Savage Model 29B - Breechbolt Assembly help please

[Bo_Hunter]

I went to do a nice thing for father's day and clean and lube my father-in-law's Savage Model 29B. When I took the Breechbolt assembly out of the chamber, the cartridge guide pin fell out and the cartridge guide and tiny circular cartridge guide spring fell out of the assembly.

I was able to recover the three pieces but I have not been able to correctly re-install the spring. I do not want to do damage to the spring, so I haven't put any significant pressure on the pieces.

I checked out the thread here:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?155984-Savage-29B
which lead me to a great diagram in stevepages:
http://stevespages.com/ipb-savage-29.html

So, I know the direction the spring goes, but when I simply set the spring on the cartridge guide, align everything back up and push the guide pin in place, everything is still very loose.

So, Jack Stanley, Mk42gunner, pietro, 2152hq, or anyone else out there who has familiarity with this gun, I sure could use a bit of help.

Once the proper assembly is determined, I'd like to see why these components just fell out. I would imagine that under spring tension, the pins would not just fall out.

Thanks!
Bo Hunter

[rancher1913]

hopefully someone knowledgeable will help you, but I feel for you. was cleaning my ruger mark1 and a spring flew out and dang if I could get it back, i had to bow my head and take it to a gunsmith.:oops:

[Bo_Hunter]

I hear ya, rancher. I may have to take this to a local gunsmith.

[Bo_Hunter]

Here's some pics that might help (if they will load).
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[Bo_Hunter]

I think the spring is messed up. If the diagram is accurate, the the spring is definitely sprung and possibly not the correct spring. Thoughts?

[Mk42gunner]

Like I said in the other thread; I never had one of those apart, but here is an idea.

It looks to me like one leg of the spring, part G, is supposed to bear on the cartridge guide but in your picture it doesn't look like it is doing much. Maybe try turning the spring around???

Good Luck,

Robert

[Bo_Hunter]

Thanks Robert. Have tried all 4 possible directions. Tangs down give less play than tangs up.

[Jack Stanley]

It has been so long since I had the rifle apart I don't think I remember the spring . The bolt I had wasn't all that bad so I may have soaked it in Kroil for a while then hosed it off with Hornady one shot a couple times . I just don't remember , sorry .

Jack

[Bo_Hunter]

Thanks Jack. Talked with a local gunsmith and he said if he couldn't find a factory spring, he'd make one for me. Well, that got me to thinking, which usually gets me in trouble. So I did some research on making torsion springs and made one out of an old guitar string. It took a few tries at it to get everything just right, but it works like a top now.
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[Jack Stanley]

It's a neat old rifle to use .

Jack

[Mk42gunner]

So it sounds to me like the spring needed replacing anyway, so it really wasn't a screw up on your part.

Good job,

Robert