Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Taking off Buttstock

I am trying to take off the Buttstock of my 99 and cannot get the screw to budge. I have a long enough screwdriver but for the life of me I cannot turn it. My next option is to take an impact wrench to it but before I do I thought I would see if there is anyone else who knows a trick or two. Thanks.

Rust sucks. Not much you can do, just try not to put force on anything but the bolt.

Or.. just leave it alone.

+1

If I might ask, why do you want to take it off in the first place? You aren't going to gain much as far as cleaning. Just curious.

Thanks for the quick response but I really need to take it off to fix a crack in the stock.

Make sure the driver is long enough to reach the bolt head and that the blade FITS the slot. If you have a FLAT jawed vise, pad the jaws and close the vise around BOTH the receiver AND the side panels on the stock. Keep working at it, paying attention to the amount of pressure applied while attempting to turn. Try working it in both directions. If you over torque, the bolt may snap, and then you'll have additional problems. Have you considered a gunsmith???

If you bugger the screw head or snap the bolt you'll be drilln' an tappn'

If it don't want to go, I would leave it alone or you may find yourself in worse shape.

Randy

I know. Thats why I stopped where I did. I think I will try to fix the crack from the outside. The problem is it is such a fine crack about two inches long. I will have to try to get a needle or something to shoot glue into it and try to put compression on it. If anybody has any ideas on how the best way to do that I'm all ears. Thank you guys for your help so far.

A word of caution about the use of a vise. Do NOT put much pressure on the vise. Just ENOUGH to secure the receiver in place as well as the side panels on the stock. Too much pressure and you'll spring the receiver. Then you have a useless 99. If it just a fine crack,,,,,,,,,,,,leave it alone. There are plenty of rifles being hunted with a tang crack. Again though. It's your gun and it's your call. Only you know your talent.

You'll have to have an extra pair of hands for this: With screwdriver in place and applying pressure, have your helper tap the end of screwdriver with a light hammer. Sometimes, this eases extraction.

If you have a old tire iron (like from a 70,80's vintage Chevy), it is the correct length and slot size, and you can get a lot of leverage. I would also spray a SMALL amount of break-free with a long nozzle down the hole and wipe it off quickly when the gun and stock are apart. The last step could stain the wood, so I would only do it to a non collector rifle.
Just my 2cents. Good luck. -TomT

You can fix crack without removing but stock. Use a hair dryer and heat wood warm to the touch. Wax and tape wood outside of crack area. Use a thin epoxy and apply over crack.
Put plastic wrap non stick over clamped crack as wood cools it will pull epoxy into crack. While it drys lightly clamp crack closed.

The only downside that I can see to fixing the crack "in situ" is the risk of getting epoxy (you are using epoxy aren't you?) up against the tang which would further compound getting the stock off in future. Also the crack should be reefed out to get rid of any crud down in there which will not allow the glue to bond- especially important if it's an old crack and oil has soaked into it. I would persevere in getting the stock off.

I have had identical problems with a few different guns. I use a stout screwdriver with a square shank, and if the bolt won't turn I put an adjustable wrench on the shank of the driver to provide more torque. Likewise I can't see why vise grips on a round shank driver wouldn't work. I never had a "stuck" screw not back out. Maybe I've been lucky but I've never torqued a stock bolt head off using that method. Savage 99 stock bolts are pretty beefy and would require some pretty high torque to twist the head off. I would think the screwdriver tip would snap off before that happened.

large headed screw driver with long shaft,vise crip plyers should give u enough torque but first i would stand the gun straight up an shoot some penetrating oil up behind the trigger where the bolt screws in from the stock (take a guess roughly where that would be) an let it sit over night. works for me.

Super glue will usually "WICK" into a tight crack, you dont have to mess with taking the stock off. just keep applying a small drop to it and eventually no more will flow in. the tire iron does fit real well in the savage buttstock and screw head,get one cut it off and grind two flats on it so you can use a wrench on it. Don

Alright, you guys have convinced me. I am going to try the tire iron. I do have one that fits right in but have to wait until I can get more hands to help me. If that doesn't work I'm going to fix it the best I can without taking it off. I'll let you guys know how it works. My whole thing about this is I am going to start shooting it more and do not want the crack to spread any more than it has. Thanks to all who have helped.

Don, the only trouble with using superglue is the crap that builds up inside of an old crack- old gun oil, dirt, sweat, etc. That stuff will impede bonding of any glue, including superglue. Unlike epoxy, superglue doesn't gap fill and bond with strength at the same time. Superglue gel is better, but then you're no better off than if you used epoxy, viscosity-wise.

Cleaning out the crack, putting in the glue (no matter what you use), and then clamping it is the only way to get a permanent fix.

I do like the tire iron idea. I think I'll cruise the downtown area tonight looking for an unlocked 20 year old Chevy.

dam i think i'll go in to tire iron busness. How about 10 bucks plus shipping and handling

gnoahhh,I' ve done it a bunch of times on hairline cracks, the glue wicks in where oil doesn't. im talking about a crack that has not spread, or one tight enough that you cant spring to clean out. most wood doesnt crack smooth it has irregular grain and will crack so when the glue wicks in it will bond to the irregular surface ,i take a couple pieces of wood and a c-clamp and sandwich the stock putting a small amount of pressure on the crack closing it tight. Being in the logging buisiness i have had plenty of cracked timber to study!!! for one reason or another. The tire iron works great it automatically centers itself in the stock bolt hole,no guessing when the end is in the screw slot. Don

Next thing we'll see on ebay will be vintage Savage Tire Irons. Be sure to watch out for pre- vs. post-mil. The only way to tell is by the quality of production: forged and machined, followed by hand finishing vs. stamped out of Chinese re-bar.

Some of these threads are REALLY beginning to scare me!!!!!!!!!!! The ONLY stock set I have ever removed is the set that was on a post mil E in .358. I removed them, sold them, and replaced them. My hat band is STILL drying from the sweat!!!!!