There appears to be no lack of reports of extraction and/or ejection problems with Savage rifles. Are these design issues? While I`ve had no issues myself with my Savage rifles ( knock on wood ), it makes me wonder if procuring an extractor/ejector kit wouldn`t be a prudent move (?).
In this world of Straight Wall-NO taper cases & 30 degree shoulders(because that makes the BURRIT go faster even with less powder volume! And accuracy in the NEGATIVE MOA groups!), feeding/extraction issues have become more prolific. However, there is a simple fix to these. No Savage didn’t do us any favors… but then, when have they ever? Sure enough, as just about everything wrong with Savages it took some Thinker/builders to figure it out.
Thanks Dave. How long has this been a known issue with Savage rifles? If it`s been a long standing complaint ( don`t know if it has been or not ) that for whatever reason you opt not to address, what does that say about how you regard your customers? Savage rifles don`t take a back seat to others when it comes to putting metal on target. It`s a shame they appear to just ignore their customer`s problems.Originally Posted by Dave Hoback
Wall, Savage has always been a more economical, mass produced rifle. And yes, unfortunately there were times through the decades Savage QC slipped & there. But when the 6.5 Creedmoor became Uber popular the feeding issue was really noticed. Didn’t take long for guys to figure out the fix… (again, no thanks to Savage)
So yeah.. the company itself, their customer service, attention to KNOWN problem & whatnot.. SUCKS! They really do blow at it! But I still love the rifles. Been a fan since I could first purchase a firearm, and I’ll continue the rest of my life, I’m sure. Good thing I don’t need Savage to fix anything for me. LOL!
I never had any trouble with my Axis in .223.
But, my 12BVSS in .308 started getting bad about ejecting rounds after about 2000 rounds. It would 'drop' the case when the nose cleared the chamber (case neck still in the lug area).
My solution? Removed the ejector. :) Yes, I only shoot from a bench and no timed shooting. I consider this a "feature" since now I can simply pluck the cases from the action.
And, yes, the larger ball 'fix' would probably work for me, but, I don't need it anymore :)
I have personally never had extraction issues, but chambering and ejection have been less than perfect. My chambering issues have been from the round just catching the ejector pin as they pop out of the magazine and try to slide up the bolt face (easy fix by chamfering the pin a tad) and ejection can be weak.
I wish every action used CRF and a mechanical ejector
My apologies , that’s actually what I was referring to, and I think the whole premise of this thread. Feeding & Ejection issues. I said extraction, but meant it in the context of feeding into the chamber & getting rid of the case altogether. No, Savages aren’t typically known for extraction problems. If a Savage experiences extraction problem itself, the route cause will be like any other rifle. Pressure issue, chamber abnormality, faulty Extractor. Nothing inherent in Savage itself. I also have never experienced Extraction issues.
Yep, don`t get me wrong, I enjoy shooting my Savage rifles very much and am a fan as well. I`ve been the same about the Remington shotguns that I own and shoot. Both Savage and Remington are ( or have been ) icons of the American firearms scene. I would hate to see Savage go the way of Remington if a commitment to excellence in customer service, which includes actively addressing customer issues and complaints, could help prevent it.
Oh, and I ordered an enhanced extractor/ejector kit, thus ensuring that the one in the gun now will not fail!!
What I do too, in fact, I removed the ejector on my 7BR build yesterday. My 80s vintage Savage rifles extract and eject just fine so must be something with newer models.
Pretty important for a hunting rifle to be able to reliably feed, extract and eject.
I don't think it is a design issue- but rather a quality issue (in parts and craftsmanship). All of the things that a savage does there are other actions that use the same design that do not have similar problems. Most of my issues could also be described as ejection issues but that is often because the extractor does not hold the case as well as it should to let the ejector do its job. I've has a few times that a savage extractor has slipped off of the case rim and left the brass in the chamber- but more often is when it just leaves the case right on top of the next round-
My savages are target or fun guns-- probably the ones that I shoot the most.... but have personally moved on from them for hunting or situations where a issue is a big deal. On the bench it doesn't really matter if you have to take a sec to dig a piece of brass out. All depends on how you look at it- for most things I'd rather have a 1.5moa gun that functions great over a .5moa gun that might work.
What cartridge are you seeing that problem with, and have you attempted correcting it?
