Savage 99 jams

[randy]

After firing my Savage 99 in .308, the action is extremely hard to cycle. I have to take my hand out of the lever, grab it from the outside and pull hard. The empty shell ejects ok. The chamber doesn't seem rough. Any one have a clue?

Thanks,

Randy

[Nath]

Well I ain't never heard that of a 99!
Is the chamber free of oil and grease?
What is the load?

Nath.

[randy]

Nath,

No more oil than what was left after wiping with an oiled patch then a clean one. I never used reloads or surplus ammo, only normal Winchester and Remmington 165 gr soft points.

Randy

[bearhunter]

After firing my Savage 99 in .308, the action is extremely hard to cycle. I have to take my hand out of the lever, grab it from the outside and pull hard. The empty shell ejects ok. The chamber doesn't seem rough. Any one have a clue?

Thanks,

Randy

Are they reloads, or factory?

[Terry Murbach]

After firing my Savage 99 in .308, the action is extremely hard to cycle. I have to take my hand out of the lever, grab it from the outside and pull hard. The empty shell ejects ok. The chamber doesn't seem rough. Any one have a clue?

Thanks,

Randy

THAT IS THE CLASSIC SIGN OF TOO HIGH A BREECH PRESSURE. NO....I AM NOT KIDDING.

[randy]

bearhunter and Terry,

All ammo has been standard Winchester and Remington softpoint hunting ammo. I think I'll fire a few more test rounds and check the brass and primers for too much pressure and maybe bring it to a gunsmith. Can something wrong with the action, wrong headspace or partial lockup, cause high pressure?

Thanks for your idas boys.

Randy

[BenT]

Savage 99's have real tight chambers and short throats. Meaning if you reload that the shoulder better be set back to minimun specs or it won't chamber. I know this myself . Factory stuff is fine. You probably have crud built up in the throat and is causing you this problem . My gunsmith had one in his gunshop one day for this same problem . He ended up using a chamber reamer by hand to get the throat clean again.

[randy]

Thanks BenT.

I'm going to check that chamber real good.

[airedaleman]

You might want to check with the folks at the Savage Collectots forum at 24hourcampfire.com. They REALLY know the Savage 99 inside and out. For what it's worth, back in 1960 my father bought me a new 99EG in .300 Savage as payment for all the work I did with him that year. Long story short, the rifle bound up exactly like yours after cycling it 15 or 20 times after I got it home. Got to the point where the lever would not open at all. We went back to the store (Ramsey Outdoor Store in Ramsey, NJ) the next day and swapped it for another EG which worked fine for twenty-odd years and eight nice bucks. I suspect the problem lies in binding of the breech block against the shoulder in the receiver, or binding in the lever link and cam surfaces and not in any problems with ammunition.

[86er]

If I don't trim brass all the same to fact. specs and make sure I don't push the shoulder or seat the bullet too far out then the lever is sometimes hard to close and always hard to open. When the cartridges are within fact. specs they feed, shoot and eject fine. Mine is 308 Win also.

[Pisgah]

A question -- do you have a scope mounted on it? I ask because I had slight trouble opening the action of my 99A when the round was unfired, and it got darned tough to open after firing. I discovered one of the front base screws was just an nth too long. Shortened it vey slightly and all was well.

[AJMD429]

A question -- do you have a scope mounted on it? I ask because I had slight trouble opening the action of my 99A when the round was unfired, and it got darned tough to open after firing. I discovered one of the front base screws was just an nth too long. Shortened it vey slightly and all was well.

Same thing happens in Marlin 1894's pretty easily, and in Ruger 10/22's even worse. Too much Loc-Tite even will do it.

[PaperPatch]

This happened to me 15 or so years ago...with Remington factory ammo.

I had not fired my Savage 99 in .308 for a couple of years...and on the first shot, recoil seemed rather high. Extraction was as you described....I had to put the stock between my knees and force the lever open. I examined the spent brass and primer....and while handling it, the primer fell out of the case and into my hand!!!

I called Remington Customer Service, and they were quite helpful. I sent them the remaining ammunition....which they then followed up with a report, and a check for a new box of ammo.

They could find nothing wrong with the ammo....and my Savage continued to shoot well afterwards, using a different product.

[Hobie]

After firing my Savage 99 in .308, the action is extremely hard to cycle. I have to take my hand out of the lever, grab it from the outside and pull hard. The empty shell ejects ok. The chamber doesn't seem rough. Any one have a clue?

Thanks,

Randy

THAT IS THE CLASSIC SIGN OF TOO HIGH A BREECH PRESSURE. NO....I AM NOT KIDDING.

The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

We've had several people bring in guns for similar "problems" thinking that something suddenly went bad in their gun. Why? Because they'd been shooting X-brand of ammo for X-number of years without a problem (out of the same 1 or 2 boxes in most cases). In several instances they had bought the "same" ammo (it isn't after 30-40 years) and had a problem with stiff extraction or lock-up. Changing ammo brand or readjusting the sizing die (in the one 'case') made the difference.

Factory ammunition quality in the US is generally of such high quality that people are often astonished if there is a problem and discount ammunition in their troubleshooting. However, it is the one thing that is most likely to have changed either due to a change of product or corruption of the product due to environmental exposure (heat, cold, dampness, etc).

[randy]

Thanks for all your advice.

I am recuperating from pneumonia, which is why I have all this time to play on the computer. When I can get out, I'll make sure the chamber is clean and try some different ammo. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to break down and see a gunsmith.

[Nath]

Hope you get well soon, scotch, honey and lemon in a tall glass and hot water is good for that

Don't panic over that 99 if it cycles ok empty then try a round in question without shooting it.
Just chamber it and eject immediatly. Now look for any rubbing on the brass or bullet, this could indicate a fault of the physical size of the ammo.
If that is not the case obtain some other ammo and give it a try next chance you get, if that causes a repeat fault then a smith will have to look it over.

N.