Savage bolts

[270man]

Numerous posts on Savage centerfire rifles seem to indicate that Savage offers good value for the money -- at least on some of its models. I've never owned a Savage CF rifle but rimfires I owned years ago were very good (i.e., accurate and reliable).

One thing that concerns me is how the Savage bolt is constructed in its CF rifles. Several years ago, I experienced a misfire in moderately cold weather with a Winchester Model 70. Couldn't remember if the bolt had been cleaned. From that point on, I always clean my bolts before any big game hunt. The Model 70 bolts are super easy to disassemble and clean. Remington Model 700s are more difficult but a special tool I bought from Brownells makes it simple.

A few years ago, I helped a friend buy a Savage M110 in 270Win and offered to thoroughly clean the rifle for him. It went well -- except for the bolt. I couldn't see any easy way to break it down for interior cleaning. The book "Bolt Action Rifles" by Frank deHaas describes the process and it isn't something I feel comfortable doing. Two solutions are to have it cleaned by a gunsmith or just hope that gunk doesn't eventually accumulate and cause a misfire.

Am I missing something here? Is disassembly and cleaning easier than I think it is? Can the Savage bolt be effectively cleaned without disassembly? If it is a problem, is this a good reason to choose a Win M70 or Rem M700 over Savage (and what about Ruger M77?)? I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

270man