Savage 219 misfiring problem

[richhodg66]

I have a few of these, but bought one a few months ago that misfires a lot. I tried Federal primers, which are generally known to have softer cups and it helped, but the primer strikes are light.

I took the barrel and stocks off and soaked the action in a bucket of Ed's Red for several days hoping that would clean up anything that might be slowing the primer strike, but it didn't make much difference.

I've heard they can develop excess head space, but this one locks up tight. I've heard these are a PITA to disassemble and reassemble and I'm not sure I could find new springs or firing pins anyway and a used one may be just as bad.

Gonna try the easy stuff first; neck size brass, try a different brand of brass, maybe some different primers. Any other suggestions of how I should proceed?

[dubber123]

As I recall with mine, there is a notch in the hammer, and the "nose" for lack of a better word was too long and contacted the frame before it made hard enough contact with the firing pin. I reduced the length of this hammer nose, and my misfires went away. Good time to knock 10 pounds off the trigger pull too :)

[cwlongshot]

On these old huns I would suspect the main spring first. But as Dubber mentions FP length is a possibility too.

These are pretty simple actions, take pictures & make
Notes to make re assembly easier.

Good luck,

CW

[uscra112]

Is the O.P.'s 219 the first model, which had a striker? Not all of them had hammers. (Yes, I know that Savage called the striker the hammer, but.....)

[richhodg66]

Not sure. I need to do more research on which ones were which, but this one is just like my other two. I know at some point they redesigned how it cocks, and there is a little extension on the barrel stub which is not present on this one.

Gonna see if changing brass brands or primers will make any difference first and go from there.

[cwlongshot]

You are already using the “softest” primers made....

[Drm50]

Check firing pin protrusion 1st, with pressure held against striker. If it's not firing pin most likely main spring. They aren't that hard to work on. Just a PIA. Some models have same running gears as the 220 shotguns and there was a Stevens Hammerless shotgun too.

[richhodg66]

You are already using the “softest” primers made....

So I thought, then read this;
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/ammo-primers/

I've got some Wolf brand primers and may have some Remington ones. Definitely trying the simple stuff before digging into the gun.

[richhodg66]

Check firing pin protrusion 1st, with pressure held against striker. If it's not firing pin most likely main spring. They aren't that hard to work on. Just a PIA. Some models have same running gears as the 220 shotguns and there was a Stevens Hammerless shotgun too.

Does anyone make new springs? Hate to buy a used one and go to trouble just to find out it was no better.

[Elroy]

Numrich will have what you need..245077245081

[richhodg66]

Well, had some time this afternoon, went back to the loading bench for five of the cases I got to fire in it yesterday, it was a light load, but should have been enough to form them. I neck sized the cases with a Lee collet neck sizer, then looked in my stuff and found some Wolf brand primers which turned out to be large pistol primers. I was only going to be shooting 7 grains of 700X and a 115 grain bullet and I've used LPP before for such loads, besides, as light as the primer strikes were, I couldn't see it causing a problem. I know you should eliminate one variable at a time, but I was impatient.

Anyway, all five fired no problem and the indents were a lot stronger than before. I mistakenly loaded the batch yesterday with Winchester primers and misfired about every other one. Next, I'll try this with Federal primers and neck sized cases and see how that works. I want to deer hunt with this rifle eventually, so restricting it to using only LPP isn't really an option. I wouldn't trust the LPP in deer level cast loads.

So it looks like I'm on the right track. I have several .30-30s so I'll have to get 50 or so fire formed cases and mark them for use only in this rifle.

[Drm50]

I have never bought a replacement spring for one. I've replaced two, both in 30-30s and used Brownel Spring stock from their gunsmiths assortments. I have a guys Hornet right now than is misfiring with Rem Factory ammo. It's firing pin on it. I have a theory that bad main springs in Savage and Stevens Hammerless guns is caused by years of storage cocked. I'm not a expert on them and was reminded by above post that there were models with side lever. I think these are different parts but you can cross check part numbers on springs to make sure you get the right part.

[richhodg66]

I like the idea of using spring stock. I'm going to pursue this soft primers and neck sized brass route for now, but if I decide to go internal on it, I'll probably be asking you some more questions about how to go about it.