Bolt modifications

[DanSavage]

I've been going over the mechanic's of the Savage bolt (in my head) for quite a while now and I've come to the conclusion that the top of the cocking ramp could be milled down quite considerably. I haven't measured yet but by feel I'm guessing around .040-.050. The way you can tell how much higher the cocking ramp unnecesarally pulls back the cocking pin is when your rifle is cocked and ready to "DRY" fire, open the bolt. Now did you feel resistance toward the top of the lift? If you did, it is the cocking ramp pulling the cocking pin and firing pin back off of the sear release catch. For what reason? it just makes more effort.

I know that lowering the top of the cocking ramp would not allow the firing pin to be held back as far but my goal would be to get the cocking pin as close to the sear release catch as possible.
Am I just wasting my time:distress:

[stangfish]

Once apon a time I had wondered if adjusting the sear rearward would do the same thing. Then adjust the top of spring nut up moving the cocking pin off the bottom of the bolt body window to reduce spring tension. I have never been one to believe, within reason, that the FP spring was too weak though. I have adjusted them to where they were much lighter and had no problems.

[82boy]

Well, basicly what your talking about it what is called "Timming." What your noticing is that your bolt is out of time, that it is going past the point of pick up, and actuly de-cocking as it comes to its finale rest. What your describing or planing on doing is not going to be truly benificial. Lets see if we can put you in a another mind of thinking. How can you take what your noticing, and improve it to where you gain the additional travel and utilize the area where it is de-cocking? Here is a warning, Timming is a crutial function to a bolt action rifle, and also so is firing pin travel, and I sugest you do some research before you deside to change things in your action. Before you changes things I sujest you develop tooling to measure the critical aspects of your rifle so that you can honestly see what is happening and what you are improving or not improving. You may want to mesure firing pin travel, sear engagment, amount of force needed to open the bolt., ETC. Good luck