The Issue(s) With Extraction and Ejection With Savage Rifles?

[Turkeytider]

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.

[Whynot]

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.

[Dave Hoback]

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?

[NF1E]

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.

[Turkeytider]

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.

[wbm]

One can tell from the dates on posts concerning extraction/ejection problems that this is literally a decades old issue.

+1.

[Dave Hoback]

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!

[Whynot]

What cartridge are you seeing that problem with, and have you attempted correcting it?

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.

[charlie b]

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.

[PhilC]

Pretty important for a hunting rifle to be able to reliably feed, extract and eject.

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.

[Robinhood]

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