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Gunsmithing savage short action firing pins?

AXEMAN

General Nuisance
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 17, 2009
5,037
4
kansas, topeka
just curious. it seems like something i may want to have as a spare. but i can only find long actions available. after a search, it seems that they are available from savage and only to a smith? possibly from all the changes they want to make sure that you get the right one?
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

nice find. the bolt heads werent there either. plus they arent in any of the paper catalogs. i searched all savage parts they offered too. the only thing that worries me is the review. check that out

thanks
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

Check your current bolthead retainer pin, compare to this picture:
Bolthead%20pin.JPG









The one on the left is for a small firing pin, the right is for a large. Boltheads are pin-particular as well.

Further info:
If you have the large.....the bolt-head retaining pins are more easily broken than the ones for the small pin. In my opinion(I may be alone in this), dry-firing without anything in the chamber is a bad idea with a this bolt design, especially with the large retainer pin. If I dry-fire, I use a spent cartridge. My 10FP broke a large one....I converted to small for that reason. Either way...I think you will more likely break a retaining pin than a firing pin....but anything can happen.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

i figured it out. i went thru brownells inventory online, i checked midways newest "gunsmithing" catalog that came in the mail. it still shows only long action pins.

and to complicate matters more, i believe that there was some work done on my firing pin when i had a T&T done. i cant really find anything that details the work done by SSS, so i am waiting on Lisa to let me know if the firing pin was altered in anyway as i would want my spare to match.

i can see the smaller being stronger, i will have to think about taking it apart and seeing whats in there. thanks RAF
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

SSS has firing pins. I had Lisa add one to my order because I was going to standard boltface from a mag boltface. and the firing pins were different.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

That pin is what stops the firing pin during a dry fire. The smaller hole is stronger because it leaves more meat in the rest of the pin.

You can break the pin and never know it. I had one break. I didn't find out until I went to swap heads. Took the firing pin out. Pushed on the head and half the pin popped out.

I've checked all my Savages and changed them over to small hole pins.

BTW. At the same time they also changed the boltheads to the smaller firing pin diameter. They will work with a large diameter firing pin, but it needs to be drilled out.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

And....there is a difference in length between the short action magnums and standard firing pins.

All that, is why I love my long action Savages.
smile.gif
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

i see now why they want you to call so you dont get the wrong stuff. ill see whats up, thanks for the info guys. ill wait and see how adventurous i want to get with my bolt. i have had it close to apart, i can tell how it works from a few pictures i have so its not hard to do. i even guessed how the extractor works for a guy a while back
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

You are welcome.

So long as you do not break down the firing pin assembly, or change the bolthead to a different one, you will not alter the firing pin protrusion or travel. It's pretty easy to tear down the bolt to that point if you want to see what size the parts are.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: geargrinder</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That pin is what stops the firing pin during a dry fire. The smaller hole is stronger because it leaves more meat in the rest of the pin.
</div></div>

Technically the pin strikes the rear end of the bolt-head; but yes...the bolt-head is forced forward until it reaches the limit of the play in the pin, or the cartridge case, or possibly the barrels breech-face if the clearance is very small. I agree that in most cases the pin takes the brunt of the force, especially when no cartridge is there to receive any of the force.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

anyone else have their savage timed and tuned at SSS? i think something was done to the firing pin, but im not sure.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

He does play with the pin to adjust the protution. Plus I think he reprofiles the tip.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

thats exactly what i thought. i think i read it on savage shooters forum. ill have to buy the spare from him and have him do the same i guess. had i known about the pin i would have had it swapped while it was there
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

If you have Fred set up a backup firing pin assembly for you, it will have to be set to your bolthead.....this means you have to send the bolthead to him unless he keeps some serious records of each gun.....and can lay his hands on those records. I doubt he has that info.

Protrusion and travel are not that hard to set, I suggest you learn to set it and do it yourself. Protrusion is important, but has nothing to do with timing. Travel has a lot to do with timing, but it can be matched to the existing pin assembly fairly easily.

It can't hurt to send it to him; just trying to save you money and time.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

hell man you know how long it will take to even get a call thru or email answered, lol. right after i got the action back, i asked what all was done besides the stuff i can easily spot. also i asked about the pin. 2 emails and still nothing back. ill try again tomorrow. really i just wanted a spare, not a stroll thru the myriad of savage choices. kind of a pain in the ass
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

Yeah, I have heard they are slow to reply....and to get work done.
laugh.gif

That's partly why I encourage you to DIY. Savage is easily maintained by end users, comparatively.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

yep, ive done everything so far but the T&T. barrel swap, chased the treads on the receiver for the base which were filled with the black coating they use on the action. im gonna bed it next, the scope base too. i just wanted some details from them, lol, i did pay for the work, i should be entitled to know what all was touched. i should have photographed the whole thing before it left and after it came back. it will never see a smith again. ill just order the stuff from midway some day after i take it all apart. maybe ill just wait til it breaks.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

Yup. I went ahead and got a lathe a few years ago....done a few barrels since then with no problems. I have enjoyed doing my own work.
 
Re: savage short action firing pins?

i am actually somewhere in the back of my mind thinking i need a basic gunsmiths lathe. crazy talk i know but i really liked doing that stuff way back in Jr High. i loved industrial arts. our drunken instructor... ahh memories, lol