Some Savage 340 trivia

A little off course here but when I was a teenager I pushed broom, and a mop and pail at Woolworths department store. I remember they used to sell firearms and these bolt action Savages were on the rack for sale. I always envisioned owning one but I never did buy one back then.
 
It seems that the prices on everything have gone up, sometimes way up.
I thought I had a complete action in my odds and ends; found the receiver, but not the bolt.
I had the NOS barrel for years. It was cheap when I got it.
The stock was purchased very reasonably through the EE.
A friend gave me two magazines.
Bought a beater at auction. It turned out to have defects that the description and photos didn't show. Had to bush the firing pin hole and refit the firing pin. The barrel had some exterior rust and in the muzzle. I cut about 3/4" off the muzzle and the barrel is now usable, although I don't need it, having the NOS one. A plus I wasn't expecting. Will use it for something. The extractor was missing. GPC promptly sent one, but it was not inexpensive. Cost half what the rifle did. Bought the scope base, had the rings already on the 2 1/2X Tasco scope.
I have about $250 invested, all in. Looks good and the barrel is new, so it should be a good utility hunting rifle.

I have a 340 in .22H. Got the rifle from a member here, less the bolt. Had a bolt in the odds and ends. It is wearing an old Weaver 8X.

On hand are the metal parts for a 340 in .222, another NOS barrel. No stock. No magazine. Will probably assemble the barreled action just to have it on hand ready to go.

I'm also considering trying a 340 in 9x19. A .222 bolt face counterbore can be opened to accept the 9mm, and the extractor and ejector will work. Have a few 9mm barrels, I'm sure one could be fitted without difficulty. 340s, like 110s, use a shoulderless barrel and a lock nut.
 
I hear ya but in GTA in Ontario prices run at around 500$ for 30-30 and it is often in less than good condition. Gun shows in my are are plenty but most items are overpriced, personally I see only a few vendors that have reasonable prices. Most of good deals are gone before the doors are open… There is a few shows coming in two weeks so wish me luck mate.

You really need to learn to haggle. Listed prices at gunshows are mostly just starting points, unless the vendor is operating a business and I mostly stay away from those. No deals to be had there.
 
I need to remove retaining pin that holds front part of bolt body in place. The pin will not move.I used 1/16 punch and it just broke off.Any ideas/advices would be appreciated.Bolt needs to be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned.
 
Use a punch close to the diameter of the pin. I can see a 1/16" punch breaking. Is it a roll pin? Make sure the bolt is solidly supported - I use padded vise jaws. A larger hammer is better.
 
I had always thought that the 30-30 would make a good candidate for a 375 Winchester, or warmed up 38-55, but never got any farther than that. I had also thought that the 22 hornet version would be a fun subsonic squirrel gun, but not sure how well the cartridge lends itself to being loaded down to 950 fps.
 
Use a punch close to the diameter of the pin. I can see a 1/16" punch breaking. Is it a roll pin? Make sure the bolt is solidly supported - I use padded vise jaws. A larger hammer is better.

It is not a roll pin, its solid like in SKS.On the right side pin is uneven and in a recess,on the left side its solid and well molded with bolt body,I was punching right side of the pin.I will have to look up for the right size of the punch.
 
I had always thought that the 30-30 would make a good candidate for a 375 Winchester, or warmed up 38-55, but never got any farther than that. I had also thought that the 22 hornet version would be a fun subsonic squirrel gun, but not sure how well the cartridge lends itself to being loaded down to 950 fps.
The Hornet can handle being down loaded rather well. 45 gr cast with 2 grs of 700 x makes a very mild load in my 10” Contender barrel. 1/2 “ groups at 25 m.
 
I have a 340b rebarreled to 17 Remington. I got the gun in pieces and never had a magazine for it so I 3d printed a follower to close the mag well and converted it to single shot. Works very well to just lay the round in the ejection port and close the bolt. The 17 barrel needs to be cleaned every 4-500 rounds or it starts ripping up bullets so they exit the barrel in a puff of dust, but otherwise it’s a nice little rifle. Ive got a Ruger takeoff barrel in 223 that I’ve been meaning to install on it, but never got round to it because the amount I invested in 17 Remington dies and components hurts to think about.
 
