Savage 342 .22 Hornet Feeding Problems

[Sidewinder]

I hope this hasn't been covered before. If it has, someone point me in the right direction and I'll shut up and go read and learn.

 

I've got a Savage 342 chambered in 22 Hornet. It's a bolt action, box magazine fed rifle, built sometime between 1950 and 1955. I bought it from another party that claims to have not shot it in the last 15 years. So, any questions asked at time of purchase, beyond physically looking at it, were pretty much a moot point. So, I wanted it and bought it, without ever firing or even cycling it. This was a few months ago and no use until recently.

 

Flash forward to now, and I have experienced feeding problems with factory ammo, particularly the more blunt nose "soft point and hollow point" ammo. The real pointy bullets... V-Max, fiber tipped sharp nosed bullets cycle just fine. Upon observing the bullet leaving the mag and traveling forward, the nose will catch on the front edge if the "spring loaded" small feed ramp. NOTE: Seems I do remember mentioning this on here before, but still have the problem. I'll apologize and say that senility and forgetfulness is not kind to us old codgers!

 

Anyway, the feed ramp is a small formed piece of metal, mounted on a pin with a spring pushing the top toward the oncoming round. I'm no gun designer, but it looks to me if the feed ramp had been wider and longer, all of the feed problems could have been averted. I have not contacted Savage to see if there is a "new and improved" version of this feed ramp, as a replacement or in later versions of the bolt action .22 Hornets.

 

My question is, have any others ran into this problem, and if so, how did you fix it? Has anyone replaced one of these feed ramps before and did it solve the feeding problem? If anyone has a late model... like a Savage 25 Walking Varminter, in .22 Hornet, would you please look at your feed ramp and tell me if it's on a pin with a spring? If you could take a pic, it would be appreciated. Thanks to one and all with helpful suggestions... short of "sell it"!

[VERO1]

Is there any possibility that the ramp/spring assembly are just gummed up?

[Sidewinder]

Is there any possibility that the ramp/spring assembly are just gummed up?

Actually, the bullet ramp moves as the nose of the bullet contacts the edge of it. Some of the movement of the bullet nose may be guided by adjustment of the magazine lips. But, I bought a new mag, in hopes that it would solve the problem, but the new mag feeds worse than the old one. I'm considering taking the gun apart and inspecting for wear of the bullet ramp on the pin, If all is good there, I'm considering gently contouring the sharp edge off of the upper surface of the leading edge of the ramp. If the bullet head didn't wabble from side to side, or down, as the bolt pushes it towards the guide ramp, I wouldn't have a problem.

[gregintenn]

Are the magazines fully seating?

[roverboy]

Sometimes in bolt action mags the follower spring will collapse a little and cause feeding problems. You can sometimes stretch the spring a little and try it. I've did this a few times with good results.

[graycrait]

Have you tried loading one round or so less than capacity and see how it feeds?  

 

http://forums.gunsandammo.com/showthread.php?2159-22-Hornet-magazine

[Sidewinder]

Are the magazines fully seating?

Yeah Gregintenn, I've checked that and they seem to be in as far as they will go. I will check the mag hold bracket for wear though. I believe they're available from Numrich, if I need one. Thanks.

[Sidewinder]

Sometimes in bolt action mags the follower spring will collapse a little and cause feeding problems. You can sometimes stretch the spring a little and try it. I've did this a few times with good results.

Roverboy, I actually bought a brand new magazine and it has the same feeding problems. Both mags allow a great deal of side to side and up and down movement of the nose of the cartridge as it's pushed toward the bullet ramp by the bolt. V-Max bullets, with the more pointed nose, feed fine. It's the SP and HP bullets that give me the problem. Thanks.

[Sidewinder]

Have you tried loading one round or so less than capacity and see how it feeds?  

 

http://forums.gunsandammo.com/showthread.php?2159-22-Hornet-magazine

Graycrait, you're on to something there. It will feed one round better than it will if the mag is full. It acts like the spring tension on a full mag is causing a lot more drag friction on the head, allowing the bullet to be pushed down in the front. I've cleaned the mags, with them disassembled. I've even switched the leaf springs around in the mag, to see if it would help. It did not. It seems that the instability of the front of the round, comes from the cartridge rim being larger in diameter than the case body. But... it must have worked fine at sometime, otherwise Savage wouldn't have been able to sell them. New mag didn't help! Thanks.

[stumpy]

Modest wear on the ramp or pin from being used. any modification to the ramp by a previous owner, or age allowing the ramp spring to relax can cause poor feeding.  This is not guaranteed, but likely your problem.  A few years back I replaced these parts in a "340" series (one of the variations of your rifle) and this sway restored feed-up from the magazine to chamber.  Numrich still advertises these parts as available, and even if they are used they may correct your feeding issue.  You should be able to buy the ramp, spring and pin (you do want to replace all 3 parts) for less than $25 delivered to your address.

 

Stumpy

[Sidewinder]

Modest wear on the ramp or pin from being used. any modification to the ramp by a previous owner, or age allowing the ramp spring to relax can cause poor feeding.  This is not guaranteed, but likely your problem.  A few years back I replaced these parts in a "340" series (one of the variations of your rifle) and this sway restored feed-up from the magazine to chamber.  Numrich still advertises these parts as available, and even if they are used they may correct your feeding issue.  You should be able to buy the ramp, spring and pin (you do want to replace all 3 parts) for less than $25 delivered to your address.

 

Stumpy

Stumpy, thanks for your input. I have considered doing just what you suggest and have looked the parts up on Numrich. Like you said, they show all three parts available and less than $3 each. Did you find wear on yours when you replaced them? What caliber was your "340"? Mine is a .22 Hornet. The front end of the cartridge wobbles all over the place on it's way to the feed/bullet ramp.I really like the little rifle and hope I can get this worked out.

 

Update: I ordered the ramp, pin, and spring. Any words of wisdom, or tricks of the trade on changing them? For instance... is the pin smaller in diameter on one end than it is on the other. Also, looks like the ramp can be installed 180 degrees wrong! I plan to install the new ramp just like the old one... hoping that no one has turned the one that's in there around 180 degrees. Thanks.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Sidewinder
AS of 7-15-16, changed the bullet ramp, pin, and spring. Problem continues!