r/canadaguns • u/nohltoli • Jun 09 '26

Fix my gun Bolt Action Locking Stages?

I just got my first firearm (Savage MkII G), and am wondering if it's normal for the bolt action to have 2 distinctive stages when locking the bolt. I can slide the bolt forward and back smoothly. When pushing the bolt down to locked position it stops very stiffly at about perpendicular to the rest of the rifle, and then I can push it down further to fully locked. Is this normal? In videos of this rifle I don't notice folks pushing down twice, and it feels kind of awkward to do.

E: Here's a picture showing the three different positions

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3

u/Parratt Garand Guy Jun 09 '26

Sear catch the firing pin is probably what youre feeling.

2

u/LananasCourageux Jun 09 '26

I have the same rifle. It was a bit stiff out of the box for me too. I greased the points of contact between bolt and receiver and just worked the action a bunch. Cleaned it, put a fresh dab of grease on the bolt handle stem and it runs very smoothly now. Helps to run the bolt in a "soldierly" fashion too. Shooting bolt guns fast

2

u/nohltoli Jun 09 '26

Gotcha. So after you broke yours in is there still any in-between position for the bolt? Or is it just open and closed now?

3

u/LananasCourageux Jun 09 '26

I mean the bolt still has to cam forward as the stem of the bolt handle rides down that ramped surface into the locking recess but it's a smoother transition.

1

u/Mahatma_Ghandicap Jun 09 '26

Are there any cartridges in the rifle when you feel this? Or empty? Or both?

My Ruger American Ranch was like this for the first few range trips and eventually everything got nice and smooth.

1

u/nohltoli Jun 09 '26

Either with or without, doesn't make a difference. When yours got smoother does it still have two distinct steps to lowering the bolt, or is it just open and closed now?

1

u/Parking_Media Jun 09 '26

You'd love working the bolt on my old milsurp stuff.

Clonk, chunk, bonk, clang, thud. Now in battery

1

u/HappyCan7250 Jun 09 '26

If I remember right the Mk2 cocks on closing, which is different from (most) bolt guns, which cock on opening. Usually on a bolt gun the striker is cocked when lifting the bolt, which leads to come resistance, but on the Mk2 the striker is cocked as you're closing/locking the bolt, so it will feel a little different than what you may think of as "normal". I believe the Enfield is also a cock on close bolt, but most modern bolt guns cock on opening. 

I am assume you're just feeling the striker cocking on closing of the bolt which might feel a bit weird if you've never used one like that before.

I don't own a Mk2 so I could be wrong on this but I recall reading about that a while back when looking at them. Still might get one as I've heard they shoot very well for the price

1

u/nohltoli Jun 09 '26

Ah, that makes sense if that's the case. Thanks!