I have a 340b rebarreled to 17 Remington. I got the gun in pieces and never had a magazine for it so I 3d printed a follower to close the mag well and converted it to single shot. Works very well to just lay the round in the ejection port and close the bolt. The 17 barrel needs to be cleaned every 4-500 rounds or it starts ripping up bullets so they exit the barrel in a puff of dust, but otherwise it’s a nice little rifle. Ive got a Ruger takeoff barrel in 223 that I’ve been meaning to install on it, but never got round to it because the amount I invested in 17 Remington dies and components hurts to think about.

I'm really surprised you get that many rounds between cleanings.

I'm sorry for going off topic tiriaq but the 17 Remington is known to be a serious fouler. I was reading an article by Gil Sengal in Handloader #144 where he went to great lengths to complain about the amount of cleaning required when shooting the 17 Rem.

His assertion was that the high velocities were the problem and that accuracy started to taper off around 15-25 rounds and got to the point the jacket fouling needed to be cleaned shortly after.

My Tikka M55 reflects those comments very well. I can't get more than 25-30 shots from it before accuracy goes awry. Luckily it shoots very well from a freshly cleaned bore.

I purchased this rifle because it was very cheap. I quite like it, other than that the barrel, which is bright and shiny without blemishes attracts jacket fouling.
 
I broke a number of R700/.17s for their actions. They were used for hunting and bores were not maintained, or even cleaned at all. Sometimes you couldn't even tell they'd been rifled. I'd cork the barrels and soak the bores with copper cutting solvent. Usually when the bores emerged from under the fouling they'd be pooched.
 
I'm really surprised you get that many rounds between cleanings.

I'm sorry for going off topic tiriaq but the 17 Remington is known to be a serious fouler. I was reading an article by Gil Sengal in Handloader #144 where he went to great lengths to complain about the amount of cleaning required when shooting the 17 Rem.

His assertion was that the high velocities were the problem and that accuracy started to taper off around 15-25 rounds and got to the point the jacket fouling needed to be cleaned shortly after.

My Tikka M55 reflects those comments very well. I can't get more than 25-30 shots from it before accuracy goes awry. Luckily it shoots very well from a freshly cleaned bore.

I purchased this rifle because it was very cheap. I quite like it, other than that the barrel, which is bright and shiny without blemishes attracts jacket fouling.

I guess to say I didn’t clean it for that many rounds is a little bit of a stretch, but really all I ever did was pull a bore snake through it randomly. I’ve been lead to believe by many on this forum and others that bore snakes are useless, hence my saying I rarely clean it.
 
I guess to say I didn’t clean it for that many rounds is a little bit of a stretch, but really all I ever did was pull a bore snake through it randomly. I’ve been lead to believe by many on this forum and others that bore snakes are useless, hence my saying I rarely clean it.

I'm not an advocate for bore snakes.

Not because they aren't useful, just that most of the people using them don't know or just don't bother to use them properly.

I recently picked up a Model 721 Remington that bubba had put into the wrong stock etc. He claimed it shot 12 inch groups at 100yds and no matter how much he cleaned it with a ''bore snake'' accuracy didn't get any better, so the bore must be worn out.

I put that rifle into a proper stock, made for the barrel profile with the rear sight ring about half way down and it didn't shoot any better.

The bore looked fine, until I took a close looke at the muzzle, which was rounded and polished but not from good machining.

The bore was worn from a ''bore snake'' or surplus "pull through'' type cleaning device.

After counter boring appx .020in oversize I put it all back into the proper stock and took it to the range. Now it shoots honest 1.5 moa groups with off the shelf ammo.

This isn't the first rifle I've come across with muzzle wear caused by ''pull through'' type cleaning systems, including bore snakes.

If they are utilized properly they are just fine, this includes pulling them straight out of the bore and cleaning them properly after use. In the end, they're more trouble and effort than they're worth.

This is just IMHO of course.

Tiriaq, I had close to a half dozen take off .17 barrels that were in similar condition to those you mentioned.

I gave them to a fellow that wanted to get into the barrel making business, to re bore and rifled.

If the Tikka hadn't shot acceptably with the first couple of loads, I would have pulled the barrel and used it to build something else.

I got lucky with finding brass and bullets at reasonable prices and seeing as a set of dies was included with the rifle, it was a no brainer to just shoot it.
 
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