SAVAGE GIVING ME A HEADACHE--HELP

[dusterdave173]

I bought a Savage LRPV 6 BR today from original owner --he is retired gun shop owner--thinning his herd--Rifle is few years old but MINT with less than 50 rounds then parked in safe--He bought two boxes Lapua factory ammo with it fired half then parked it--OK I get this brand new unit--clean lube and head to the range--Factory Lapua rounds load like normal --fire and then --Bolt is VERY hard to lift--round comes right out--Try again--same result--Primers look OK this is factory ammo--try another same result so I stopped--The fired brass will go back in chamber but bolt will not close like it is a NO go gauge--OK so i take new round that chambers and ejects perfectly--add piece of painters tape--Bolt closes to about 2-3 o clock and can be closed with effort--a seemingly fine headspace ?? But will not do it on fired case
Ummmm....HELP!
I marked one of the fired cases with Sharpie--cycled it time or two--It is making a ring at the base of the shoulder at the main body and minor marks on case head around the head stamp and primer--chamber bore scopes clean etc
I need help Thanks
The Good news is I have a 6 BR Yeah!! Sort of LOL

 

[rwj]

You noted cleaning lube before heading to the range… did that effort include the chamber?

 

[dusterdave173]

It will cycle the rounds ( factory loaded Lapua) just fine until fired then bolt lift id a STRUGGLE like it was a way over pressure load--and fired brass acts like a no go gauge when I try to close the bolt on fired brass--it slips in and out of chamber normal at all times
??????????

 

[Bill Norris]

It will cycle the rounds ( factory loaded Lapua) just fine until fired then bolt lift id a STRUGGLE like it was a way over pressure load--and fired brass acts like a no go gauge when I try to close the bolt on fired brass--it slips in and out of chamber normal at all times
??????????

Had this same issue with a New Rem 700 5R 308 a few years back. I had to beat the bolt open when fired with new F/L sized Lapua brass. This thing would scrape brass off the head of the case. Never could see any peace with it. Sent it to my Smith (ODCR) to re-barrel.

 

[rwj]

It will cycle the rounds ( factory loaded Lapua) just fine until fired then bolt lift id a STRUGGLE like it was a way over pressure load--and fired brass acts like a no go gauge when I try to close the bolt on fired brass--it slips in and out of chamber normal at all times
??????????

When the case can not grip the chamber wall it will grow axially when fired making headspace very tight. Lube on the chamber walls can cause this to occur. It can also be caused by highly finished surfaces. Many smiths will use 400/600 grit paper to “roughen” the chamber wall after reaming.

 

[M-61]

Try this: Take one of those fired cases that you fought with.
F/L sizing die that you have set on a case that worked flawlessly.
Lube the case. Run it into the die. Let it sit in the die for a bit. Take it out and see if it chambers.

 

[dusterdave173]

Yea I just got the rifle today -it is new mint 50 rounds only--I was using new factory boxed Lapua loaded ammo A round will chamber load extract and acts 100% Normal--but after firing it is crazy tough to LIFT the bolt but then it extracts easy as pie
And when I try that fired brass it chambers easy as pie but bolt will not close unless you jam on it--like a no go
I have no dies yet it is a new caliber for me

 

[mudduck]

Wipe chamber out good and dry and try it

 

[Old Navy]

Order a headspace gauge. Using new brass for a headspace gauge did not work for me. I had one batch of 6 BR that was .006" shorter than my chamber. The last batch is .002 shorter.

 

[dusterdave173]

I slept on it and just don't see how it can be head space since the new factory rounds all cycle--bolt closes normal etc It acts like hot round would right? All is well Until it is fired then the case comes out of the chamber just fine the only deal is the bolt is very hard to open----I need to get some other ammo and see--just did not have any dies etc yet as I just brought it home yestyerday

 

[Dgd6mm]

I slept on it and just don't see how it can be head space since the new factory rounds all cycle--bolt closes normal etc It acts like hot round would right? All is well Until it is fired then the case comes out of the chamber just fine the only deal is the bolt is very hard to open----I need to get some other ammo and see--just did not have any dies etc yet as I just brought it home yestyerday

I slept on it also. When I rolled up out of bed this morning sitting there , I said to myself....I don't believe it's the headspace. I will admit it was my first conclusion. I'm with rwj on the chamber being a little lubed, I've had this happen several times when in a hurry and not drying the chamber completely. I also don't believe it's the ammo.

 

[JSH]

Short throat, bullet jam?

 

[dusterdave173]

maybe--I will check this morning good idea for sure

 

[DirtySteve]

Clean the chamber and make sure it is bone dry when done. Scuff it with a Scotch Bright pad or 600 grit sand paper.

 

[pdog06]

Dave, have you spoken to the guy you bought it from to see if he had the same issue when he shot the first half of that Lapua ammo? Hopefully he would give you an honest answer, and if he didn’t have the issue then it’s probably more to do with a dirty chamber(dried up lube, cleaner, etc) and not an ammo or headspace issue.
Do you have a borescope to look at the chamber to see why there’s a ring on the brass at the shoulder junction(burr or gouge?)?

 

[pdog06]

Oh, before you do too much, try backing off the front action screw a turn and see if the fired brass chambers better… seen this many times. Action screw a thread too long and rubs the bolt head lugs once the round is fired. You don’t see the hard bolt lift on an empty chamber or non fire fired brass because the floating bolt head allows enough movement to cycle the bolt.

 

[dusterdave173]

All of these ideas were Very much appreciated!
I pulled bolt apart and when I did I noticed the cocking pin or button was protruding out--Ummm--tapped it back into correct position and it seems cured--Can't quite see exactly what was happening yet but happy--The pin would just barely let bolt go out of rifle

And I did like pdog 06 said on front action screw for good measure

Thanks to all!!!

 

[BlueWater]

You noted cleaning lube before heading to the range… did that effort include the chamber?

... and lug areas.

In my own experience, a somewhat less-than-diligent cleaning process combined with the BoreTech Eliminator solvent to gradually create a tough, sticky mess around the lugs. Eventually causing hard bolt closing/opening. Cleaned that area thoroughly, then the problem went away. Made changes to my technique, and problem never resurfaced.

Assuming, of course, it's driven by lack of cleanliness in and around the bolt lug areas.

Something to verify.

 

[Evan]

Might also, while wiping down the chamber with alcohol or acetone to remove all oils and solvents, also wipe off the ammo too for good measure. If both are completely clean and dry and this still is happening, then you’ll need to dig deeper into what is going on.

 

[rebs]

does your rifle cock when the bolt is lifted ?