First time Savage Build, questions and progress

[Dave Hoback]

Finally made it out to the mail box and installed Dave's titanium shims.
Greased and slipped in. 0.008" X 2 took out slop with no dragging.
THANK YOU DAVE

I'd take a picture of the installation, but they don't show.

My pleasure partner. :tea: I actually had uploaded a picture in post #28.

[Rocketvapor]

Have a question on spare parts.
The bolt I have for the wife's model 10 is the newest of the new, Long handled, one piece firing pin, dual spring with the keyring washer, cocking indicator, and 243/308 bolt head for the temporary .243 used barrel I bought.
After the 22N barrel comes in I will want to set up a bolt using the 6.8SPC/224V bolthead and one for the .223 bolthead.
(checking head space of course)
So, looking at a USED 10/110 SA, RH, .223 bolt, one piece firing pin, cocking indicator, BUT, has the one piece spring.
Other than the bolt head which I want, front baffle for short calibers, and the spring, maybe the BAS if not recessed the same,

Everything else is the same, RIGHT?

Thanks for your answer (below).

[Dave Hoback]

Yes. The bolt sleeve, flex washer, Cross Pin, rear baffle, firing pin striker & Cocking piece Pin are all the same.

[Rocketvapor]

Still no stock or barrel (except a temporary .243 barrel) so collecting parts.
Once the Shilen barrel gets here I should be able to set up for both cases for the 22N.
Gonna get a black bolt handle for an Ebay bolt that just came in.
9880
Swapped parts and everything fits and runs pretty smooth, except PTG bolt head.
9884
9882
Need to measure and find the difference between bolt heads. This be fixable?

[Dave Hoback]

It’s fixable. However, it appears your bolt head needs machined. Which calls for a lathe. I can see the marks where you put the arrows, but let me ask: did it still function? And that’s just where it’s making contact, or would the Bolt Head not even function?

[Rocketvapor]

Still functioned. Once it got past the leading edge of the bolt head the bolt closed.
Very small marks inside receiver. I'll polish the leading contact edge, blending burrs caused by the PTG head.
No issue until I tried that one. Seemed to be a quite noticeable bump compared to other boltheads.

Measuring the cross pin holes and all are the same. Will pass a 0.250 (-) pin but not a 0.250 (+) pin.
Height (thickness) of 3 different heads is about 0.0002" different, with the PTG being the same as one Savage head.
One has a little leading edge taper.
Using Face as a reference to pin hole height, is the same.
Gonna polish the interfering spots on the the leading edge of the bolt head.
The edges on the PTG are sharp.

Now to measure face depth of the 4 bolts I have. Primarily interested in the two I plan to finish up on, the PTG 6.8SPC bolthead for 22 Nosgar, and the Savage .223 bolthead for 22 Nosler. Would like for them to very close to each other so I don't have to adjust headspace when changing.
9890

Touched up the edges of the PTG bolt with wet 2000 grit paper.
Now to crawl inside the receiver and work there :)
Think I'll glue some of that 2000 to some sticks.
9891

Doesn't seem to be as bad as I first thought, OH NO, the bolt head is chewing on the wife's receiver and it happens to be the expensive one.
Guess I've been reading too many horror stories about bolts :)
If it sounds like I'm being overcritical, looking for dings, scratches, wear marks, well, I am :)

Inside of receiver looks OK (to me) now.
9893

Can't seem to get rid of these Attached Thumbnails
(below)

[Dave Hoback]

First, use Dykem or bluing of some sort for the bolt lugs. Then you can see where the Bolt & Receiver lugs surfaces are making contact. Then get or make some lapping compound and lap the lugs surfaces. I used several kinds of Silicone Carbide medium & Vaseline to make varying course to find lapping pastes. It works quite well. This happens normally over time. (A couple Thous. rounds), but doing it by hand works quite well.

Here’s a tutorial. (But don’t use the Dremel. I didn’t & don’t recommend it. That’s the point of varying level compounds.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtBNkA5tMvw

[Rocketvapor]

Thanks.
Will watch the video and go SLOW :)
Using blueing the bolthead doesn't scratch and feels better.
Nice smooth wear pattern. It was only nicks on the leading edge.
Maybe handling dings?

The PTG bolthead won't be needed until the Shilen barrel shows up.
Picked the better looking (new) of the larger boltheads for the 243 barrel, cut about 3-4 loops off the ejector spring, already has the larger extractor ball, and had the wife go through disassembly and assembly of the bolt. I'll probably be the one doing maintenance but it's nice to know stuff and she seemed interested.
She's a retired Marine and likes guns :)

Gonna wait for the stock to headspace the temporary barrel.

[Rocketvapor]

USPS delivered a second used barrel today (from a member here).
26", Model 12, 243, SS Fluted 1:9.25. Looks to be in good shape.
Once the stock comes in I'll assemble so the wife has something to practice with.
Once we get to the range and shoot it I'll decide on spending money on brass, bullets, dies, etc.
Have some 100gr SP that ought to do OK @ 100 just to try it out.

