New 340E Bolt is VERY Stiff & No Markings

First post, and first time Savage owner.

I picked up a nice Savage 340E in .30-30 today in a private sale. It has seen some use, but the bore & crown are great.

The problem is the bolt is VERY stiff opening & closing. I mean nearly as bad as a Mosin Nagant with "Sticky Bolt Syndrome". Its also fairly rough riding in the bolt, but I would expect that on a cheaper rifle. The previous owner told me about it up front, and he even had his gunsmith check it out. The gunsmith told him it would loosen up with firing. He told he put 500 rounds of .30-30 through it, and it did loosen up a bit.

That said, I can't believe something isn't wrong. The force needed to open & close the bolt is just outrageous.

Does anyone have any ideas on what it could be?

ETA: After looking it over some more, I missed something else. The receiver has no markings. Nothing looks scrubbed, or scratched off..... just no markings. The barrel is marked as a 30-30, but nothing on the receiver.

I bought it as a 340E, and I can't believe I missed something like that. I know Pre-68 firearms didn't have to have a serial number, but no markings at all?

I know very little about the 340. I would guess that maybe the bolt is not original or was repaired by someone who didn't know what they were doing.

You could try to disassemble it and see if anything is broken.

Also, is the bolt lift a problem with an empty chamber or only when firing?

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Originally Posted by JCalhoun

I know very little about the 340. I would guess that maybe the bolt is not original or was repaired by someone who didn't know what they were doing.

You could try to disassemble it and see if anything is broken.

Also, is the bolt lift a problem with an empty chamber or only when firing?

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Its a problem on a empty chamber, and I would imagine even when firing. I just got it today, so I haven't got to the range yet.

Do you know of a guide/website on how to disassemble the bolt?

Oh, and thanks for the help :)

I took the bolt apart, and could find nothing wrong. I then soaked it in 3-In-1 oil overnight, oiled the inside of the receiver, and everything else I could think of to no avail.

Since the 340 headspaces due to the barrel nut, could it be it was overtightened & the bolt is camming into the breech?

Pull the front stock/action screw and see if the bolt lug is contacting it. Too much torque there can cause your problem. There was a period when Savage used longer screws than were needed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woodser

Pull the front stock/action screw and see if the bolt lug is contacting it. Too much torque there can cause your problem. There was a period when Savage used longer screws than were needed.

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I tried that, but the bolt is hard to operate even when the barreled action is completely removed from the stock.

IF I remember correctly the 340 had a single front locking lug and locked on the bolt handle as well (I had one in the 70's). I would check the locking faces for scouring and abrasive marks, and see if you can't polish up those surfaces just a bit, removing very little metal from them. A little Gunslick might help, as well.