Savage Mk1 (.22LR) extraction problem

[the naked prophet]

I've got a single-shot Savage Mk1 .22 LR bolt action rifle. I got it new, for Christmas, and have put maybe 1000 rounds through it since then. It works great, for a few shots. But after only a handful of shots (maybe a dozen) extraction will get sticky (this has been consistent since it was new). I have to use my pocketknife to get the fired case out of the chamber. Closing the bolt and opening it again won't pull the case out of the chamber.

Extracted cases aren't particularly dirty, and the chamber looks fairly clean when I remove the bolt. If I clean the rifle (scrubbing the bore with oil, then a dry patch) I get another easy dozen shots before it gets sticky again. It also becomes difficult to push a fresh round into the chamber by hand (as opposed to putting one on the feed ramp and using the bolt to push it in).

Does it just have a very tight chamber, being a bolt gun instead of a semiautomatic? Or is my extractor not working right, with some extractor spring issue or something? The extractor spring is just a spring steel band that goes around the bolt, holding the extractor down. I could bend the extractor spring to make it "tighter" but I don't want to modify the rifle in any way. Or should I just call customer service?

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I'd call savage and tell them of your problems. Maybe they will send you a new extractor assuming you can install it yourself. The .22 is often a bad offender in the extraction dept. Does your rifle have double extractors or a single? You could have a rough chamber too. Instead of clean the bore with gun oil try hoppes no. 9 or another brand if you wish. .22's are noted for leaving/buildup of residue. Maybe a good cleaning will solve your problem.

Good luck

 

[rugerdude]

A friend of mine had the same problem with his MKII. He talked to savage and they sent him a new extractor kit (all pieces of extractor assembly) and that failed to fix the problem so he sent it to them and they reamed out the chamber a little bit and it works fine now.

I think you have a tight chamber. Send it into savage. they were pretty good to my friend even with his gun being off of warranty.

 

[22LongRifle]

I had the same thing with my MK2. I sent it back the Savage and they reamed out the chamber. I was getting great groups before and now they suck! They oversized the chamber and i wish it never went back.

I would see about maybe polishing the chamber first.

Jerry

 

[the naked prophet]

I could polish the chamber myself. That would be pretty easy.

As for the extractor, it's some weird double extractor. The extractor on the right side of the bolt is sharp edged and blued, but the extractor on the left side is in the white, and the claw is so rounded that it could never possibly hold a shell in there, so I'm really wondering what its purpose is?

I know the chamber is completely clean (or was, I shot it just the other day) as I always clean the chamber to a mirror finish. I actually was using Hoppes 9 powder solvent, then oiling with Hoppes Elite.

I'll call savage and ask about the extractor thing.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

A little valve grinding compound on a patch wrapped around a bronze brush and some elbow grease might work wonders for you.

 

[the naked prophet]

Interestingly enough, I took the rifle out yesterday. We just had a cold snap following a big thunderstorm. It was cold enough for everyone to see their breath. Not a single extraction problem in about 500 rounds, even though it hasn't been cleaned since last time, when there WERE extraction problems...

I'm guessing that means it's a chamber size issue?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It's Global Warming <tm>!! When it's hot, your rifle jams!

And people say Al Gore is an idiot!

 

[Ifishsum]

I had the same problem with a Savage 93R17 and polishing the chamber pretty much solved the problem. Worth a try...

 

[the naked prophet]

Where can I get polishing compound? In my town, there's not much besides Wal-mart.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

You could order it on-line from Brownells. Or you could do what I do and use valve-grinding compound from your local auto-parts store.

 

[the naked prophet]

I have a can of Mothers "mag and aluminum polish" that I have used to polish a knife. I think that would work, wouldn't it? Or does it have something like car wax in it? I'd clean the chamber thoroughly, then apply a thin coat of oil afterward anyway.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That might well do it -- you really want to polish the chamber, and that might be ideal.