Savage B.mag 17wsm issues

[Lost Californian]

I bought this back in 2021, and have been underwhelmed with the performance since I bought it. I got a Boyd's AT-one stock for it. No good groups, ever. Then ammo became hard to find, especially the 25gr rounds (unobtanium). So I left it in the safe. Last time I got it out to shoot, with one box of 20gr, and some 15gr rounds, it was making more 'patterns' than 'groups'. Ticked me off, life was overall was difficult, so once again back to the safe it went.

I started wanting to shoot it again, but ammo is still scarce, and it is not accurate, so I thought I would pick up a Savage B17, in 17hmr. Started looking, and wow, price has really gone up. Hmm, I thinks, maybe I should look at the B.mag again, see if there is something easy noticeable and easy to fix. Boyhowdy, was there.

Took the stock off, and first thing I noticed was the front mounting stud was finger tight, just a flopping around. Then in just holding the receiver and barrel, the barrel twisted in my hand. What the heck? Started taking pictures.



The red line points out the front magazine holder. The stud holding it is for the stock mount AND 3rd set screw for barrel.



These two just show barrel rotation. Only took slight finger grip to rotate. It moved a lot. The set screw in the receiver is one of the other two for the barrel. I removed the set screws. Broke 2 hex keys getting one out. No sign of loctite anywhere, just a hard job with tiny wrench.



Barrel is threaded in. Threads are a little bit buggered from being loose, but not an issue. Cleaned everything up, and started reassembly. I don't have a headspace gauge for 17wsm, so I screwed the barrel all the way in, dropped in a round, and tried to close the bolt. Back out the barrel until the bolt closed snugly. Put one set screw in, and then the 2nd set screw stripped the hex head about halfway in. Many bad words. Managed to drill the set screw and get it out. Now to find a replacement. No joy from 3 gun shops, or any of the big box "hardware" stores in town. Root thru the spare gun parts drawer, and found one correct size and pitch with an old sight set. Start putting it in, and the dadgum quarter inch drive hex bit snaps off in the screw head. Too deep to grab with anything. Many MANY more bad words.

I abandoned everything on the workbench. Decide to go for a motorcycle ride to clear the head. That's when the rain got here. So I yelled at the dogs and pouted on the couch.

Probably going to take it to a proper gunsmith, get the set screw out(again), and see if he can clean up the threads for the set screws. Good chance I will just strip the scope off, drop the dang thing in the back of the safe, and go buy a Savage B17 precision rifle. At least I can get ammo for 17hmr!

 

[Squirt239]

I worked on one of these for a buddy of mine from high school.

I made an aluminum block to replace that plastic magazine catch housing/stock bolt area.

It became a tack driver.

I also chased the threads in the receiver and on the barrel....don't know if that had any bearing on things, but it did take "some" metal off.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Squirt239]

 

[patience0830]

Send that back to Savage and make 'em fix their screw up. They're probably used to it by now.

 

[Basher]

I’ve seen several of these B-Mags pop up for sale at what appear to be pretty good prices, often with a boatload of ammo for them as well. Why? Owners can’t get them to shoot lol. Several people have done extensive work on them and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Most though just send them back to Savage for a replacement, which also only sometimes shoots.

Many, many moons ago I would recommend Savage as an entry-level rifle to people. Often their higher-quality centerfire stuff will actually shoot very well, once you basically tear the rifle apart and put it back together properly with good torque values on the fasteners. They’re just sloppily made anymore. Now I mostly steer people towards a Howa if they’re on a budget.

Don’t buy the B17. Save up and get a CZ 457 or a Tikka T1X. You’ll thank me later.

 

[mmpsteve]

...

Don’t buy the B17. Save up and get a CZ 457 or a Tikka T1X. You’ll thank me later.

I'd pay good $$ for an accurate CZ in 17 WSM. Too bad they never offered one, as it might have helped jumpstart the 17 WSM. The most inept launching of a new round that I've ever seen. I still have probably 500 rounds that I bought in anticipation of someone bringing out a decent rifle for it. Very sad.

