Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Inherent problems with Savage actions

Savage's extractor and ejector are constructed the same way as many push-feed modern bolt action rifles. Ejector problems arise if the spring and ejector pin bore become gunked up with dirt and and sludge from too much lubrication or rust. Keep everything clean and there isn't much to go wrong, same as any rifle. Indeed, when I buy a bare bolt head the extractor and ejector need to be installed. All that is needed is a simple extractor jig made from a block of wood, carved out with a Dremel Tool and a wood file. Below we see a simple homemade jig. One always replaces the ejector retaining pin with a new one when installing a new spring and ejector pin (available from Brownell's).



Using a 1/16" punch, the existing ejector retaining pin is driven out, the ejector and spring removed and the bore cleaned. The new parts installed and a empty case with a clamp is used to compress the spring (here a .45 ACP case is used on a standard .473" cartridge bolt head), the same set up can be used to uninstall the original pin so parts don't launch. A 1/16" punch is run through the retaining pin hole, ensuring alignment, and a new splined retaining pin started from the recessed hole side and driven flush with a punch that fits the recess, which drives out the 1/16" punch. Done for a few bucks, and no trip to the gunsmith necessary, not that I have anything against gunsmiths, it's just that they are so busy. This a handy technique for replacing the ejector spring with a lighter one, or completely eliminating the ejector as some benchrest shooters do so the case is not cocked to one side in the chamber, or damaged during extraction and ejection.



Again, I have never experienced any extractor or ejection problems with these actions, but having the means to quickly repair or modify them is a good idea.