Gunsmithing Anyone ever seen this before (Savage)

[3-0-hate]

I bought a Savage Axis a few years back for a project I just got started on. I pulled off the 30-06 barrel today in preparation to have the action trued and install a light Palma 8x57 barrel.

When I broke the barrel nut loose, I noticed a bunch of tiny little round objects come out of the threads. I was able to get the action off the barrel tenon no problem but the nut locked up hard half way off. Needless to say I’m a bit perplexed by what this could be. Feels metallic but I didn’t try to get them to stick to a magnet. Almost looks like fine spherical gunpowder, but like extra fine and again, really hard.

Any ideas? Anyone ever seen anything like this? The rifle is new from Cabelas, and is still unfired. Thanks.

 

[FuhQ]

It's smegma...

 

[hino895]

^^^^^^
What he said

 

[Mike Casselton]

The nut comes off the breech end anyway.
Unscrew the action and then the nut. Inspect from there.

 

[3-0-hate]

The nut comes off the breech end anyway.
Unscrew the action and then the nut. Inspect from there.

That photo was before I got the action off but had loosened the nut by a full rotation. None of that stuff in the threads on the action side, all under the barrel nut. I unscrewed the action and then attempted to unscrew the nut off the breech end.. Lots of friction and it locked up tight before I could get it all the way off. The barrel and nut are throw-aways for me anyways, so Im not too concerned, just wondering what the hell that crap in the threads is..

 

[Mike Casselton]

It does look like powder.
Really strange.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

That’s one of the new biodegradable versions. Savages are disposable rifles so they made them to break down to be more environmentally friendly.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Did you save any of the substance?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Did you save any of the substance?

This, save the powered metal. If the rifle came in a long plastic bag inside the box you can put it in the bag and hang it and it will all collect neatly in the bottom of the bag and Sig will pay you handsomely for the compost to make small parts with.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Could it be blasting media somehow mixed with anti-sieze?
If it is, then the anti-sieze didn't work...

 

[natdscott]

Glass beads.

 

[Mordamer]

Seen it a bunch. It's either blasting media done before the finishing of the barreled action by Savage or it's intentionally put on the threads for some reason. Since Savage is the high point of the bolt action world I would tend to think it is blasting media and they just don't care that it gets into the joint during manufacture.

 

[Entropicitis]

I had that happen on a 110 I owned. I thought I spilled gun powder but it didn't burn when I put a lighter up to it.

 

[Capt45]

It's smegma...

That's the medical term for Head Cheese!!

 

[3-0-hate]

Seen it a bunch. It's either blasting media done before the finishing of the barreled action by Savage or it's intentionally put on the threads for some reason. Since Savage is the high point of the bolt action world I would tend to think it is blasting media and they just don't care that it gets into the joint during manufacture.

This seems to be the consensus over on SavageShooters.com.. Pretty shitty if you ask me and now I know why this was my first (and most likely last) Savage rifle.. At least for the price I got it at, its basically a disposable rifle anyways.. I think I was out the door for $150 at Cabelas.

 

[hafejd30]

If I remember correctly savage did the blast/blue after assembly. Heard that many years ago when I was on the savage shooters page

 

[Musket_0]

My thought was peeling the finish off the barrel with such tight tolerances.
all bullshit aside, I like Savage rifles. Had this on one of mine and it was some of the finish and maybe some media from blasting was all I could figure.

 

[Barelstroker]

Yeah, never seen that shit before.
I wonder if they're using that media as a thread filler because of either an undersized tenon or an oversized barrel nut.
Maybe you could measure both the tenon OD & the nut ID & check if they're out of spec.

 

[3-0-hate]

Think this barrel is salvageable?

Luckily the action threads are just fine.

 

[linedrive301ft]

Bluing salts. They always seem to have that residue in the nut/tenon area.

 

[natdscott]

Think this barrel is salvageable?

Luckily the action threads are just fine.

View attachment 8266635

Yeah. Just part off 3/4", and chase the threads forward. Run a reamer in, and done.

