Savage A17 feeding issue

S

Smackerquacker

Member
I searched and nothing came up in the forums. I have an A17 and it seems to struggle with picking up the next round out of the magazine for the first 2 or 3 shots. Then it runs fine. There is some wear on the top of the magazine so it appears the bolt is dragging across the top of the magazine. I would think if it is dragging that it would never work but the last five in mag have cycled flawless. I cleaned it then ran about 100 rounds through it then I disassembled and cleaned and maybe ran 50 rounds through it and almost every mag failed to strip the 2 or 3 round. Is it short stroking? Too much pressure from the next round until a couple are gone? Mainly using A17 ammo. I have tried some others with no more or less success. Gun shoots pretty well and besides for this issue I'm happy with it.
 
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i'm going to give a knee jerk reaction and say its probably a magazine issue.


have you tried contacting savage about it?

if i were in your shoes that'd be my next step along with sending them pics of the magazine, specifically the wear on the feed lips.
 
you are experiencing the reason there are just a few Semi auto loading rifles in .17 caliber. There is a fine line between the power required to unlock the bolt and rack back the bolt to load another round and spring tension needed to return the bolt into battery and lock it in. the A17 uses a delayed blow back system and yours may be out of time, or experiencing a magazine issue. It has to be a well balanced system to operate properly. Most manufactures gave up trying to develop a .17 auto loader for these reasons.
 
Try a brand new clip and see if it fixes it. I've got an A17 and it did almost the exact same thing with the original clip as yours is doing. Would randomly hang up and not feed right at least 1 or 2 bullets per clip. Swapped out a new clip and have run around 200 shots through it without a single jam since. And that's with the regular 17hmr hornady ammo and not the A17 ammo too.
 
After I wrote this I started thinking that a magazine issue would seem to be the most likely culprit. I will contact Savage and update everyone on what they say. I would agree with the timing except that it will run the last seven as fast as you can pull the trigger. Always happens with the 2nd and 3rd shot. 4-10 usually no issues.
 
Ok I have one of these and know exactly what your issue is: magazine is worn out. During a sage rat shoot I had 5 mags with me, and went through something like 2k rounds in 2 days. One by one the mags started doing exactly as you describe; they would feed 7 rounds, then 5 rounds, then finally they were done. Savage will exchange the original mag for free but want the old one back. It's a great rifle and very accurate but plan on going through a mag every brick of ammo.
 
Jeepers, the hits just keep on coming with the A17.

Guys, I really, really want one of these, but I've been in a holding pattern since about the week after they were introduced as issue after issue cropped up. Mags wouldn't stay in, jamming, now feeding issues.

Be honest with me. Is the A17 still on the no fly list with lots of issues? I really want to work one up for next spring's varmint trip, but I don't need the headache of a poorly functioning rifle that has to be shipped back and forth for repairs.

Grouse
 
my big gripe about my a17 was the stock. ordered a boyd's and fixed that. there was nothing wrong with it other than it was uncomfortable for me.

other than that, it shoots like a 17hmr and has fed everything i've put through it. accuracy is on par with my 93r17.

my mag is a little tight going into the boyd's stock, but nothing that makes it a functionality problem and it releases no issues at all.


the one good takeaway is - its a savage ... their CS department is very responsive. I've dealt with them in the past with my 93r - i was having issues with an aftermarket stock and they went over the top to help me get the parts i needed to it sorted out ... and it wasnt even THEIR stock.




i agree with the OP - compared to what we're spoiled with for rotary mags from ruger, the mag itself does seem a bit chincy. but for me its still very functional.
 
I have an A-22 and while the locking bolt delay thing sure seems like a good design, you have to remember that the rest of the rifle is typical Savage..."cost effective" is about as nice a way to say it as I know. Mine never had any trouble with failure to feed. What it did have trouble with is failure to fire, as in hit the rim hard enough to set off the round. I took it all apart and cleaned everything, oiled it up and tried again...that seems to have done it.
The other problem was the magazine not staying locked in place very well. You really have to slap on it to get it to stay stuck in the gun. Even when you have it as locked up in the gun as it gets a slight touch almost anywhere on the magazines bottom and it will quickly self eject. A quick look at the magazine shows right away the reason why...a really cheesy thin plastic latch that could have so easily been designed better.
This is the kind of design/workmanship that makes me wonder how or why Savage hasn't folded yet and how/why there are still people out there that really are sold on them. I have bought two Savage guns in my lifetime and this will positively be the last.
The rifle really hasn't left me with any reason to keep it, it is not accurate, shoots 3-4 inch groups all day long at 100 yards. It does not have a very good trigger, even when you adjust it "all the way down" to 6 pounds. The mag drops out if you look at it wrong and now I am hearing that a magazine is worn out after a case of ammo????
 
Yeah they got close to a great gun imo but would have been better with a Ruger mag lol. Locking the mags in is a pita also, you have to insert the mag with the bolt open, click it in place and push the locking tab forward with your thumb.

Even so, I'll be keeping mine. Unless someone wants to make me a heck of a deal on an Alexander Arms 17hmr upper. That's what I originally wanted but they couldn't produce one by the time of my trip so I had to cancel.
 
Savage sent a new mag and I only had time for one quick full mag dump and it ran perfect. I haven't been able to shoot 100yds yet but 50yd shots are touching. My mag goes in snug and I haven't had it drop out yet but I do insert with bolt open. If this mag fixes it I will be very happy with it.
 
I have an A17, and after hearing all of the internet complaints about them, I have to say that I am 100% satisfied with it. The SOLE issue I've had was rare failures to pick up a round from the magazine, which was very easily fixed with a bit of judicious tinkering and some common sense. Accuracy is quite acceptable. I've never had the magazine "self eject", not even once. No light FP strikes, scope bases straight, simply nothing wrong with the rifle. I must be a lucky SOB.
 
Besides the mag popping out, which could be caused by user error, the trigger is the biggest [beeep] I hear about the A17 but a little stoning and polishing helped mine significantly.

Don't forget Butler Creek makes 25rnd magazines for the A17. I have a couple of them but I've yet to actually give them a go. Mine is a HB Laminated stock version.
 
my only gripe about the trigger is the excessively long lawyerly trigger pull. as it being my first experience with the savage accutrigger, i can say i'm not a fan at all from that respect.

having an XD-40 i figured the 'blade style' trigger on it would be an easy transition. not so much.


i have a hard time feeling the reset point so super quick followups are not nearly as easy as my other semi-autos, but i find i can still put enough lead down range to be effective. It may be a skill that comes with time, but i've only got about 200 rds down the pipe on it so far.

just like my cabbage 93, the accuracy is based on ammo lot number. Some lots are great, the rest suck like no other.
 
Originally Posted By: SmackerquackerHickerx2 please share what you did to get the mag to feed more reliably.
I opened up the feed lips about .010 to allow more of the rim of the cartridge to present to the pickup foot on the bottom of the bolt. You have to be careful because you could ruin the magazine if you go to far but that solved the issue totally for me.
 
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