Mark 2, Clip Feeding Problem

[bigmig]

I just bought a savage mark 2 (mako model) with a 5 round clip.
The first time out of the box I began experiencing all sorts of problems with the clip feeding.
Problems included:

1) bullets would not load, clip appeared to be bound up
2) lubricated clip (i.e. gun oil), now bullets spray out and won't stay in
3) when I did manage to get the clip into the gun with bullets in it, as soon as I pulled the action
back, the bullets would load 2, or even 4 at a time in a blink of an eye
4) occasionally when one bullet did pop up, I would slide the bolt forward only to mash the bullet
into the back end of the barrell. Shards of mashed copper remained after the bullet was extracted.

Well, I had to put the gun down and come back since it was obvious I was getting no where while at the range.

I found some other posts on another site where people (as in much more than one) were having the same problem.
One guy ordered 5 clips and had 1 work properly.

Well rather than complain about how much this gun and clip suck, I will move on to how I fixed it.
After close inspection of the clip, I found that it is made of light guage (i.e. bendable) sheet metal. I quick
bend of the two tabs at the top rear, swabbing of all the extra lube I gave it, and the clip worked fine for about
5 minutes.

After 5 minutes (not at range, just at home working the action, clip etc.) the same problem begins to manifest.
So I inspect exactly how the bolt and clip interface and see that the bolt actually has a small tongue that is suppose
to neatly catch the end of the bullet and push it forward. Well it appears that if the bullet is at all misaligned in the clip, the bolt
catches the round, pushes it forward, and ever so slightly bends the tabs. Repeat this about 30x and you have a misfunctioning clip.

So then I got to wondering if the clip position had anything to do with the way the rounds would not slide forward properly and begun to notice a sizeable amount of play with the clip snapped into the gun. Essentially depending on how the clip seats, that is the direction of the round. If the clip seats skewed, your bolt will pancake your round into the side of the barrell instead of through the hole.

I then started noticing that the bolt would not slide very well, so I slid it out, cleaned it, dissassembled the firing pin, cleaned the chamber where the bolt slides etc. I lubed it up real well, used an emory clothe to burr off all the sharp edges and put it back. Still slid rough with the "metal on metal" contact noise and a slight "binding". I noticed that if I pulled the bolt using my fingers on the firing pin, the assembly slid as slick as glass. If I grabbed the bolt lever and pulled, it bound up.

Essenitially whoever designed and machined this gun put a little to much slop in the diameter of the portion of the gun that the bolt slides through. All the lube and sanding in the world won't fix that problem.

So in summary, if you get a crappy clip, try to bend the ears. Keep bending them back as the bolt mashes the clip up, or go
to single shot loading. If you get a sticky action like mine....I guess you'll just have to live with it.

And on a good note, for anyone who shoots federal, check out this site for a free ballistics software calculator:
http://www.federalpremium.com/resour...plication.aspx

[bigmig]

Finally got the gun back out to the range. Inspected clip, lubricated bolt, relubricated bolt, rechecked clip....
you get the picture. Time to try out the new scope and bipod. 1 1/2" groups at 60 yards, but this includes
all the sighting in with the new scope, and the fact that the rest was my truck hood (sort of akward).

Over all I'm impressed with the accuracy and trigger pull. Clip continued to misfeed 1x every 5 shots.
Sometimes it was round No. 4, sometimes round No. 5. Slight tapping on the clip solved about 50%
of the misfeeds. The others had to have the clip removed, round straightened, clip reloaded (since
it was already out). Might order another clip to confirm.

[shelbyfan]

What did Savage have to say about the problem?

[Danley]

I just bought my daughter one for Christmas. I am fortunate that it doesnt have the feeding problems .... but dang that bolt feels like crap, so i totally agree there!!! My 17 on the other hand is pretty slick. I dont know what they were thinking on this one ???

[Quickshot]

RE: Your latest problem. My Mark ll will not feed CCI Stingers. They are a tad longer than others. Solution for me, use standard velocity, no more problem. Hope yours works out OK. The only other trouble I had was when I lightened the trigger pull too much and had to work the bolt real slow to get it to cock. My fault not Savages. Good luck . Quick

[Wombob]

----all sorts of problems with the clip feeding.---

Q: With the magazine installed, bolt open, does it have play or is it snug?

[bigmig]

Definitaley a little slop with the bolt open, magazine in.

[bigmig]

It has now been several months since I got this gun and had the issues mentioned above....and the bugs have finally worked out.
Savage shipped me a new clip at no cost. I had mentioned on my warrantee card that the clip
was bad....and that fixed all the feeding problems. A bad clip was the issue.

Regarding the bolt, it just needed to be broke in. Lots of oil, lots of repetition. A dremmel on
one of the bolt catches might have sped things up a little....essentially all the paint has worn
off where the bolt was catching and now it works perfect.

And talk about accuracy....holy smoke. Everyone, and I mean everyone who shoots this gun,
can easily put 3" groups at 100 yds which is pretty good with a 22LR. My best is 1/4" group at 90 yds with 5 shots.
I have put about 500 rounds through it now and it just keeps getting more accurate with time.

The accu trigger is a huge breakthrough and has really revealed that most shooting inaccuracy is
related to trigger pull.

Scope is a BSA Sweet 22 18x40