Failure to Fire - Savage MKii

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RobHL

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Hey guys, hoping someone here has some insight into a problem that started this weekend.

I have a Savage MKii that has suddenly started failing to fire. Initially it was just with Eley cartridges, maybe 1 or 2 per 50. I didn't think much of it because I've only just started using them and figured maybe it was a bad batch.

However, it has now progressed to 80% failure rate with Eley and roughly 40% with other brands such as Hornady, CCI and Winchester.

The rifle was shooting incredibly well on Friday, however I got out this morning and it was acting as described above. I pulled the bolt, gave everything a good clean/lube but did not disassemble the bolt entirely.

Still behaving poorly.

Then I noticed the bolt handle has some play inside the bolt assembly. Reading online in the 5 minutes I had available, I saw that it may be a headspace issue?

Anyone had any similar experiences or can offer some insight?

Thanks.
 
Soak the bolt in solvent (naptha) or hit it with brake cleaner and re-lube with a light coat of oil.

Had a similar issue with my Mk2, factory grease/oil gets quite stiff after a while slowing the firing pin down.

Keep a few fired from before degreasing and compare with a few cases after you've cleaned out the bolt. The rim the case should be crushed deeper after cleaning.
 
I hit the bolt with a gun cleaner my buddy had that foams and is meant to be left a while. Cleaned it up and still not acting right. I'm going to pull apart the bolt completely this weekend and see what I can find.
 
These rifles headspace off the bolt handle but doubt that is your issue as it appears to have started mis-firing suddenly.
When you pull the bolt apart, check the cocking pin for wear - I've seen these chopped up badly which will cause erratic FP strikes.
Also check that there are no burrs or debris in the FP channel in the bolt. See in the attached pic how the sides of the FP and extractors have been lightly stoned smooth to allow them to move freely.
If the bolt hasn't been stripped previously, could well be some solidified grease build up in there.
Polished%20Mark%20II%20Bolt_zpsjbvficgd.jpg
[/IMG]
 
allan harris said:
These rifles headspace off the bolt handle but doubt that is your issue as it appears to have started mis-firing suddenly.
When you pull the bolt apart, check the cocking pin for wear - I've seen these chopped up badly which will cause erratic FP strikes.
Also check that there are no burrs or debris in the FP channel in the bolt. See in the attached pic how the sides of the FP and extractors have been lightly stoned smooth to allow them to move freely.
If the bolt hasn't been stripped previously, could well be some solidified grease build up in there.
Polished%20Mark%20II%20Bolt_zpsjbvficgd.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. I've never stripped it right down before so it's definitely a possibility. I'll snap some pictures when I do, and come back with an update. It'll be interesting to determine the cause of this frustration and hopefully watch it go back to driving tacks again.
 
allan harris said:
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78552

If you haven't stripped one of these bolts previously, this link may come in handy:
Click to expand...

Ok, so it's all stripped down now. I didn't find any solidified chunks or anything like that. It is definitely dirty but not as bad as I thought it might be. In order for the handle to be tight, it has to sit at an angle and is not sitting square with cut out on the bolt. Does the mkii headspace off of this? If so, then maybe that's my issue. I'm pretty sure the firing pin looks ok too.

The only thing I did notice, was that the e-clip holding the spring in place was half way off when i dismantled the bolt. Not sure if that would do anything.

(Still trying to figure out uploading pictures from mobile but they will hopefully follow soon).
 
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