Well, i have finally got my 500AR project up to the stage of sorting out feeding and mag box.

Doner action used was an R.Famage Mauser 98, formerly chambered and fed with 30-06.

Plan is simply to just go with a 2 down mag box, not going to worry about any other bells and whistles right now.

At present i have the standard 30-06 floor plate and mag box, the none hinged ex mil type.

Problem i am having is i can easily get two 500AR rounds in the standard box (no mods done yet), but when the bolt is slid over the top of them and then cycled back, number 2 round just pops up out of there (seems as though there is not enough feed lip to hold it down), round 1 stays put.

Now i know the standard box is not ideal as far as width goes (by using the formula to work it out) but am i going to be able to use it for my application or due to number 2 popping out am i going to have to mill the bottom rails a little wider and build a new wider box and follower?

Paz

P.S. read Duane's excellent thread on feeding so i think i will have that covered once i get this sorted.

the shoulder angle along the rails is wrong ...

i will try and find Jim's article, which is sitting on my website

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
the shoulder angle along the rails is wrong ...

i will try and find Jim's article, which is sitting on my website

Jeffe, i actually already have that(pretty sure it is the same one, the Enfield and box mag article), Con sent it to me .

Is actually one of the reasons i posted up, i started thinking about that article before i started to hack into the action/feed rails, i thought hang on, better make sure before there is no return.

Looks like i am going to have to break my new mill in then .

If i need to do that i might as well do a better box set-up to i guess.

Paz

You're really pissin in the wind to try and use the old box

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe:
You're really pissin in the wind to try and use the old box

Thanks Duane, exactly what i needed to know .

So, looks like a new box coming up and some mods to the action is needed.

Thanks gents.
Paz

What do ya'll think about the "cosine law", specifically, Do you really need to match the exact WIDTH of the stack or just the TAPER?

I've got a hunch that making the ID of the box match the width with fat cases can make feeding that much more difficult as the cases stack further and further from centerline. As long as the taper of the box matches the taper of the stack, making the box narrower actually helps line up the rounds better. There is a point where the rounds are too close to centerline and won't stay down but the happy medium between full width and too narrow is a better setup.


Paz, I'm watchin' this closely as a staggerfeed .500AccRel on a Ruger is something I'm schemein' on. Hope you nail it!

PWS, from reading the article that Jeffe refers to you can narrow the box, just have to decrease the front of the box the same amount as the rear of the box.

Shoot Shortandfat from this forum a pm, he has a 500AccRel built on a Ruger action with stagger fed mag, so not impossible.

Paz

Spent a weekend playing with the project.

I have cut and welded the magazine so it will end up not being ideal width(to wide for action), but a narrow stack, i have gotten front and rear of mag the correct size for the new fat case.

Question, now i have widened the mag box i must take more out of the bottom of the action obviously to let the case sit under the feed rails and hold them down, I am going to need to take out a reasonable amount of material at the front, but the rails will not be any smaller/thinner then the rear already is, dose this pose a problem or it's all normal?

Going very slowly with this cause i can't add it once i take it.

Thanks
Paz

If you're uncomfortable with widening the rails yourself...(good judgement here) you might want to contact Gorden Cousens in Tasmania or Roger Vardy in Victoria...the last 10% will make it work or muck it up beyond repair.

Not uncomfortable Duane, just cautiously taking my time .

Widened the follower last night to suit the new wider box mag, only bubberized it for now until i make a complete new one, seemed to make a hell of a difference.

Will go slow tonight and widen the bottom of the rails to suit the mag box.

Paz

Good luck Paz -- go slow, remove a little at a time,... between Jim and Duane's advice on feeding, you'll get there!

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Good luck Paz -- go slow, remove a little at a time,... between Jim and Duane's advice on feeding, you'll get there!

Jeffe, think i have just about got it sorted last night, well the problem of the top round popping out anyway, little more fiddling then i will finish the feeding.

The amount of times i have taken a little out then reassembled i couldn't count, probably doing it in my sleep too .

The advice i have gotten so far is invaluable, thankyou again to those that have chimed in .

Paz