Manual’s Method Actually Works

I’m sure no one who reads this blog will care about this, but I’m blogging it anyway. If you have a Savage A22 rifle, and you can’t get the dust cover back on, I am here to help.

I had this problem. I took the dust cover off my gun, and when I tried to put it back on, I had lots of problems. It didn’t seem to want to go back on. I finally managed.

I must have done something wrong, because the last time I shot the gun, the dust cover came off and hit me in the face. I called Savage, and they sent me a new one. To the wrong address. But still. They backed up their product.

Today I decided to put the new dust cover on the gun, and I had problems again. I felt sure it couldn’t be done. I thought maybe the stock was interfering with it. Maybe it needed to be relieved with a Dremel tool.

It turns out you do it exactly the way the manual says to, but you have to apply a huge amount of downward pressure. The little grey cap on the end of the recoil spring has to snap upward into the cavity inside the dust cover. There is no other way to get it in there.

Squeeze like crazy, and the dust cover will go back in. You have to apply so much pressure, I wonder if female Savage owners are able to pull it off. You will think you’re breaking it.

If you came here after Googling “How to get Savage A22 dust cover back on,” you now have your answer.