issues

A

axis223

New member
I loaded about 30-40 55gr v max for a savage axis heavy barrel last week at 2.252-2.253 and every one shot prefect. I began using a lee auto drum and priming on the press this weekend and loaded 20 of the same as last week. Now comes the issues....

Last night I chambered them and shot about 7 until I had a light firing pin strike and no fire. the bolt wouldn't open unless it was forced open. the bullet had a ring around it near the ogive that appeared to be rifling. I loaded another and it fired and another and no fire with hard bolt and the ring again.

my issue with this rifle from day one is the bolt would get stuck and not open and the empties wouldn't eject out of the chamber. upon having 2 rounds with the ring I loaded a 55gr sp at 2.220 and chambered it and it was tight and had the ring.

when I took the bolt out the extractor plate was really high covering a part of the hole the rounds go into on the bolt. I moved it with my finger and tried the bolt on my other axis the plate doesn't move.

now I have no way of knowing if I seated these too long and my calipers are broken because the hard bolt which is normal with factory rounds seated the bullet deeper than 2.250.

your thoughts?
 
when I took the bolt out the extractor plate was really high covering a part of the hole the rounds go into on the bolt. I moved it with my finger and tried the bolt on my other axis the plate doesn't move.
Click to expand...
I have no idea what you are talking about here. Good quality pictures may help here.
However, fired casings that will not extract are a sign of very high pressure. The ring on the ogive of your bullets is likely an indication that you are jamming the bullets, which are seated way too far out, into the rifling.
You are dancing with disaster. The next pull of your trigger with your handloads is likely to end badly.
Do a little research and learn how to determine how far out to seat your bullets...or give up handloading and use factory rounds.
 
dahermit

I don't have a pic of the extractor but here is an internet pic below. the grey plate was sitting very high and IMO not letting the case sit inside the cavity of the bolt. the sticky bolt was with the non fired rounds not empty cases.

The empty cases only got stuck when using factory ammo last year. empties now are not ejecting. the extractor was very loose and would wiggle up and down as if there wasn't enough tension on it.

last week the same rounds chambered and shot fine.

In this pic is the bullets that got stuck and did not fire.

http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/martpjin2011/media/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsqjdge9ep.jpeg.html?o=0


http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/martpjin2011/media/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsrd11zufz.jpeg.html?o=1


http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...&thid=OIP.M88648cd83af6db544afd219692500eb9o0
 
Last edited:
I don't have a pic of the extractor but here is an internet pic below. the grey plate was sitting very high and IMO not letting the case sit inside the cavity of the bolt
Click to expand...
What "grey plate"? Are you referring to the extractor? The, "...cavity of the bolt...", do you mean the recess in the bolt?
 
Based on personal experience, the issues you described in cartridges getting stuck in chamber and the bolt not opening is in indication of very very high pressures. Re-check your loads and ensure the powder discharged is accurate and recheck all bullet lengths.
 
The ring on the bullet may just be a Red Herring (look it up if you have to), caused by your seating plug when you seat the bullet. If it is, that ring should be on all/most of your loaded rounds before they are put into the gun. If it is, it is not part of the the problem.
The internet picture of the face of the bolt appears to be a common "push feed", system. As the cartridge is stripped from your magazine, it should pop-up on the feed rails and when it is pushed by the bolt into the chamber, when the cartridge shoulder meets the shoulder in the chamber, the extractor should snap over the head into the extractor groove.
Do you have hard bolt lift on a fired cartridge? Does the bolt then resist being pulled to the rear? Or, do you mean that the bolt comes back without pulling the fired case from the chamber? Do you have to force the bolt closed on a live round?
I moved it with my finger and tried the bolt on my other axis the plate doesn't move.
Click to expand...
What "plate" are you referring to?

Have you looked into the chamber to see if the neck of one or your fired cartridges has broken off and is still in the chamber?
 
Based on personal experience, the issues you described in cartridges getting stuck in chamber and the bolt not opening is in indication of very very high pressures. Re-check your loads and ensure the powder discharged is accurate and recheck all bullet lengths.

I would go one step further and take rifle to a gunsmith and ensure it is still safe to shoot.
 
I have no clue how to quote so I will cover both questions.

the grey plate I'm referring too is on the bolt face. in the pic there is the cavity the bottom of the case sits in and then to the right there is a grey plate or the extractor. this is what popped off on me and would go up and down in play.

when I first purchased the gun factory rounds were the only thing put through it. factory rounds would make the bolt lock up once fired and say I loaded a live one and unloaded it they would stick. its like the locking lugs are out of whack and pushing the bolt closed and locking it has always been an issue with factory rounds before I reloaded for it.

last week when I loaded 20 reloads to the same specs they all shot and none sticky. shot factory rounds and had the sticky bolt.

last night I fired about 9 rounds and none of the fired cases were hard to extract. the ones I had a hard time getting out were the ones that didn't fire.

the ring on the bullet is from the rifle as this was not there before I chambered them.

closing the bolt is hard on live rounds, no rounds, and empty cases. opening the bolt is hard on occasion with live rounds, empty cases and empty chamber.

no neck stuck in barrel either.
 
ms6852

The OP stated it was on unfired rounds he was having the problem with .
How high would the presser be on an unfired round ?

Answer ---- not very .
 
If the extractor was not snapping over the rim like it should, the bolt would not want to go into battery. I cannot imagine the bolt ever going so far forward that the locking lugs would engage if the extractor was behind the head. Without have the gun in hand to examine and test, it is problematic trying to figure out what is happening.
Youse may as well take it to a gunsmith.
 
it sticks with both loaded and empty. its like the locking lugs are messed up somehow. I can put an empty in and the close the bolt and its kind of tight and lock the bolt shut and then cant get it open.

last night with the live rounds that didn't fire I couldn't get the bolt to open. all the rounds that fired the bolt came open fine except the ones that didn't fire.

its done this with factory hornady also.
 
Find a reloading mentor. That's what I recommend at this time. Obviously something isn't right and you aren't experienced enough to troubleshoot this issue.
 
My Son-In-Law has a Savage Axis .223. After around six months he told me that he was having problems opening and closing the bolt. I took a look at it and didn't really see anything obvious. Out of curiosity I put a drop of gun oil in either side of the chamber, in the holes in the receiver. Problem solved. Must be that those Axis need really wet locking lugs? I use grease on my Remington 700 locking lugs and told him to try that. No complaints since.

Not sure if the OP is having the same problems, I'm just throwing this out there.
 
I took the rifle to a gunsmith last night and he fixed the extractor saying it was loose. I also asked about the bolt head being able to turn and he took it in the back 10min later said extractors fixed and ran several rounds through it and its good to go. they also said the bolt head needed to be turned a certain way.

I'm going to grease it up after I scrub it tonight.


I showed him the round that got stuck and he asked about OAL and I said all were done in the same sitting and checked and only ones with light firing pin might have been the extractor messing with it cause it would slide up and down.
still going to tear them down and redo them.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top