Model 99 Savage bolt lock up

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  • Last Post 18 August 2021
[email protected] posted this 18 July 2021

My son has a nice model 99 Savage with a rotary magazine chambered in 300 savage. He has trouble with the bolt not closing all the way. He googled the problem and found that it had something to do with a "set screw" at the front of the action under the forearm that needed adjusted. I looked at a parts diagram in the Numrich catalog. I see what they call a carrier spindle nut, a carrier spindle head, and carrier spindle. Could these parts be what they are talking about that need adjusted? 

He also read that one had to make what he described as a spanner wrench to adjust the "set screw". 

I'm thinking the "set screw" they are talking about is the carrier spindle nut. 

Would miss adjustment of these parts have an affect on the action not closing?

Thanks

 

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[email protected] posted this 18 July 2021

Maybe I should ask if anyone knows a good 99 Savage gunsmith? The rifle is too nice to learn on!  

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[email protected] posted this 16 August 2021

Well guys my son thinks he has found the problem with the model 99. He got to thinking he didn't have the problem with Speer bullets. [He didn't mention what type of Speers} nor did he have the problem with Hornady 180 gr. round nose bullets. The problem started with 150 grain Hornady interlock spire points.

He uses a Lee hand press and Lee dies. He looked closer at the reloading process with this equipment. Looking at the loaded round he discovered with the Hornady 150 that the bullet had a lot of run out. Simply not in the case straight. Crocked enough that he admits he should have seen it sooner. He said he tried to straighten one out with a pair of pliers and discovered the bullet was loose in the case. He loaded a couple of dummy rounds using new prepared brass and his used resized brass. The results were the same.

He was easily able to get the bullet at least looking straight in the dummy rounds by hand. Then he ran them through a carefully adjusted Lee factory crimp die. The rifle functioned flawlessly.

Loading up 10 live rounds and going to the range the rifle shot well and functioned fine. 

He measured the expanding button and found it measured 307.5. The bullets exactly 308. I guess that should produce enough neck tension. I'm thinking the shape of the seating button is not compatible with the shape of the bullet causing the problem.

This all brought back an incident I had with Lee 6mm Remington dies that a friend of mine bought and had me reload some ammo for him. I had the same noticeable run out. I found that by wiggling the ram on my Rockchucker press while applying light pressure I could get the bullets  seated to look straight in the case.

My son is calling Lee and see if they have suggestions or will replace the dies.

To be fair I use Lee dies for my old 30.06 and have no problem with them. 

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Wheel Weights posted this 18 July 2021

Contact this man. he can probably steer you right. he makes the Lightfoot no drill mount.

Mike Watson

 [email protected]

 

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Bud Hyett posted this 18 July 2021

I am not sure what you are describing, I will relate my experience. I have two Savage 99's, .243 Winchester and .250 Savage. Both rifles will lock up differently depending on how quickly you close the lever. This  method affects the group size, especially with the .250 Savage. 

Testing loads, I soon found that closing the bolt slowly gave a different closure than closing it quickly. If slow as one is prone to do at the bench, the bolt locked up about .008 lower than when one acted more quickly and forcefully. This is visible when a person is looking for it. The quick closure brings the bolt flush with the back of the action. The slow closure showed the slight gap.

This measurement was with a dial caliper, measuring at the back of the action for maximum dimension. I pulled the scope and measured the difference several times. The lower lockup is safe, the bolt was well within the receiver. 

In the field when I am hunting, usually coyote or wild dogs, the quick closure is automatic. At the bench, I remind myself to close the action quickly to get the same result. 

I love these rifles. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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gnoahhh posted this 19 July 2021

It's not at all likely to be the rotor spindle. Probably what's called the "lever bite" - that arm at the front of the lever which cams the bolt in and out of battery. There's a nub on the end of that arm which also cams onto a raised portion inside of the front of the receiver that supplies tension to the whole arrangement as the lever moves through its final arc in closing. That lever arm can get out of whack. The fix is actually to whack it with a leather mallet to increase or decrease tension. At any rate, you must remove the butt stock and watch how those parts interact with each other, and diagnose it. If you determine it is a faulty lever bite, remove the lever, mic the distance between it and the trigger guard, give it a couple light whacks with the mallet (but don't whack it from side to side), and re-measure and repeat as necessary. It's not rocket science.

 

Sounds complicated but it'll all make sense when you remove the stock and watch the subtle relationships between the moving parts.

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[email protected] posted this 19 July 2021

Yes my son has a lightfoot mount on the rifle. He is going to contact him.

Also my son is now telling me the only time it doesn't close is when there are shells in the magazine. Like he says, if he full length resize, trim to length ,and watch bullet seating depth, and make sure the chamber is clean, what else can it be but oversize brass, or something going on in the magazine? He cant find factory shells anywhere right now to try.

Also he sent me a picture of the carrier spindle nut. It looks like from the picture the nut was stacked in place at one time and has moved. He sent the picture to me on my phone. I'm unable for some reason to download pictures from my phone to this PC so I can't send a picture. 

My son lives 250 miles away so I cant handily get the rifle in my hands. 

Thanks for all the good reply's

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bushranch posted this 18 August 2021

I use a Lee Collet die made for .308 Winchester to resize .300 Savage cases.  Found 150 and 180 grain round nose , Hornady or Speer work great in the 1952 Savage 

For a Cast Load I use the Lee 150 grain FP seated with the gas check at the base of the case neck , OAL 2.470 .

Hope your Son enjoys a great rifle.  Rus

 

Rus

 

 

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Bud Hyett posted this 18 August 2021

One trick is to seat the bullet, turn the case 180 degrees and reseat. This will set the bullet back one-half of the lean off-center and theoretically in alignment.

For a cast load in a .30-30 Savage 99 at 1800 feet-per-second with Reloder #7 powder and the SAECO #315. Worked well for a friend's daughter to practice with. She then shot her deer with the same load because she did not like the recoil of factory ammunition. Surprised her father and I both. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 18 August 2021

i am embarrassed to even mention this ... but a guy i know ...

double check that the seater is set up by first loosening the seater stem almost out ...... then put a case in the ram and raise it all the way up... then screw the die BODY down until it contacts the shoulder of the case. ( or if a combo crimping type die, until it contacts the end of the case neck ) . this gives the neck the best guidance that that die is going to provide.

then back the die body up about half a turn. just in case some brass is longer and insures no crimping takes place.  if using a lock ring, i like to leave the lock ring not touching the press top ... leave the seater die floating.

then start a bullet in the brass and run the press ram all the way up ... next screw in gently the seating stem until you finally get the desired oal.

yep, seat the bullet and twirl the case 180 degrees and gently seat again.  

******************

a guy i know got in a hurry and achieved some pretty weird ammo not so long ago ... ... don't dies come pre-set from the factory ?? ...

ken

oh, if you have to crimp, do all the above and then come back and crimp in a new operation.

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