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Cases getting stuck in Chamber after firing

demolitionman

Send’r Bud
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 26, 2013
1,366
645
Midwest
So the saga continues with my brand new rifle. I took it out to sight it in yesterday. In the first 4 shots I had the gun on the paper at 50 yard and it was printing itty bitty groups. I however had 2 casings that were difficult to eject with the bolt handle. I didn't think much of it, fired off a 20 more rounds all Hornady 120AMAX factory loads, and about every 3rd or 4th round would literally get stuck in the chamber. I have never had to exert as much force on a bolt as was required with this gun. The shell casings show a "nick" mark on the shoulder and when shining a flashlight into the chamber I notice a slight imperfection at the very entrance into the bore however I don't see markings on the fired brass casings there. I know I know, you all will say "send it back to mfgr" but I was wondering if there are tools you reccomend to "rework" or clean up a chamber without harming accuracy. These chamber imperfections seem very minor but enough to make ejecting spent casing a fairly difficult and PAIN IN THE ASS task.

To add to that, the gun also doesn't run the rounds off the top of the magazine properly. Rounds always point high and left and jam themselves into the action corner where the barrel meets the action. I have to single-load every round.
 
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Sounds like you are going to need a reamer to get in there and take the burr out based off what you are saying. Is going to have to go to a gunsmith or the manufacturer to do it right.

Based off your description I am not sure that your assessment is correct though. Can you post pictures of the brass? What caliber?

As for the magazine issue, some tweaking gently of the feed lips may get you the results you seek.
 
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Is this with a Savage Long Range Precision??? I'm beginning to get worried about reliability the more I read about the LRP.
 
Call Savage and arrange to have them fix your rifle. A new factory rifle should feed flawlessly and should cycle through factory ammo with no issues.

If you have a micrometer caliber, the distance between the feed lips up front should be 0.420" and they should be 0.410" in the back. HS Precision sells a tool to bend them, but if you're careful a set of needlenose pliers and a cloth would probably work too.
 
Call Savage and arrange to have them fix your rifle. A new factory rifle should feed flawlessly and should cycle through factory ammo with no issues.

If you have a micrometer caliber, the distance between the feed lips up front should be 0.420" and they should be 0.410" in the back. HS Precision sells a tool to bend them, but if you're careful a set of needlenose pliers and a cloth would probably work too.
I will. Interestingly, yesterday, using all factory Hornady Loads I had all sorts of problems with SEVERELY stuck cases. Today, with all my personal handloads using the same once fired brass that I shot yesterday, I didn't have a single problem in 40 rounds with stuck cases. I hopefully will have time this week to fire another box of the factory loads and see if the problem persists. My handloads are on the low side of the reloading specs so maybe the cases aren't being pushed to high enough pressures to cause the stuck case problem that the factory loads exhibit. Groups are looking pretty good right now for shooting out of a pickup bed in a raging snowstorm. If I can figure out the magazine feed issue I may not have to send it back to Savage. I'll tinker with it some more before I resort to sending it to Savage.
 
I've seen factory hornady ammo blow 6 of 20 primers in a new gun. They run them entirely too hot sometimes.
 
I've seen factory hornady ammo blow 6 of 20 primers in a new gun. They run them entirely too hot sometimes.
Interesting. I didn't pull apart a factory load, but the box said 39g Varget 120amax, of course I'm not sure how tightly necked those factory 120's are. Their primers didn't look bad though. I've loaded 140grainers with 39g of V100 and 40 gr of RL17 and have not had any stuck case issues going for 40 some rounds. Maybe there was a stubborn burr in the chamber or something.....
 
Interesting. I didn't pull apart a factory load, but the box said 39g Varget 120amax, of course I'm not sure how tightly necked those factory 120's are. Their primers didn't look bad though. I've loaded 140grainers with 39g of V100 and 40 gr of RL17 and have not had any stuck case issues going for 40 some rounds. Maybe there was a stubborn burr in the chamber or something.....
Hmmm...............said Varget on the factory box............I've never seen that?
 
My lrp was perfect. When talking about feeding and extraction issues i was thinking700sps 223. I have had issues with hornady grendal ammo blowing primers, but not creedmoor. Only shot a couple boxes of 140 factory though. The nick on the shoulder is probably from the feedramp, while the savage ramp is less steep and longer then a remmy, i have saw a burr at the bottom edge of the ramp that will scar brass . A dremel with stone then polishing drum and jewelers ruge. I would have a smith eyeball or hawkeye the chamber area and see what he thinks. I would let him know that if it is a problem it will go back to savage. Some smith's are like shady mechanics
 
I came across this comment over on savage shooters, it was a fella with the same rifle as me but in 243 exhibiting same issues as me but he shot 200 rounds before stuck case problems.

Is there any sense to this statement concerning my bolt in relation to stuck cases?
"The cause....the ramp cut on the bolt handle is too deep, resulting in less camming distance from the ramp on the rear baffle.
The fix....get a bolt handle that has less machined from the ramp."
 
OP:

I can tell by reading your posts you like to DIY. I do too, but in the case of your new rifle which has had several issues, I really think your best bet is to get it back to Savage. They are good people and will take care of this and make it right. Articulate to them each of your issues (dinged boltface, sticky extraction, poor feeding, etc etc) and when it comes back (if you even get the SAME rifle back), you won't have to worry about it or screw with it again.

Think of it this way: It's not even April yet. Winter hasn't let go of us yet. NOW is the time to send it in for service, NOT June!
 
OP:

I can tell by reading your posts you like to DIY. I do too, but in the case of your new rifle which has had several issues, I really think your best bet is to get it back to Savage. They are good people and will take care of this and make it right. Articulate to them each of your issues (dinged boltface, sticky extraction, poor feeding, etc etc) and when it comes back (if you even get the SAME rifle back), you won't have to worry about it or screw with it again.

Think of it this way: It's not even April yet. Winter hasn't let go of us yet. NOW is the time to send it in for service, NOT June!
Your so right. I've never had a car of my own in a mechanics shop, and there's rarely a problem with large equipment I can't fix....so I guess I feel like I can get this thing going well if I just get a basic understanding of the mechanical workings of rifles....I digress. Gonna put another evening behind this rifle and if its another bad experience I'm sending her back.
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