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HELP!!! Savage bolt disassemble

bobcat93

Hello guys, I really could use your help.
I recently picked up an older savage model 12 (left hand bolt).
The firing pin strike seems kind of week so I wanted to disassemble the bolt and clean, inspect, perhaps install a new spring. I don't think this bolt has ever been disassembled.
I put a 1/4 Alan key in the end and tried like crazy to unscrew the nut and it won't budge.
I started thinking about left hand Remington bolts ( they have a reverse thread) and thought maybe savage is the same way..does any one know ( for sure, who can tell me)?
Next, I soaked the bolt with kroil, took it out to my garage wrapped it in a towel and loosely put it in my vise with leather jaws..yank, yank, yank..nothing..
Next I took a torch and put the flame right at the bend of the alen wrench it turned red hot..I continued heating till the towel was smoking..( this method doesn't damage the finish)
Put a 3' breaker bar on the alen wrench and pulled..all I did was bend the alen wrench..haha..
Now.. just to fill you in
I have the bolt in my hand, looking at it as if it was in the rifle. The bolt is on left, and I'm turning counter clockwise.
Next I thought about putting it in my ultra sonic cleaner submerged in kroil run a few cycles and try again..that is my next step..
I even put a towel on my bench placed the bolt on it and smacked the alen wrench with a hammer..this thing won't come loose..am I miszing something here?.. I certainly don't want to damage or bend the bolt, and fear if I get any more aggressive I'm going to snap the head of the retaining bolt off..
Any tricks? Or is it time to send it off to savage ..let them remove it and install a new firing pin and spring.
 
It is standard right hand threads, so turn left to get it off. I use an impact to get them off for the first time, I have been down the same path. I don't know why they have them that tight. I put them back goodentight with a 9" long handled ratchet.
 
If the bolt is in your left hand you should be turning it COUNTER CLOCKWISE . Lefty loosy righty tighty ! So it's turning correct , I usually lay it on the ground and step on the Allen , have a piece of cardboard or leather between the bolt and floor , use a quality Allen wrench , the kind that are only 1" and fit a 3/8 socket .
Good luck
 
Last edited:
You won't free it up with simply pushing or pulling. Get the bolt handle and Allen wrench in a bind and smack it good. You ain't gonna break anything.
 
Use a quality US made wrench. A 3/8" drive socket mounted allen is your friend. --Jerry
 
bobcat93 said:
Hello guys, I really could use your help.
I recently picked up an older savage model 12 (left hand bolt).
The firing pin strike seems kind of week so I wanted to disassemble the bolt and clean, inspect, perhaps install a new spring. I don't think this bolt has ever been disassembled.
I put a 1/4 Alan key in the end and tried like crazy to unscrew the nut and it won't budge.
I started thinking about left hand Remington bolts ( they have a reverse thread) and thought maybe savage is the same way..does any one know ( for sure, who can tell me)?
Next, I soaked the bolt with kroil, took it out to my garage wrapped it in a towel and loosely put it in my vise with leather jaws..yank, yank, yank..nothing..
Next I took a torch and put the flame right at the bend of the alen wrench it turned red hot..I continued heating till the towel was smoking..( this method doesn't damage the finish)
Put a 3' breaker bar on the alen wrench and pulled..all I did was bend the alen wrench..haha..
Now.. just to fill you in
I have the bolt in my hand, looking at it as if it was in the rifle. The bolt is on left, and I'm turning counter clockwise.
Next I thought about putting it in my ultra sonic cleaner submerged in kroil run a few cycles and try again..that is my next step..
I even put a towel on my bench placed the bolt on it and smacked the alen wrench with a hammer..this thing won't come loose..am I miszing something here?.. I certainly don't want to damage or bend the bolt, and fear if I get any more aggressive I'm going to snap the head of the retaining bolt off..
Any tricks? Or is it time to send it off to savage ..let them remove it and install a new firing pin and spring.
Click to expand...
I fastened the bolt securely to my bench so it couldn't turn. Then I got a socket with the correct Allen size and turned it with a long breaker bar. As has been said decock it first.
 
Never had to actually *stand* on one... but I have had to orient the allen wrench relative to the bolt handle so that I could lean over it (whole upper body weight) to get it to 'pop' free.
 
Hmm.............Sounds to me that the guy who installed these was on his last day or he just got his divorce papers and brought some "Lock-Tite from Hell" to really mess with a few down the road. I have run into some really tight, but not quite like this. Wait till you hit the one that has a slotted screw.
 
As suggested..here is my plan.
Pick up a 3/8" drive 1/4" alen socket, freeze bolt over night in freezer, warm bolt body with torch, smack wrench with hammer..
I'm going to hold out a few days and allw time for the gentleman I purchased the rifle from to respond about my email inquiring if loc-tite was used on bolt.
 
Remember righty is tighty lefty is loosey .
The same person who tighten the barrel nut does the action . Mine was a 300 lb Gorilla
It should be over 100 ft lb Larry
 
savagedasher said:
Remember righty is tighty lefty is loosey .
The same person who tighten the barrel nut does the action . Mine was a 300 lb Gorilla
It should be over 100 ft lb Larry
Click to expand...
..
Great..that is reassuring..god forbid I want to change out barrels.
I soaked the bolt in kroil a week ago, put it in my gunsmith vise wrapped in a towel, picked up a 3/8" drive socket with 1/4 alen driver in it. Put it on my air impact driver, turned up the compressor to 150 and after the third attempt it finally came free..god was that thing on there..
Thank you for the tips guys..there was no way that retaining screw was coming out by hand..NO WAY!..
So no scratches or damage, and I can now access the firing pin and spring assembly..
I love this forum..best on the net 100%.. proud to be a member here..
 
Huh. Surprising that it was that tough to get apart. In my experience, the factory actions with blue/black finish are usually harder to get apart than the bare stainless ones. The factory puts Loctite brand thread sealer on the barrel threads (and one would assume on the bolt assembly screw as well) to prevent the finish from getting in and well, acting like an adhesive. The barrels are torqued on to ~87 ft-lbs (seen the torque wrench myself) - but I don't think that thread sealer works all that well when they go and hot-dip the parts in the finish tank - enough seems to get in there that the pieces become miserable to get apart. Like I said, I've never had that much difficulty getting the bare stainless bits apart.
 
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