Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing bolt tight to open

I have a savage 111 standard trigger about 2 years old and
hardly fired. It's been a few months since I went to the
range, and I sighted in some 165gr in my 30-06 this weekend. After firing a shot, I went to eject the case and it was quite tight and had to pull firmly to move the bolt handle. I also tried it with dry firing, as soon as I pull the trigger, then it's just as tight to open the bolt. I've never touched the rifle except to remove the bolt to clean the barrel, but if I don't pull the trigger it's smooth to cycle the bolt handle.
Is this normal?

Earl.

Savage bolt actions tend to be a little harder to lift the bolt handle when fired or dry fired than most bolt actions. If you haven't already, pull the bolt out of the rifle and lubricate the angled surface of the cocking cam with some light grease or oil. The grease is best as the oil won't last long. Re-install the bolt and work it up and down a few times with the trigger held back then pull the bolt re-lubricate that surface again and see if that helps.

I just fixed a 110 for a guy that did the same thing. The action screws were a little too long.

Dito on that one. Try loosening the screws and see if that makes a difference when dry firing. If it does, you'll know what the problem is

Mr. aceman;
I believe that Mr. quarterboredave is onto the correct path in that the bolt is stiff only when you pull the trigger.

When you do so, the main spring must be recocked and if the cocking cam is dry or the camming surfaces beginning to gall it will most likely be very tough to open.

As you noted, when you don't pull the trigger, cycling the bolt is not an issue and that may be because the spring isn't needing to be re-tensioned by a dragging cocking cam?

It couldn't hurt to check the action screw length either, but giving a bit of grease on the back of the locking lugs and the cocking camming surfaces would be where I'd start.

Hopefully that was some use to you. Good luck with your rifle

Regards,
Dwayne

I have an older Savage pre accu trigger. It has always had a bolt so hard to open that I had to take it down from the shoulder. I bought a slim and longer bolt handle from Brownells that solved that problem but your problem may be different that what I experience. Thanks...