Savage110. 308

[possummatti]

Hey guys. I have recently brought a savage 110 .308 bolt action second hand. The first 6 or so rounds through it fired good but then the bolt started getting hard to pull back. Now i have to put serious weight on the bolt for it to slide back. I have been told that it may be carbon build up as im not sure if the last owner cleaned it very often. The rounds also push in but once they get to a point it takes a bit more effort. Any advise or ideas would be very much appreciated. Cheers

[barrel-nut]

What kind of ammo are you shooting- factory or reloads?
Also, if the rifle is new to you, then a thorough cleaning would be in order to get the best performance from it.

[possummatti]

Hey. Federal power shock 150gr and Remington core lokt. Im thinking it might be best to take it to a gunsmith and get the chamber polished.

[Russmerle]

Second what barrel-nut said. Maybe some good cleaner and soak time.

[barrel-nut]

Have the gunsmith check the headspace. Sounds like it may be tight. That could explain the difficult chambering issue. Also hot loads would cause tight extraction. I've had factory loads that were on the hot side before I started handloading. Especially if, as it sounds, you may be firing 5-6 rounds without adequate cooling time, and then putting a round into a hot chamber and letting it become hot before firing, might cause high pressures with some powders that are temperature sensitive and may be already loaded at max. Lack of, or poor primary extraction could also contribute to hard bolt pull. Most likely it's due to overly hot loads causing the brass to stick in the chamber.

[possummatti]

Have the gunsmith check the headspace. Sounds like it may be tight. That could explain the difficult chambering issue. Also hot loads would cause tight extraction. I've had factory loads that were on the hot side before I started handloading. Especially if, as it sounds, you may be firing 5-6 rounds without adequate cooling time, and then putting a round into a hot chamber and letting it become hot before firing, might cause high pressures with some powders that are temperature sensitive and may be already loaded at max. Lack of, or poor primary extraction could also contribute to hard bolt pull. Most likely it's due to overly hot loads causing the brass to stick in the chamber.
By after 6 rounds i mean that i fired six since i got it and it played up after the 6 or so shot. I can get it outta the safe right now put a load in it and it doesn't wanna come back out even if i don't fire it.

[barrel-nut]

Ok, then I'd start by giving the chamber and throat area a thorough cleaning, and then try again.

[daniel87]

take a jag/ patch coated . in barrel cleaner let it soak in the chamber and or scrub scrub scrub with a bore cleaner in a brush

[daniel87]

I didn't see, does bolt cycle ok when no cartridge is in the barrel???
dirty lugs

remove bolt, clean the bolt and locking lugs

[possummatti]

take a jag/ patch coated . in barrel cleaner let it soak in the chamber and or scrub scrub scrub with a bore cleaner in a brush
Will do. Cheers daniel

[possummatti]

I didn't see, does bolt cycle ok when no cartridge is in the barrel???
dirty lugs

remove bolt, clean the bolt and locking lugs
Yea man bolt slides sweet as . Its only a problem when theres a cartridge's in the chamber.

[jonbearman]

If your local gunsmith has a borescope he can tell you instantly if you have heavy carbon build up and if there is copper left in the barrel with its current condition.