I have had plenty of Savage rifles over the last 40 plus years and only had a single extraction problem maybe 35 years ago, called Savage and they mailed a couple of replacement extractors and haven't had a problem since.
Semper Fi
Sgt USMC 66-72
One can tell from the dates on posts concerning extraction/ejection problems that this is literally a decades old issue. Simply sending out new extractors or, worse yet, having customers buying after market kits to address an original, right out of the box problem doesn`t address the problem and should be unacceptable to Savage`s executive leadership. IMHO, no less than the president of the company can and should say to his technical and engineering people, " I don`t want to hear or see another complaint about extraction or ejection from our rifles. Fix the damn problem! " . It`s amazing what that kind of focus from the boss can achieve.
+1.One can tell from the dates on posts concerning extraction/ejection problems that this is literally a decades old issue.
I guess 35 years ago Savage was quite a different company… They certainly won’t send a patron a single part now, or even in the last 10 years! Not even a trigger spring, let alone an extractor!
The gun that is the worst for it is a 6br single shot- haven't done much to it because I don't want it to fling the brass very far. When it was new it would extract and leave 100% of the brass just sitting in the action. The first time shooting it I pulled the bolt thinking they must have forgot to install some parts. I put the bigger ball bearing in it (nothing as far as springs) and now it ejects about 75% of the time- which is fine for what I do with it.
The others were those cabelas specials (model 10 or 12 I think) where after rebates you were getting everything for 220- so still a great deal. But the 308 did (only 2 or 3 times) slip off the rim of a few factory 168 grain loads- they where 7.62x51 so that could have been part of it- but they took almost zero force with a cleaning rod to remove them. After the fix they have always extracted but will still leave one in the action every now and then.
I am also one finds this an interesting window into Savage leadership. So, I looked it up :) Savage CEO was Ron Coburn for 25 years until 2013. FWIW he had many awards for his management of Savage. That same year Vista Outdoors bought them. 2019 the Savage leadership led the purchase of Savage.
So, I think we can 'place the blame' on Coburn for the extractor/ejector issues (he was also in charge when the Accutrigger was introduced).
This is also an easily fixed problem. There are many, many other rifles out there using this type of system and they do not seem to have the same issues. Maybe they have what I have seen referred to as the "Sako" style extractor. It is 'hinged' instead of a sliding piece (or clip in the case of Remington). I remember way back when it was a 'common' practice to modify Rem 700 bolts for this type of extractor.
Well, if I`m going to criticize, also need to give props when they`re due. After correspondence from me about a faulty magazine, Savage quickly sent me another brand new magazine. Granted, it`s the same model magazine, but the tech services guys can only provide what they are given. Kudos to Savage for a quick response.
I have had maybe 18-20 Savage rifles, and the only one i have ever had an ejecting issue with is my 22-250 12FV (cabelas model that cost me $220). I have had some rough feeding ones that have always smoothed out after use and never an extracting issue.
Back to the 22-250 12FV, it is an absolute tack driver with factory Hornady 55 Grain V Max. BUT if i fire 5 rounds, 2 and sometimes 3 of them have ejecting issues. sometimes it will just drop the case in the chamber, and sometimes it will make a "ping" sound and it will somehow flip the case around so that it is backwards. I think that it has so much pressure flinging the case out that when it ejects it hits the front of the opening with the rim of the case and it just flings it back in. I am not sure why it just drops them sometimes, but i bet that if i can figure out how to fix one problem that i will be able to fix them both.
I am also led to believe that my issue with the 22-250 is for some reason more common to that chambering. I have read at least a hand full of people that said their 22-250 savage will fling the spent case around just like mine. Mine is well out of warranty, so i think i might try to round the inside of the front of the ejection port to see if it helps. It just seems like that should be the thing to do.
Any other input is appreciated if you fixed this problem before. I figure one out of so many of my personal rifles having a problem isn't too bad.
It is.I am also led to believe that my issue with the 22-250 is for some reason more common to that chambering.
Sure is and mine do.
OTOH, my 12FV in 6.5CM, not a hunting rifle, has recently developed inconsistent extraction that sometimes requires me to re-chamber a spent case a time or two to get the case back far enough to remove, going to a .140" extractor ball will correct that.
As someone who keeps their stuff clean and views cleaning as a first solution and part of the survey of issues, I have personally witnessed extraction problem with a clean bolt head. Not even with a BR case
The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.
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