Help with a new 110 ultralight mis-firing (long post)

[bomberodevil]

Hi all, I’m new to Savage and to this forum, but have been using hunting rifles for several decades. I bought a 110 Ultralight in 280 AI, with the intent of being the grandkids deer/elk rifle in a couple years. I’ve also been reloading since the 80’s, and I’ve never had a mis-fire with a handload cartridge. I got the rifle in December, located some Nosler brass in January, and hand loaded about 30 rounds for barrel break in. I went to the range, and the rifle wouldn’t fire. The firing pin would advance inside the bolt, but no strike on the primer, not even a scratch.

I sent the rifle in to Savage through Cabela’s, and 5-6 weeks later, I got the rifle back from Savage. I had called them a couple of times, and was once told the rifle was done and they had replaced the firing pin and spring. I took it back out to do break in again this morning, and the rifle malfunctioned again.

The issue is, I’ll load a single round in the magazine, load the magazine into the rifle, and chamber the round. The safety seems to work in all three positions. When the rifle is on fire, sometimes the firing pin will advance with a trigger pull, and sometimes the trigger won’t pull at all. The times it won’t pull at all, you can see the firing pin has not been cocked to the rear in the bolt. Bottom line, the firing pin strikes the primer maybe after 10-15 bolt cocking and trigger pulls. Very dangerous to not know when the rifle will fire.

When the rifle does fire, the primer strike is a deep strike. I had a friend who works for Dillon Precision look at the primers after strike, and said they look like they are seated correctly.

I just dropped the rifle off at Cabela’s for its second trip to the factory. I guess my questions are, being new to Savage, is there some quirk to the 110 that I’m not understanding? The video is about 4:00 minutes, but it shows the issue pretty clearly. Thanks for your time with this.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0adP7wm6GUTKTDKvOMjAPuHmg

[Dave Hoback]

You are tripping the safety blade of the Accutrigger.

Edit: wait. I just watched your video. That is interesting. BTW.. where are you that you so freely pull the trigger almost into the air at times? A bit unnerving.

[bomberodevil]

I thought that, but every time the cocked indicator shows the firing pin is at the back of the bolt, the firing pin moves forward with the trigger pull. In the video, there’s maybe 2-3 times the trigger doesn’t pull, but you can see that the firing pin is not at the rear of the bolt. My understanding is the accutrigger won’t fire with t a lateral trigger pull. I’m not doing that in the video.

[bomberodevil]

I’m about 10 miles from any buildings, with the barrel pointing about 45 degree angle to the ground. The bullet is going directly into the ground about 5-10 ft in front of me, without another person in miles. It’s safe.

[Dave Hoback]

No, the firing pin still moves forward, so you won’t see the indicator, but it stops short. It’s hard to tell. Try to make a very conscious effort to NOT allow your finger to roll to the side. It does appear that is happening because you are just kinda pulling the trigger without regard in the video. (Still unnerving)

But it is DEFINITELY engaging the safety blade. It clicked with no primer strike. That is the safety blade.

[Dave Hoback]

Your finger is VERY high on the trigger, almost like you are pulling at the point the trigger & blade meet. Try lowering your finger on the trigger shoe and do a very careful straight back pull. I’ve run into this before with people. They swear they aren’t touching the trigger first.... but they are. It’s in their trigger pull technique. I think your trigger is adjusted too low as well, which is causing the pin to follow the closing the bolt at times.

If you had the rifle in your possession I could show you online how to adjust the Accutrigger properly

[bomberodevil]

I went back through the video and my trigger finger may be on the top third of the trigger, but it looks like the trigger pull is non-jerking and straight back. I have a Ruger, Remington, Tikka and Christensen Arms rifles, most with Timney or Trigger Tech triggers. I’ve never had any issues with poor trigger pulls. If the issue truly is the manner in which I pull the accu-trigger, I need to replace the factory trigger with a trigger tech or replace the rifle. As far as the trigger tension, I don’t have a scale to measure it, but I haven’t adjusted it. That’s the way it came from the Savage factory.

[Dave Hoback]

It doesn’t matter what you think the video shows or doesn’t show. I’m telling you the operation of the Accutrigger. The only thing which can prevent the pin from hitting the primer is the safety blade. In any case, you can easily remove the Safety blade and it will perform like a traditional 1-stage trigger. But it needs to be adjusted. You missed that part I said. The times where the pin fell from closing the bolt. I believe your Accutrigger is adjusted too low, causing improper pre-tension.

I can show you how to remove the blade online as well.

[bomberodevil]

Thanks, I didn’t know the safety blade can be removed. If that’s the issue, I’m good removing it. I did see your comment where you thought the trigger tension is too light. I didn’t miss it, I commented that it was set at whatever poundage at the factory, as I haven’t adjusted anything. I just don’t have a way to measure it. When it gets back from Savage, I’ll measure it. I prefer 2.0 lbs for my hunting rifles.

[Dave Hoback]

Got ya. Well, unfortunately with STOCK Accutriggers, you can’t always have them where you want them. When they are set too low, following the bolt is exactly what can happen. A “slam fire” basically when the bolt is lowered. The trigger spring is threaded into the trigger housing. By turning it “clockwise” with the little adjust tool, more Preload is being added. Try 1/2 turn at a time until there is NO Firing Pin follow upon lowering the bolt. And again, feel free to look me up for any help. If you have any trouble, I can walk you through removing the blade easily. Triggers are kinda my thing, lol! :surprise:

Yup.. very easy to remove the safety blade if you so choose. The picture below shows the components all layer out. Nothing else in the operation depends on the Safety Blade. And it doesn’t make the rifle unsafe(once the pin dropping when bolt closed is remedied). Hope this helps.

https://i.ibb.co/mTh8rqM/C1-D23-A8-E-9-E06-41-EE-B634-E150-B2-F0-CF4-E.jpg (https://ibb.co/H4GdLzk)

[Dave Hoback]

One thing I did remember..an “Oddity” of sorts: read through this thread. You might want to try loosening the Action screws or remove the action and check if the issue persists. Do NOT use ammo with it removed obviously. You’ll be able to clearly SEE if the safety locks up, or if the pin drops on closing the bolt. Some have had this issue with the Action screw or stock touching the trigger on the upper portion when the screws are torqued.

https://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?64900-Accutrigger-lock-up-question

[bomberodevil]

I found many sources that described the identical issues I was having, and the majority of them said the issue was the trigger pull tension was too light. I adjusted the tension and the misfire issues cleared up (with dry fire). I purchased a Wheeler trigger tension gauge and I set the trigger to 2.5 lbs. I didn’t measure the initial setting of the trigger, but I would guess it was 0.5-1.0. Very light. So thanks to all that gave suggestions, I think this will clear it up. If not, I’ll switch the trigger with a Timney. Thanks again.

[Dave Hoback]

So it’s exactly what I told you then, when I said it was adjusted to low?;):redface-new: Yeah, we see the same things again & again. It’s only a very few things that can cause those issues you experienced. And probably 99% of the time it’s either technique, trigger set too light or combination of both.

Any problems just let us know. This forum is by far the greatest wealth of knowledge on Savage firearms. If you can’t find the answer to a Savage problem here, it doesn’t exist, LOL. Glad it worked out for you. Keep shootin’.