Model 10 New Firing Pin Assembly

I have been making my own cocking piece's lately. Pretty much a copy of the factory but I do not drill into the pin bore and I ream the pin hole a little tighter than factory. On some of the actions the feel of the bolt lift smoothed out considerably. Playing around is something I enjoy. I have read and listen to Fred and other gunsmiths over the years and Learned a lot of good stuff. I'm no Gunsmith but I think I qualify for what might be considered a Savagesmith. For me it is the journey not so much the destination.

Well the other day I am playing with a predator hunter. The bolt lift operation was working from closed to open to draw the firing pin to the cocked position, The feel was more precise by that I mean smoother than I was used to. As usual I tore down the bolt to see what savage had done right. Boy did I get a shock. I know a lot of you guys who have purchased new stuff in the last few years may have seen this, and if anyone has posted about it, I do not remember seeing or being involved in the conversation.

Parts of the design are still "make em cheap" but as a unit I am pleased. The cocking pin on this unit was much closer tolerance than what I am used to seeing. Not near as much wiggle. The two smaller springs give the pin great energy without having to adjust the spring preload and they definitely don't bind like the older single spring. Kudos to Savage. I can't wait to find out what happens when the cocking ramp gets the Fred Moreo treatment. Or when I get access to a 4 axis mill.


What are some of you Savage bolt tinkerers thoughts?

That's a very interesting point you make RH, and now you're going to make me tear down my bolt for another look. I don't remember noticing the cocking pin being particularly tight, or loose. And all I did was polish the other diameter where it bears and slides along the action raceway as it cocks. Maybe I am missing something, and of more importance is how it rotates within the cocking nut. Hmmmmmmm...or does it rotate? Maybe it just slides up the ramp. Any opinions?

I can tell you my bolts operate very smoothly, although I have no point of reference with regard to how they compare to premium actions. Never had one in my hands. I polish and work them until I think they are smooth enough, but I'm just a pecker wood that's got too many guns.

I think the factory parts could tend to be tighter, and therefore give more repeatable results. Likely the "smooth" factor comes from having the parts (cocking pin and ramp) having a better "fit". The bearing surface between the two is likely more uniform allowing it to glide over the ramp vs digging in. I know I've been skeptical on the fit of one of my rifles in this regard. Replacing with other factory parts did help, but there is still more play than I like. The tolerances are probably loose so that you can reach into a parts bin, without having to actually fit said part.

This was really about the new firing pin assembly that seemed to be an improvement over the old design. Possibly lending itself to even a greater improvement if any at all outside of the cocking ratio.

The Old:

The pin clearance on most of my cocking pieces was about .005. A 5.5mm reamer closed it up to about .002 on the new piece. Close observation revealed the cocking pin was leaning rearward when cocked and there is a load on the cocking pin and the closer tolerance fixed that. Fine polish the pin. That dude is hard. Have not checked it but I'm thinking 50 plus Rc. Tightening the piece to sleeve clearance to about .0015 or whatever would allow the piece to slide back and forth without resistance. Polish the bores of the bolt, polish everything that may slide or glide. Currently I use most of the ramp like the factory, I do not back off a few turns to lessen the pin travel.

The Ramp being reduced .030 - .040 is where the real improvements in cocking effort come from.

The thing is, to some it is just a tool, to others it is an extension of themselves and to others it is a journey to keep ones self occupied. There are many people that know guns better than I. Possibly because that is their business. Those people rightly hold those secrets. But this is a hobby and one can go down any rabbit hole they want.