Savage M 99 HELP

[washelkhntr]

 I have an older Savage Model 99 in 308Win that my Grandfather gave to me. This is the same gun that I shot my first deer, elk and bear with over 25 years ago.  He finally gave it to me for Christmas this last year.

 So I take it to the range to shoot Friday, and the damn ammo wont fit. Hmmm, ok what is the deal....I check the stamp on the barrel. Yep, 308 Win, I check the ammo that I bought, yep 308 win. ( 2 different boxes, from 2 different manufactures) They will slide in only half way. Run the bore light down it, nothing stuck, and nothing in the barrell. I run a brush and then a swab, perfectly clean, and do not feel any abnormalities in the barrell or breach.

 Get home, call the Grandfather, he says that Im an idiot and am using the wrong ammo. "Just use the ammo that I gave you with the gun", ummm, yea that don't fit either. Now him and I are both stumped with what is going on.
 This gun has some real sentimental value with it and I have to now have just a paperweight.

 Any ideas before I take it to the gunsmith?

[cwuwildcat]

So you can get the rotory magazine loaded, but when you try to chamber a round, it will only go part way in?  Can you slide in a round with your hand?

[washelkhntr]

I can close it and move the action with no problems. rounds fit down into the mag and when you close it will load just fine, but then the round "hits a brick wall". I tired dropping one in by hand and it is the same thing, it just stops. I had a friend just bring over some empty 308 rounds, same damn thing. This is starting to frustrate me now.

[cwuwildcat]

Are you sure that the last round fired didn't have the head break off, leaving the upper part of the cartridge still in the chamber?  That would probably allow a brush to pass through, but not allow another round to chamber.

[FC]

^^^^^^^

[washelkhntr]

There is nothing in the breach or barrel. I'm gonna take it in to the gunsmith today and see what he says.

[quadrafire]

I shot my first deer with a Model 99 in .300 savage. I loved that gun, open sights and all. I had borrowed it from a neighbor when I was 11 yrs old. Later I bought an Rem 721 30-06 with money I made trapping muskrats and beaver.
I'm curious to hear what the problem is. Keep us posted.

[MikeWalking]

I'm wondering if it'll be a case of a grain or grains of dirt\sand getting pressed into the ID of the barell. Sometimes if you have a dirty round the grit can be pressured into the steel by firing and be left behind to stop the next round from going in...

[Sneaky]

could be  really really really fouled headspacing? My girlfriends dad had acquired a ruger m77 in .25-06 that would not accept a cartridge until he cleaned the headspacing with a really good solvent and got all the metal fouling out.

[Lowedog]

Sounds like a case neck stuck in the chamber.  That would be really hard to see on a lever rifle.  Keep us posted.

[washelkhntr]

Well I took it up to Kesslering's today, only to find out that they do not have a on site gunsmith anymore.    , but I did get a lead on another gunsmith in the area, so I gave him a call and am taking it in to him on Saturday.

[quadrafire]

So what is the verdict?

[C-Money]

Well???

[addicted]

(insert dramatic music)

[washelkhntr]

Well, I got a call from the gunsmith today. There is nothing stuck in the barrell. He asked for permission to completely disasemble the gun and start going through it with a fine tooth comb. He said he would call me as soon as he could figure it out.