Can a brand new Savage look like this?

[tvtv]

Just bought a new gun and was shaken when I looked at the boltface and chamber. Can five or so test firings at the factory look like this? Thanks.

http://www.unseenlennon.com/boltface.jpg
http://www.unseenlennon.com/chamber.JPG

[82boy]

Yup fairly common.
FYI they only prof test the guns at Savage 1 round. (Unless it comes from the repair shop which it has a test target and there fire it as much as they need to get a good group.)

[tvtv]

it was sent to me with a four-round bore site target and another five-round group target. That's 9 shots. Why 9 on a new gun if they only do 1 as you say? thanks.

[Blue Avenger]

They may have pulled it for a random QC. What model did you get?

[jonbearman]

Whoever sold you the gun obviously fired nuclear rounds in it with peirced primers or ruptured ones at best. This is a gun with repeated firings and the damage to the bolt face may only be the beginning as now I would inspect the lugs for peening and excessive wear.If they check out I would replace the bolt head as it looks terrible.You can see the gas cutting around the the firing pin hole which is caused by leaking primers.

[tvtv]

it's an f/tr in 223

[sharpshooter]

This is absolutely normal. The bolt heads have a dark discoloration from heat treat. They are tumbled in a vibratory tumbler and only the exposed surfaces gets polished. The size of the media cannot get into the tight corners. Don't lose any sleep over it.

[DannoBoone]

I'll take the needed cleanup of a new Savage over the
needed cleanup of a Marlington any day!!

I have three VLP's, (two Mod 12's and a limited production
112) which looked similar to yours out of the box, yet
they're shooting very small groups with no mechanical
problems.

Take the previous advice and sleep well. They'll clean
up a lot easier than my new Marlington. ;D ;D

[cfvickers]

That is from a primer either pierced or blown. that semicircled line is gas cutting I believe. Mine looks like that, almost identical, but I know why. I tried to test some cold weather hunting loads when the temp was well over 100 degrees. Safe below 90 but not over 100. Take it back.

[sharpshooter]

If it's gas cutting from a blanked primer, it will show soot on the firing pin assembly. Disassemble the bolt to inspect it.

[JW]

I bought a new 223 rem bolt head from midway and it was discolored like the above picture
If you have shot the rifle and the primers/pockets look good on your spent shells, I would say nothing to be concerned about
Jack

[tvtv]

savage said they all look like that. thanks guys

[223Larry]

Yea some bolts come new like that.

[jmmec]

That is how mine looked (model 116 in .30-06) when I got it new about a month ago. I called Savage with the serial# and mine was manufactured about 1.5 years ago, so it has presumably sat in storage all that time. (Got it from savage-rifles.com)

[Slim Jim]

I bought a new Edge 223 when they first became available to test and the bolt face looks identical to that one. Doesn't seem to harm the accuracy.

Slim

[r29l20]

Mine looked just like that. :)