[Rocketvapor]

Busy finishing up a load out for a 600yd match this Saturday 22 Nosler/22 Nosgar.
But have been shopping around for bullets/brass for the temporary .243 barrel (26" varmint, 1:9.25).
9950
Looks like the Berger 87gr HPBT will work in the 9.25, maybe out to 600yds.
I figure 2/3 hundred of these and another 100 cases should last until the real barrel comes in.
Of course, still waiting on the stock.
Looks like I will stay with LRP brass, only have about 1500 WLR primers, and save the SRP for the 22N and 223.
Haven't been shooting the bigger guns for a while and not what I would want for 60+ rounds anyway.
Will likely have to stay away from heavy loads with the WLR.
I have several powders that are listed in data books (and online), IMR4350, IMR6064, IMR4328SSC, Reloader 17, and the newer SB 6.5.
First range trip, 100yds, will be with 100gr SP factory rounds, but want to try something out to 600.
Shopping Grafs, Powder Valley, Midway, etc.

Just to go bang, I have these;
9949
Hopefully they won't go sideways out to 100 yds :)
Any thoughts on the 87gr Berger HPBT? or maybe the 95gr Berger HPBT? in a 1:9.25?
Playing with a ballistic calculator, not much chance of getting good results with this barrel @ 600 yds.
Best bet is a temporary bolt gun for Flo. Back to waiting for the real barrel :(

[Rocketvapor]

Received my Shileen barrel today, way ahead of expected.
Wrapped and padded and in a triangle tube.
Was worried a little as the UPS site listed package weight as 1.8 pounds.

Will clean, measure, borescope and mount to receiver soon.
Didn't get to mount the .243 barrel as the stock is still a week or so out.
This just might make it as a Christmas present for the wife.

[Dave Hoback]

LOL! Oh this new revolution of borescoping before ever firing a single round! Especially when the vast majority of of shooters have no clue what they are looking at in the steel, and freak out upon seeing any difference at all.

I’m not pointing this at you specifically Rocketvapor. You are merely the effect of this new era, not the cause. Good luck with everything.

[charlie b]

If I had a borescope it would be important to me to use it on a new barrel just to establish the baseline. Then periodically after a certain number of rounds through the barrel.

[Rocketvapor]

Got an AR barrel with a burr at the gas port. Didn't borescope it first and blew up bullets (88's) then popped primers.
Took extra effort to clean it up. Copper all around the port. At least this bolt gun barrel doesn't have a gas port :)

Here's a pic of primer with anvil blown through the cup.
10155

Besides, have a week or so before the stock gets here.
Gonna check fit of neck with a case in it, and pin it for size.
Shileen used dummies I supplied so it should be good.
Now days you just don't get barrels with errors.

[Dave Hoback]

I didn’t say don’t inspect the barrel. I always look down the bore with light, for any obstruction. A burr that would cause serious malfunction would have been easily seen by the naked eye. Again though, like I said I wasn’t addressing you specifically. I don’t mean to condemn people for using a borescope. Everyone is free to do as they wish. My contention is with the changing demographics of the hobby. I can point to one of many threads here where a new member started a thread condemning their brand new rifle without ever shooting a single round. Condemning all because they purchased a trusty Amazon Borescope & saw some machining marks, surface rust or other superficial mark. Once again, these are shooters who don’t understand the characteristics of machine, or steel; they don’t know what they are looking at, yet decide to immediately send their rifles back for warranty. I’m sure Savage is not the only brand being affected. Gun manufacturers must hate these readily available, inexpensive borescopes. I simply think they more often create a problem where non exists. I and many others have been diagnosing actual problem in our own firearms for many, many years, without using a borescope. Just my personal belief. Each is free to their own of course. Borescopes can be had now for as little as $20! The better ones with full screens are only $130. Even with that, and though I have the knowledge to understand certain marks on the steel surface within a bore, I have yet to purchase one. And I simply don’t see a need.


I will ask you Charlie, if using a Botescope would be important to you, why not purchase one now, having the knowledge they are so affordable? A half decent unit only costs $50. Or, like me, is it really just not that important?!

[Rocketvapor]

Ran a couple dry patches through the bore to remove the lube then the borescope.
Right off the bat this Shillen (Select Match) bore has very light machining marks. I mean very light.
End of lands have been lapped pretty smooth, the lands themselves look great.
Not saying my X-Caliber barrels were bad, and smoothed out with use, but this one is pretty.
Land freebore with the other barrels had reamer marks, not bad, but you could easily see them.
This thing looks sweet :)
I saw NO rough spots, dings, nicks, gouges down the bore.

Now to headspace, hopefully to both the .378 bolthead and the .422 bolthead to shoot both 22 Nosler cases and 22 Nosgar.

We have another 600yd match in December but the Savage won't be ready so at least one more with the AR.
I expect to have to do a little bit of load work for the new barrel.

[Rocketvapor]

Getting bolts together.
What's the difference in extractors? I got a couple spares with my Birthday Discount @ Midway and they are like the one on the right in the pic. Preference?
10156

This barrel is even heavier than the AR barrels :)
10160

[Dave Hoback]

The 6.8 Extractor is somewhat of an enhanced version. The other 2 are simply different lengths, but all extractors work in all Bolt Heads.

[charlie b]

I understand the full explanation Dave. Your first comment was still a bit on the rude side.

And no, it isn't important to me to get a borescope.

[Dave Hoback]

Opinions vary:tea: