Front action screw, GONE

[Poopers]

I got a Stevens 200 .270 about 6 years ago, but due to being unable to hunt, it literally has only been shot two occasions with maybe a total of 15 bullets through it. Anyhoo, I took it out yesterday for opening deer season, took one shot and went home. I hunted half of this morning and noticed my action had some wiggle to it, then I saw a big hole in front of where the trigger guard is. I assume the bolt just worked itself loose ( somehow? ) and fell out.

According to the savage manual this screw is called a " Front Action Screw ", my question to you guys is, does anyone know if I can just pick up a bolt to fit it at any hardware store? If so, what size/pitch will I need?

Thanks a BUNCH to anyone that can answer this. I love my Stevens and Savage as a company but this bums me out.

[thomae]

It's a 1/4 x 28 TPI machine screw. You might be able to find one at a hardware store, but not at the big box stores, If not, they can be purchased from a place like Fastenal or Grainger. I would purchase a long one and hen grind or sand it down to fit. You can also get one from Savage or from most gunsmiths. I purchased one from my Local gunsmith that was officially a Remington action screw. I have also purchased several from local industrial supply places.

[Poopers]

Thanks a bunch. Waiting for shipping would have killed 8 days worth of hunting. Im going to Loctite the screw for sure!

I forgot to ask, with this bolt falling out, and me putting in a new one, it wont change my zero/point of impact, correct? I assume not but figured I should ask.

[thomae]

It should not affect your point of impact...but it might. If it dies, it won't be much. Probably not enough to be noticable when hunting.

When you put the action back in the stock, put the rifle and stock in a vertical position and bang the buttpad on your bench to make sure the recoil lug is all the way back. Then tighten the action screws front, then back, back and forth using a torque wrench about 5 inch/pounds each until you are at about 35-40 inch/pounds. Later on you can tweak that torque as it may have some effect on your accuracy.

[Poopers]

As of now the action is still in the stock and has not been removed, hopefully I can just pop the bolt in and be done. MAYBE now would be a good time to replace the stock with a Boyds since I have been considering it anyway. Its just horrible timing with deer season being open

Thank you for all your help

[thomae]

You should not really need loctite. If you do use it, I would suggest you use it very sparingly and only use purple (light duty).

If the one screw came out, the other may be loose. Even if it is not, you should loosen it and then tighten both screws remembering to measure INCH pounds, not foot pounds. (No, I don't think you are an idiot, but people have managed to make that mistake in the past.)

Good luck hunting. Our rifle season doesn't start until after Thanksgiving.

[Poopers]

With the price of those inch pound wrenches, I may just take it to a smith and have him do it.

Our season back home ( WI ) was the week of thanksgiving, a 9 day season. Here in Montana, it starts Oct 20 and lasts till the weekend after thanksgiving. LOVE it here!

My hunting buddy is from PA, ironically even though we are surrounded by mountains, we hunted farmland like back home.

[thomae]

You could get an inexpensive 1/4" click-type torque wrench from Harbor Freight. They do mail order and there is bound to be a store somewhere near you.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-drive-click-stop-torque-wrench-2696.html

[sharpshooter]

Make sure that the screw is not too long. It it is too long it will touch the bottom lug and and the bolt will not close. On a side note: it can be slightly too long, but not enough to feel it when closing on an empty chamber. But when chambering a round a slight hitch can be felt. This will move your point of impact. The screw length should be 1.100" from the end to under the head.

[kevin_stevens]

If you zeroed the rifle with the screw in there originally, there's no need to stop everything and find a gunsmith to torque down the replacement. It's simply not that fine an adjustment, and you don't know what it was torqued to when you zeroed initially, anyway.

Thirty inch-pounds is thirty pounds of force on a one inch lever. In other words, lean on the short end of an allen key about as hard as you can pushing with your thumb. Go hunting.

KeS