As it is, I settled for a CZ 527 in 17 Hornet. 20 grains at 3600 fps. Fun little round.

.

 

[Basher]

I'd pay good $$ for an accurate CZ in 17 WSM. Too bad they never offered one, as it might have helped jumpstart the 17 WSM. The most inept launching of a new round that I've ever seen. I still have probably 500 rounds that I bought in anticipation of someone bringing out a decent rifle for it. Very sad.

As it is, I settled for a CZ 527 in 17 Hornet. 20 grains at 3600 fps. Fun little round.

.

I’m right there with you! You can get Rim-X barrels in .17WSM, but those are SPENDY rifles for how sporadic and unreliable the ammo production for that round is!

The problem with the 527 is how hard they are to find in .17HH, and how expensive they generally are when you do. And the ammo is something like $1.10 or so per shot, last I checked. Reloading will save you a ton, but the brass is also tough to find. Such is the nature of niche rounds, though!

 

[rugertoter]

Is it the rifle or the round? Maybe there is just too much powder behind that small of a bullet?

 

[Creedmoor]

I'd pay good $$ for an accurate CZ in 17 WSM. Too bad they never offered one, as it might have helped jumpstart the 17 WSM. The most inept launching of a new round that I've ever seen. I still have probably 500 rounds that I bought in anticipation of someone bringing out a decent rifle for it. Very sad.

As it is, I settled for a CZ 527 in 17 Hornet. 20 grains at 3600 fps. Fun little round.

.

How well does it shoot with new ammo, and with reloads?
17/22 Hornets have always been a tough cartridge for most manufacturers to get to shoot really well.

 

[yetti462]

I must've gotten lucky, my bmag is a tack driver. Let us know if it shoots for you after tightening loose ends up

 

[Basher]

Is it the rifle or the round? Maybe there is just too much powder behind that small of a bullet?

Bah-humbug lol. There are numerous other .17s that are severely overbored compared to the little ol’ .17WSM and they shoot just fine.

 

[mmpsteve]

I must've gotten lucky, my bmag is a tack driver. Let us know if it shoots for you after tightening loose ends up

That's the thing about the bmag's - some shoot great, and others less than good. Which made me hesitate to get one. I just havn't got back to it again. At some point I'll probably try one because it should be a cool little round. I believe the only other affordable option (relatively), was the Ruger 77/17, and they only made it with a long, heavy barrel which I didn't want.

To the OP: I too wish you the best in your efforts.

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[mmpsteve]

Is it the rifle or the round? Maybe there is just too much powder behind that small of a bullet?

I recall there were some initial ammo problems during the first releases, but I havn't kept up with it to know if it got sorted out. Apparently, some of it must be good if some people are getting good results.

.

 

[mmpsteve]

How well does it shoot with new ammo, and with reloads?
17/22 Hornets have always been a tough cartridge for most manufacturers to get to shoot really well.

I've only ever shot factory ammo in the 17 and 22 Hornets, and I never shot for groups yet. I dialed it in close, across the pond at 100 yards, then proceeded to take out several varmints around the pond with both, over the course of a couple years. Mostly they sit in the safe.

Hope to shoot them more after I'm done with this nuisance they call work!

.

 

[Lost Californian]

Yesterday my friend helped with the rifle, and he got the bit tip and set screw drilled out. I don't know what kind of drill bit he used. First two wouldn't make a mark on it, last one bit in good. Could not get the screw extractor to seat deep enough because the barrel was still in place. Managed to get the barrel unscrewed with minimal roughing up of the threads. He had the right size tap to clean up the set screw hole, but not the right size screw.

Now I need to get an 18mm X 22 die to clean up the barrel threads, and a M4 x .75 x 5mm set screw, and I can put the dang thing back together. With the new Bergara on the way, this project is taking a back seat, and I will get to it sometime.