bought this gun. I'm still waiting to receive my rifle back from Savage Arms. It's been 5 days since they were suppose to ship so I got curious and called them up for a shipping number and again Savage Arms never fails to disappoint. My rifle was never shipped!! So I guess they were just sitting on it for the last 5 days :/

First, we need to get you using the correct terminology so people know what you're talking about. The chamber is the machined hole in the rear of the barrel, and the bolt can't and won't ever touch the chamber.

What I believe you are trying to say is that the bolt head (front-most part of the bolt assembly) is catching on the lip of the front receiver bridge as you try to close it into battery. This is typically more prevalent on long-actions and is a result of the tolerance allowed in the bolt raceway combined with a sharp non-rounded edge on the receiver bridge and/or bolt head. The solution is to take a small fine metal file and just run it across those two edges a couple times to eliminate the sharp edge so they can more easily slide past one another.

Also, how you work the bolt can exaggerate this issue if you tend to put any downward or lateral force on the bolt as you push it forward.

[Admin]

No, this is not my YouTube video but I wish I would have seen this video on YouTube before I bought this gun. I'm still waiting to receive my rifle back from Savage Arms. It's been 5 days since they were suppose to ship so I got curious and called them up for a shipping number and again Savage Arms never fails to disappoint. My rifle was never shipped!! So I guess they were just sitting on it for the last 5 days :/

So UPS picked it up on Sept. 12th, figure 3 days for transit to Mass puts us at the 15th (a Saturday - no UPS delivery) so make that the 17th when it's received at Savage, and today's the 26th and you're complaining about it taking too long? God help you if you ever have to deal with Browning, Remington, Ruger, Winchester or most any other brand out there as you'd be lucky to hear/get anything from them for weeks...sometimes months after they receive your gun.

[fgw_in_fla]

It sounds like to me the front scope base screws might be hitting the bolt head.

Or the mag lip too high & pushing the bolt head up. same issue on my older 110 - .270 w/ stagger mag. I've tried bending the mag & feed lips in to every concieveable position & they still push the bolt up to where it bumps the chamber entry on the way in. it's been 6 years now & I've got used to it.

Hey Bonez... Read my info on the Axis / Edge thread about stock modifications. Simple to do & it'll make it a whole nice rifle to shoot.......

Good luck with it. if one of these guys can help you, it's too far gone anyway.

Frank in Fla

[M.O.A.]

lol that aint no sh** Remington is horrible it took a month just to get some bad 6.8 spec rounds replaced

[John_M]

Thank you, Jim, for saying all the things I was dying to say when first I watched the video. I was frustrated and saddened by the total lack of knowledge about bolt action rifles displayed by the video maker. Unfortunately, others, equally lacking in that knowledge, will believe all he says to be the gospel truth.

I felt a strong urge to post the link so other proud Savage owners could see how ignorance is so easily transmitted. You said it best, Jim, when you wrote "...Yet another perfect example of why some people should not be allowed to own a video camera or have access to posting on YouTube. If he put half the time/effort into educating himself on Savage's that he put into that video he could have eliminated/resolved all the so-called defects he found at no additional cost...."

Needless to say, I support 100%, all of your comments above.

Best wishes and good luck.

[Opus Dei]

lol that aint no sh** Remington is horrible it took a month just to get some bad 6.8 spec rounds replaced

Where did you call? Corporate office or ammo plant? I've got some bad ammo and I wanted to ask Remington about it. I signed up for Support, but ****ed if I can figure how to submit a question-all it does is prompt for a search. Thanks!

[M.O.A.]

The box has the number to call when you finally get someone they will send you a mailing slip to send it to them