Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors savage 29 lifter problems

I have a 29 that the lifter does not rise high enough to guide the shell into the chamber. It climbes about half way. The shell hits between the loading tube and the chamber. Any help would be good.

Gunner, there were a lot of variations in parts during the production of the model 29. Without pictures or a more detailed description one can only guess at the problem. I am inclinde to think that you have a later version and that the lifter is rising far enough but that the problem is with the lifter itself.

There were two major variations in bolts and probabaly more than a half dozen different designs for lifters for the later bolt; all were multi piece and I am not sure if all were interchangable but assume so.

I also want to double check to be sure it's not a 29-A which would be different.

It`s actually a westernfield m-80. All the cross ref. I`ve seen it`s a savage m-29. I hope that`s right. Everything works except for guiding the shell. It shoots,extracts and ejects.

Is the lifter moving? Make sure the operating latch is not broken off in the bolt -

Thanks Gene; Your pictures show just what I have and all in working order as far as I can tell

Make sure that the firing pin does not extend too far foward, it will catch on the rim of the shell.

Pact

The pin is flush with the bolt.What makes the lifter raise to guide the shell?

The operating latch on the bottom of the bolt is spring loaded - if you look at the lifter you will notice that the part extending out the bottom is tapered on the front; this allows the latch to slide up and over it as the bolt cycles back and then the spring on the latch causes it to snap down to catch the untapered back of this extention so as it goes forward this extention now has to ride up over the catch causing the lifter to rise. If the latch is broken off in the bolt or it's spring is missing the lifer will not rise; or possibly there is enough wear on the parts to allow the catch to slip back over the lower extention on the lifter as it goes forward instead of catching it. Cycle the gun slowly without a cartridge in it to see if the lifter even moves; if it does look to see if the lower part looks like the picture and is not worn down.

I think you got it this time Gene.I think that the part of the lifter that sticks out the bottom is worn. Looking at your picture I noticed yours has a part that sticks down a little farther on the left side and mine does not look like that.The one I have is rounded off at the left corner. If I am smart enough I`ll get a picture for you. If I had one that looks like the picture I think it would work.

Does anyone know where I can get a lifter for a savage model 29?