Do Savage bolt sleeves help with slop, or are they just eye candy?

[dcmdon]

HI all. I searched and didn't find this specific question answered.

I have a Savage 10 that was built for me as a blue printed custom shop job, as a favor. It shoots great, especially for what I spent, but I'm looking to see if there is any reasonable way to clean up the extreme slop in the bolt when it's towards the rear of its travel.

The way it is designed, the diameter of the bolt sleeve only impacts where it intercourses in the rear of the receiver.

Does anyone make an oversized bolt sleeve to help reduce some of that slop?? (is this even something that is desirable?). I never really cared before but made the mistake of shooting a Tikka and wow it just feels nice. The thing is my Savage shoots with the best of them so I'm not going to get rid of it anytime soon. It just sure would be nice if it actually felt good to run.

There is so much slop that if I have any upward pressure on the bolt handle when I try to go forward, it will bind. I've applied a software fix for that (teaching myself to push straight forward on the bolt handle). I've also put a slight chamfer the back edge of inner edge of the receiver. There had been a burr there before. That also helped. But it still feels like garbage.

Do I just need to live with it or is a new bolt sleeve helpful. (or just eye candy).

Thanks,

Don

 

[Jeff 6.5]

Pacific tool and gauge will make you a bolt body that will fit your action better
You measure your raceway and they will grind to your action size

 

[dcmdon]

Thank you.
It was easy enough to measure the bolt (.701 inches) but how would I go about measuring the raceway.

I'm guessing I'd have to remove it from the stock and then I'd have good access from below to get a vernier caliper in there.

 

[Jeff 6.5]

https://pacifictoolandgauge.com/material-downloads/reference-data/measuring-your-receiver-ptg-bolt.pdf

I would use snap gauges and a micrometer so you don’t have to buy pin gauges but ptg also sells a kit to measure your raceway

 

[dcmdon]

Thank you. One more question.

I'm having second thoughts. The Pacific tool website says that once you change the sleeve, you will need to re-true the lugs

*ATTENTION* Be Advised: Bolts may need to be fitted to receiver.
The bolt locking-lugs will likely need to be trued to your receiver;
a gunsmith would be required. You can purchase the fixture for locking-lug truing here

So is this worth doing or should I just learn to work around the slop?

The tool referenced is only $53 but requires removing the barrel to use.

I'm thinking I should just leave it alone.
Unless their advice doesn't make sense. I honestly can't imagine how a new bolt shroud would impact the trueness of the bolt face to the receiver. But like I said. I know I don't know much.

Thoughts?

By the way. Thank you.

 

[AllenOne1]

I'd leave it alone. Could be opening up a big can of worms, causing more issues than you have already. Your current issues are small and cheap. New issues could be big and expensive.

 

[NHPiper]

Agreed, leave it alone. I had a brief love affair with a Savage that was my first 308. Then later on a built a 6.5CM off a trued Savage action.

After investing the time and money, the bolt slop drove me nuts.

The reality is that once you spend some money to fix that bolt slop, it is going to cost you a couple hundred dollars (probably on the low end). If you sell the Savage and get one of the new Solus actions from Primary Arms on sale, you get a much better action for $620 that takes prefit barrels.

I would seriously consider that route if you want to upgrade. But if it shoots, then shoot the barrel out.

 

[hafejd30]

I had a replacement bolt for my savage 10 in 260. It was much tighter tolerances. However any pressure on the bolt other than perfectly straight back/forward would cause it to bind. It was so bad I sent it back.

Mine was stainless/fluted for reference

 

[stanley_white]

Make sure you search for user experiences with Pacific Tool and Gauge before ordering from them.

-Stan

 

[dcmdon]

Thank you all. I'm going to leave it alone.

Like I said, the gun is a shooter. I'm a small time FFL and purchased a similar rifle where the barrel not parallel to the receiver and it was not right at all. I mentioned it to another FFL friend and he mentioned he knew a VP at Savage, so I reached out to him and as an "apology" for the QC problem, they built me a blue printed custom shop rifle as a warranty replacement. No bling. Just a heavy unfluted barrel with a plain bolt.

If I do my job it is a 1/2 MOA gun at 100 with the ammo I developed for it. (I don't like to judge rifles at 200 because I'm terrible at calling the wind) I'm talking an average of 5 shot groups, not a single cherry picked 3 shot group. I think a software upgrade is the best solution: learn to push the bolt straight forward so it doesn't bind.

Thank you all again. I've been involved in the shooting sports for 40 years and know a lot more than most shooters, but a lot less than true experts. It's nice to be the least experienced person in an online forum. I learn something new every time I come to this site.

Don