 

[kc7pwx]

I had a shop machine the barrel of my Savage and he reported the same problem.
The shop ended up having to order a new nut as it was destroyed.
Thankfully they did not charge me for the new nut and it just caused a delay in getting it back.

 

[iceng]

Its salt / blast media. Been reported on a bunch of times. Yes ive seen it, yes its annoying.

 

[Ghosting]

Think this barrel is salvageable?

Luckily the action threads are just fine.

View attachment 8266635

Lathe off the threads, weld it back up, lathe that back down to spec and cut threads. Easy fix

 

[iceng]

Thread tape, loctite, full send it. No problem.

 

[hero's machine]

Looks like the scope base screws were still in the action or they were installed on top of glass bead and pushed into the threads....that's my guess on the shanked shank.

 

[3-0-hate]

Looks like the scope base screws were still in the action or they were installed on top of glass bead and pushed into the threads....that's my guess on the shanked shank.

Definitely wasn’t the screws. Those were out. It’s all the junk that was in the threads. Best I’ve found is that it’s savages finish polishing media.

 

[MarinePMI]

That barrel's threads are toast, and I doubt a factory Savage barrel is worth re-threading for use in another rifle.

On the bright side, you could have a nice new stake for the tomato garden. Or turn it into a couple of ammo case gauge dies. Again, not sure if it's worth the machine time, unless you have your own lathe and time to to burn. Could also be used to practice cutting threads, or practice chambering. Other than that, I'd toss it in the scrap metal bin.

The Axis is Savage's lowest grade gun...and it shows.

 

[3-0-hate]

That barrel's threads are toast, and I doubt a factory Savage barrel is worth re-threading for use in another rifle.

On the bright side, you could have a nice new stake for the tomato garden. Or turn it into a couple of ammo case gauge dies. Again, not sure if it's worth the machine time, unless you have your own lathe and time to to burn. Could also be used to practice cutting threads, or practice chambering. Other than that, I'd toss it in the scrap metal bin.

The Axis is Savage's lowest grade gun...and it shows.

It’s in the bin. I’ll be sourcing a 8x57 barrel for it soon.

 

[nockhunter]

I bought a Savage Axis a few years back for a project I just got started on. I pulled off the 30-06 barrel today in preparation to have the action trued and install a light Palma 8x57 barrel.

When I broke the barrel nut loose, I noticed a bunch of tiny little round objects come out of the threads. I was able to get the action off the barrel tenon no problem but the nut locked up hard half way off. Needless to say I’m a bit perplexed by what this could be. Feels metallic but I didn’t try to get them to stick to a magnet. Almost looks like fine spherical gunpowder, but like extra fine and again, really hard.

Any ideas? Anyone ever seen anything like this? The rifle is new from Cabelas, and is still unfired. Thanks.

Light Palma 8x57 Axis? What you cookin?

Mike

 

[3-0-hate]

Light Palma 8x57 Axis? What you cookin?

Mike

Ive always been in love with the 8x57 cartridge and I really want to build an inexpensive 8x57 "precision hunting rifle". The Savage seemed like the way to go for the "inexpensive" part. I think I paid $150 for the rifle after the rebate and discount and store credit, so the factory barrel being a throw-away is totally fine by me.

 

[MarinePMI]

Ive always been in love with the 8x57 cartridge and I really want to build an inexpensive 8x57 "precision hunting rifle". The Savage seemed like the way to go for the "inexpensive" part. I think I paid $150 for the rifle after the rebate and discount and store credit, so the factory barrel being a throw-away is totally fine by me.

Hmmm...might wanna keep an eye out for an old Husqvarna Mauser. They had a lot of them imported into the US, and they tended to be real shooters. Well made as well.

 

[3-0-hate]

Hmmm...might wanna keep an eye out for an old Husqvarna Mauser. They had a lot of them imported into the US, and they tended to be real shooters. Well made as well.

I have a VZ.24, that years ago I converted over to 7mag.. If I had this hair up my ass back then, it would have gotten a Shilen 8x57 as opposed to a 7mag tube. That thing is a shooter though, so no regrets there.

 

[Holliday]

Reminds me of the filler crap hornady uses in their subsonic 300 blk loads.

 

[Makinchips208]

savage