FYI for Savage Axis Rifles

[SteveR]

I picked one up in .233/5.56 for a secondary rifle in case the communists in NY completely ban any semi auto in said caliber.

Anyway, I found one at my local dealer and not a great price, but a good deal for NY. I ordered in a scope and mount. I waited all week for shipping, then I got it all together, went out last night for a couple of shots and it wouldn't fire.

I never checked if it would fire without the scope, it does not have iron sights. So anyway, I searched the internet and could not find anything about it.

What was happening was, it would chamber a round, the bolt would go almost completely down. It seemed like it wanted to go more, but it was solid and so I tried to fire, it would not allow the firing pin to hit the primer hard enough to set it off. I tried a few times more, but realized something is wrong.

So, I called the gunshop and asked what to do, they said bring it in and we will send it to Savage to fix. I then took off the scope and started taking the mount off and as I loosed the screws, I felt the bolt go completely into battery. So then I tightened the screws one by one, and found the one screw over the bolthead would bind the bolt head, not allowing for it to completely seat. So I took a file to it and took about 1000th off of it, and it tightened down and allowed the bolt head to freely travel to lock in.

I should have fired it before the scope was on, just to check that it would fire.

Secondly, Savage makes a really safe action, even thought it seemed the bolt was all the way down, it really wasn't. And now that I got to scope to mount, it is a sweet shooting light little rifle. Still more sighting to do, but just resting freehand on the side of my car, I was hitting the other rounds holes on the target!

I can't wait to get to my range and benchrest it and see what it will really do.

Also, the trigger is very, very lawyer heavy at 6lbs. So, I will adjust it, too bad it doesn't come with the Accu-trigger, but this one can be adjusted though.

Steve

[AJMD429]

That same scope/sight-screw 'bind' can happen to Marlin lever actions (especially the 1894's) and Ruger 10/22's.

The other similar issue is with Win 1892 clones and the access screw for the bolt-pin.

[SteveR]

Good to know. Funny how just a simple over length screw can mess up an action. Maybe later I can get to the range.

Steve

[Pete44ru]

I ordered in a scope and mount.

I got it all together, went out last night for a couple of shots and it wouldn't fire.

What was happening was, it would chamber a round, the bolt would go almost completely down.

I then took off the scope and started taking the mount off and as I loosed the screws, I felt the bolt go completely into battery.

So then I tightened the screws one by one, and found the one screw over the bolthead would bind the bolt head, not allowing for it to completely seat.

I took a file to it and took about 1000th off of it, and it tightened down and allowed the bolt head to freely travel to lock in.

I should have fired it before the scope was on, just to check that it would fire.

Yep - "Scope mounting 101".

I'm glad you figured it out for yourself.

Actually, when fitting ANY scope mount base(s) to a rifle, each screw, one at a time, should be checked in it's intended position via tightening that single screw & trying to move the base, to see if the screw is limited in the bottom of a blind hole, or protruding into the bolt raceway (not just at the bolt head/lugs).

Remove the screw that's been verified, and do the same thing over again with a different screw/location, etc, etc until all the base screws are verified.

My next-to-last step is to remove the screws/bases, and de-grease the screw & barrel/receiver threads before applying a single drop of blue LocTite (it comes in a red bottle) to all the threads, and re-installing everything.

As a last step, I recommend securing the action solidly in a padded vise, seating a flat-faced punch atop each screw head, then giving each screw head a solid whack with a heavy hammer - applying a bit more screw tightening after the blow(s) usually results in being able to tighten each screw an additional portion of a turn.


.

[AJMD429]

You can even stop a 1911 from functioning, just by changing the grips...

...thankfully I always 'test-fire' my CCW piece at least weekly, but I did carry it for 24 hours after the grip change and it's a good thing I didn't need to fire it during that time...

[JOHNNY WACKO]

blue LocTite (it comes in a red bottle)
Thats like a fat girl in skinny jeans, sounds funny

[fordwannabe]

The axis II comes with the accu-trigger, and upgraded scope for about another 65-70 bucks.

[SteveR]

I ordered in a scope and mount.

I got it all together, went out last night for a couple of shots and it wouldn't fire.

What was happening was, it would chamber a round, the bolt would go almost completely down.

I then took off the scope and started taking the mount off and as I loosed the screws, I felt the bolt go completely into battery.

So then I tightened the screws one by one, and found the one screw over the bolthead would bind the bolt head, not allowing for it to completely seat.

I took a file to it and took about 1000th off of it, and it tightened down and allowed the bolt head to freely travel to lock in.

I should have fired it before the scope was on, just to check that it would fire.

Yep - "Scope mounting 101".

I'm glad you figured it out for yourself.

Actually, when fitting ANY scope mount base(s) to a rifle, each screw, one at a time, should be checked in it's intended position via tightening that single screw & trying to move the base, to see if the screw is limited in the bottom of a blind hole, or protruding into the bolt raceway (not just at the bolt head/lugs).

Remove the screw that's been verified, and do the same thing over again with a different screw/location, etc, etc until all the base screws are verified.

My next-to-last step is to remove the screws/bases, and de-grease the screw & barrel/receiver threads before applying a single drop of blue LocTite (it comes in a red bottle) to all the threads, and re-installing everything.

As a last step, I recommend securing the action solidly in a padded vise, seating a flat-faced punch atop each screw head, then giving each screw head a solid whack with a heavy hammer - applying a bit more screw tightening after the blow(s) usually results in being able to tighten each screw an additional portion of a turn.


.

Good advise, thanks Pete.
But, I differ with the use of lite-tite or any of those type products. I make a real mess trying to remove or change mounts.
I also never, ever tighten down the screws and smack with a hammer to get an extra thread, never needed it and never had a mount come loose.

The odd part of this style action, is they place the holes for the mount right over the bolthead, I sure it is plenty strong, but would rather have holes where less pressure is being applied.

Steve