Savage Model 99F Problem

[roushstage2]

Hello Savage Shooters!

I'm new to this forum (obviously), but I come to you in hopes of an answer or an idea as to the solution to my [rifle's] problem. I have a Model 99F that a local shop cleaned for me when I first inherited it last year and ever since then, the automatic cut-off will randomly stick out just a hair too far and become stuck against the receiver and subsequently, the breech bolt won't close when I'm working the lever. When it gets caught, sometimes I can just tap the auto cut-off with my finger and it will become unstuck and work as normal until it catches again. Other times, I have to hold it in with one hand while closing the breech bolt with the other. There are also times where it will function normally and the auto cut-off will not stick.

Any ideas what might be causing this? All there is to it is the cut-off and the cut-off spring. Perhaps the spring was put it backwards/upside-down, if that's possible, or somehow damaged? I'm not sure where to proceed from here, and really don't want to mess anything up. I unfortunately don't seem to have any decent gunsmiths near me that I would trust in fixing this, so I'm trying to do it myself. I have spent a fair amount of time searching the internet for similar problems, but have yet to find one.

The only suggestion I've had thus far is that the spring might have been kinked, but I'm unsure how to disassemble the 99 to get to the cut-off. A summary of everything that I have read has said "don't mess with anything to do with the magazine." Is it really that bad?

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this!

[Jeff518]

99s are pretty simple to work on, everything is visible once the butt stock is removed. They do tend to have narrow windows of "correct" operation. When something is a "little" off it plain doesn't work. So, "little" adjustments make a big difference.

Two things come to mind;
- The cutoff spring may be over extended/too big (if it was dismantled or replaced). There is a tiny set screw/pin in the top of the receiver that retains that spring and cutoff arm which my be missing or backed out.
- The bolt may be coming too far back. There is a bolt-stop block screwed into the bottom of the receiver frame that stops the heal of the bolt at it's rear-most travel. Sometimes this stop gets lose, or cocked sideways allowing the bolt to travel too far back. If it's lose or cocked, reset and use blue lock-tite on that screw. Be aware that if the bolt slides so far back that the heal aligns with the notch in the receiver frame it will come out of the frame (the bolt stop block prevents/allows this bolt removal).

Check out the Savage Collector's forum on 24hrcampfire. There are numerous and generous experts who know incredible details about the workings of 99s

[Blue Avenger]

Check out the Savage Collector's forum on 24hrcampfire. There are numerous and generous experts who know incredible details about the workings of 99s

most of the collectors I know hang out there.

[Jeff518]

P.S. The rotary magazines are a P.I.T.A. to work on, and epitomize the "narrow window of correct operation" of 99s, but they do not require rocket science.

[roushstage2]

99s are pretty simple to work on, everything is visible once the butt stock is removed. They do tend to have narrow windows of "correct" operation. When something is a "little" off it plain doesn't work. So, "little" adjustments make a big difference.

Two things come to mind;
- The cutoff spring may be over extended/too big (if it was dismantled or replaced). There is a tiny set screw/pin in the top of the receiver that retains that spring and cutoff arm which my be missing or backed out.
- The bolt may be coming too far back. There is a bolt-stop block screwed into the bottom of the receiver frame that stops the heal of the bolt at it's rear-most travel. Sometimes this stop gets lose, or cocked sideways allowing the bolt to travel too far back. If it's lose or cocked, reset and use blue lock-tite on that screw. Be aware that if the bolt slides so far back that the heal aligns with the notch in the receiver frame it will come out of the frame (the bolt stop block prevents/allows this bolt removal).

Check out the Savage Collector's forum on 24hrcampfire. There are numerous and generous experts who know incredible details about the workings of 99s

I appreciate the reply. I played with the rifle a little more, I'm leaning towards the second point you make. A couple of observations after playing with the rifle a bit more: the first is that the cutoff arm doesn't get caught, actually. The bolt will go back far enough to where the very end of the cutoff arm will pop out in front of the bolt, making it so the bolt can't close. Essentially, the bolt jams against the cutoff arm. While operating the lever, if I work it back and forth smoothly and gently, the problem doesn't occur. If I move the lever with some force, as one might when they needed to cycle the action quickly (say for a quick follow up shot), that's when the cutoff arm pops out too far and blocks the bolt from moving.

[roushstage2]

Good news: It was the bolt stop block! It was turned towards the centerline of the rifle, so the corner was basically getting scraped off and allowing the bolt just a hair too far back when the lever was cycled with some force.
Bad news: Got the block re-aligned and got it tightened down. Wanted to give it an extra little turn to make sure it was tight............and the top of the screw broke off..............


Soooo, once the threads are removed, the new screw that was just ordered from Numrich will be carefully tightened down. *sigh* It's never easy

Thanks for the help everyone!

ETA: The broken screw is out! Just waiting for the new screw now so I can get it back together and mount the new scope that just came for it yesterday!

[Amistoso]

I took broke down the internal rotary mag and counter(mines a 1950 model) and although it was kinda easy to take out, putting it back together was a _ _ _ _ _. I could not tell you how to put it back together.

[roushstage2]

I didn't mess with that at all. I just flipped the bolt stop block over so everything was properly lined-up and gently installed the new screw until it stopped and gave it a light snug and put everything back together after give the wood a good cleaning/conditioning and wiping the covered metal parts with a good coat of oil while it was all apart.

A note about the bolt stop block: turns out that it was put back in upside-down by the shop that cleaned it originally which is why the bolt was able to go too far back; the cutout on the stop block that is there to clear the lever cutout was on the side the bolt is so it just slid back until it caught the rest of the block where the cutout ends.

Now I just need to get to the range to sight in the new scope I bought for it!!!!