savage action trueness

SouthShot

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Nov 8, 2011
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G'day everyone, i've been trying to decide whether or not to bother truing my savage when i rebuild it, so i was wondering if anybody with some experience with savage actions could give me an idea of how true they are from the factory and whether it would be worth while to true it.
thank's, Henry
 
I don't bother. Mine have always shot very well without.

But, I do a lot of work smoothing up the function. I'll trim the bolt assembly screw and install a bolt lift kit that I make. I'll also polish the cocking ramp and the bolt body under the rear baffle. I also smooth up the inside of the bolt body where the cocking sleeve lives. I'll also make sure the cocking sleeve is round and does not drag inside the bolt body.

If you do decide to true up the action, don't do it like a Remington along the bolt raceway.

Savages need to be trued about the action tennon threads. You can make a mandrel that screws into the action tennon so that you can face the actio about the threads. You can also use the same mandrel to face the barrel nut. Don't open the threads or you won't be able to use prefit barrels.
 
In my opinion all actions need to be trued or at least checked.

The fact that they are close does not matter, They need to be as close to perfict as possible.

I know this sounds like a smith talking, but the more accurate the machining is, the more
accurate/consistant the rifle will be.

The process that I have used and had good luck with Is to squair the action face and chase
the threads on a Lathe, Replace the factory recoil lug (They are a little soft and definitely not
true).

Then fit the new barrel threads to the action threads(They will be a little larger for the correct
fit) and while the barrel is still in the Lathe fit the barrel nut to the barrel for fit and face the nut
face squair so everything lines up squair.

The Savages are a little more work than the Remington because of the number of mating surfaces
and when I can, I do away with the nut and cut a shoulder on the barrel like the Remington.

This also allows the barrel to be larger and stronger at the shank (The first 3 to 5 inches).

Like everything else when building an accurate rifle this minimizes the odds of a poor performing
rifle and as they say "Separates the groupies from the rock stars".

Just my opinion.

J E CUSTOM
 
G'day everyone, i've been trying to decide whether or not to bother truing my savage when i rebuild it, so i was wondering if anybody with some experience with savage actions could give me an idea of how true they are from the factory and whether it would be worth while to true it.
thank's, Henry

if the action is less than five years old I wouldn't bother. They are comming out very strait and square these days. Most are under .0015" out of the box, and I've seen a couple that were in the .00075" range.
gary
 
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Its my understanding that since the Savage bolt head floats, there is no need to square it up. Any comments?
 
Its my understanding that since the Savage bolt head floats, there is no need to square it up. Any comments?

It doesn't float. It rotates to guide the lugs in place.

The bolt head is machined and can be off slightly like any other bolt and if it is off it will move
durring fireing.

It is a good system but still needs to be checked.

J E CUSTOM
 
It doesn't float. It rotates to guide the lugs in place.

Savage bolt heads do indeed "float" - they allow for play in every direction at least a little.

See for yourself in this nice video from the Savage website: floatingbolthead

The bolt head is machined and can be off slightly like any other bolt and if it is off it will move
durring fireing.

Well said, although the bolt head does float and will compensate for SOME misalignment, it isn't perfect.


It is a good system but still needs to be checked.

+1 Very well said again - I true all Savage actions - new or old - I have still seen the need to true the action face, action lugs, nut shoulder, and always replace the lug - they are stamped and I have never seen one with true parallel faces.

Why do I true the action lugs? - my theory is - why make the floating head do more than it has to.

The truer the action is the better it shoots (provided it has a good barrel).

Dan

____

Darkeagle Custom Inc


"Any inanimate object will just sit there until a person picks it up.
What they do with it depends on what kind of respect they've been taught for human life"
 
My reason for truing the savage action is that it does "Float" around when not under a load
making them feel realy smooth while operating the bolt.

"But" when the 60,000 to 65,000 psi hits it, if there is any misalignment in the surfaces
they will make up hard causing concentricity issues with the brass and chamber.

The reason we blue print any action is to minimize movement of the bolt from true
center and to keep everything square to the center line of the chamber.

Not contradicting you just explaining why I like to true ALL actions.

J E CUSTOM
 
Savage bolt heads do indeed "float" - they allow for play in every direction at least a little.

See for yourself in this nice video from the Savage website: floatingbolthead



Well said, although the bolt head does float and will compensate for SOME misalignment, it isn't perfect.




+1 Very well said again - I true all Savage actions - new or old - I have still seen the need to true the action face, action lugs, nut shoulder, and always replace the lug - they are stamped and I have never seen one with true parallel faces.

Why do I true the action lugs? - my theory is - why make the floating head do more than it has to.

The truer the action is the better it shoots (provided it has a good barrel).

Dan

____

Darkeagle Custom Inc


"Any inanimate object will just sit there until a person picks it up.
What they do with it depends on what kind of respect they've been taught for human life"

The lug seating area will usually need to be lapped or something similar. I use "non-charging lapping compound." Have no idea where you buy it, and was given about four ounces of the stuff with hand written instructions. The last mod. 12 action I did a serious check on is in my safe, and it came in at less than .001" compound error. But on close inspection I found the lugs were not seating 50% at best. The problem there was in both the bolt and the reciever seating area. I fuzzed the seating area on the lugs slightly (maybe .0015") in a B&S #13, and then saw about 65% lug contact. From there I just lapped the two into each other under prssure from a home built device that was spring loaded. Interestingly, I found the threads in the reciever to very square (well under .001" TIR). Yet I also found some slight variation in the surfaces that the bases seat on. I have not found a good way to fix this without creating another problem. If the action is a pillar bedded one; you may find that the pillars are not in good contact (seems like it was the forward one). The recoil lug sucks on a good day! Get a better and heavier oner after market one. There's also a deal about squareing up the trigger mounting area. I've never done this on any of my Savages and I'm not all sure about the process. Just left it alone; rather then make a mess of it.
gary
 
based on what you've told me i think i'll true it as long as it can be done cheaply enough, might be difficult finding a local smith who can do it though.
 
based on what you've told me i think i'll true it as long as it can be done cheaply enough, might be difficult finding a local smith who can do it though.

best thing you can do is to send it to Sharp Shooter in Ohio. This guy knows more about Savages than everybody else put together
gary
 
If your thinking of SSS - you should probably read this post:

Sharp Shooter Supply - Sniper's Hide Forums

looking at where it was posted, I'd file it in the trash can. I know a lot of folks that have business with Fred and Peaches over the years, and have yet to hear one single complaint except for time involved. To be exact I think the guys not on the up & up just from the photo alone. A SSS basic trigger isn't finished like that, and it's not the better three link trigger.
gary
 
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