HELP!!! Extractor trouble on savage PTA

[its only light]

I recently bought a savage target action barreled with a 27 inch obermeyer in 284 win. The barrel has been installed like a Remington without the nut, and the bolt face was trued. I'm still needing a stock for it. Anyways I put a piece of brass in the chamber and it chambered fine but when I open the bolt the case stays in the chamber. Upon inspection of the extractor something is wrong. I'm not real familiar with working on this type of stuff but the extractor on the side of the bolt head will slide back and forth in the groove and it will slide all the way out of the groove, also a spring is visible under the extractor. The way its set up it doesn't seem to have any function at all. Can anybody help me out here? I can deal with no ejector but no extractor is obviously no good. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Sounds like the "ball under the extractor, on top of the spring" is missing?

 

[drybean]

use a .140 ball on top off the spring

drybean

 

[its only light]

Really that's it huh. I will try that. Like I said I don't know anything about the internals of a bolt so it's new to me. Where do I get one of those?

 

[Preacher]

Either contact Savage for the ball, or check with your local hardware store..

 

[NorCalMikie]

drybean may have a stash but in the mean time, bicycle shop. They use them for wheel bearing. Take a pocket magnet with you and pick up a bunch. And if the ones you find are a "little" bigger, no problem. Also take along a dial caliper to measure what you're after. 8)

And, when you try to install the ball under the extractor, do it inside a plastic bag so you don't have to chase it. Good reason to get more than one ball for your project.

 

[its only light]

Sounds good I will do that today. Sorry for my lack of knowledge here but what exactly does the ball allow the extractor to do? Also if the actual blade of the extractor slides somewhat freely in the groove will the ball contain that then so it stays where it needs to? It does take a little force to move it its just that my other savage rifles the extractor for the most part seems stationary. Anybody feel like explaining the mechanics of it. If not that's ok too I'm going to find some balls today. Hmmm that came out wrong.

 

[broncman]

Midway USA carries the ball, spring, extractor, ejector, ejector pin and even the bolt head cheap enough to have a spare ready to go!

Ken

 

[NorCalMikie]

The last batch of extractor balls I got from the bike shop cost me a couple of $$.

The bottom of the extractor blade has an "indentation" in it that the ball rests in. The spring keeps up pressure on the ball to hold it in place. The extractor will move "a little" but goes back to it's central position. The plastic bag is to catch the ball and spring while you're trying to put everything back together.
Without the bag, you'll never find them as they shoot across the room. ;D

 

[drybean]

i woud send you some,but i am 300mi away from the ranch
will not be home for a couple of months
let us know if it works

drybean

 

[jonbearman]

brownells usually has them.

 

[normmatzen]

Sharp Shooters Supply sells a kit to repair/improve the Savage extractor. I think it is about $8-10. It contains a spring, ball and a milled short rod.

 

[its only light]

Hey thanks a bunch guys! I got some of the balls from a local bike shop and it was simple to do and it works perfectly. The plastic bag is a great tip as I could tell that if it wasn't there I probably would have been going back to the bike shop for more. Thanks again!

 

[NorCalMikie]

The bike shop sure beats the hell out of waiting for Brownell's, Savage or Sharp Shooter Supply. And the shipping was next to nothing. Glad you got it squared away. 8)