It's an M70 SS Classic, rebarreled to .338Win Mag after being opened up from what was originally a .375H&H to a .375 Imp 40deg.

The feed rails measure .600 wide at the rear, .650 wide at the front. The rifle bobbled the Imp rounds (plus it really was too much gun for me) and does the same with the .338.

You can see it burps cartridges from both sides, often catching the empty if the next cartridge is coming from the right side.

Any arrows to a solution would be greatly apprectiated!

Thanks,

PWS

I suspect someone opened the rails incorrectly in order to get betterfeeding of the Improved round.

If this is the case......you just might have a single shot on your hands.

Without having it here to look at, I would first make sure it has the right follower installed. If the rails are screwed up, you can sometimes alter a follower to apply those forces necessary to keep the rounds firmly against the sides of the magazine box. Can't know without looking at it.

Vapo,

I'm afraid you're right. The rails don't look altered but that doesn't mean they aren't. I was hoping somebody would measure an unmodified .375 M70 to confirm they aren't factory.

Malm,

You probably can't tell enough about the follower from a picture right?

My workhorse might be due for a visit to the vet!


PWS

quote:

Originally posted by PWS:
Vapo,

I'm afraid you're right. The rails don't look altered but that doesn't mean they aren't. I was hoping somebody would measure an unmodified .375 M70 to confirm they aren't factory.

Malm,

You probably can't tell enough about the follower from a picture right?

My workhorse might be due for a visit to the vet!


PWS

Pictures don't tell much. Remind you Vet of his oath, "First, DO NO HARM"

I just measured between rails on my classic 338 mag
front is .650
rear is .600

if that helps you.

I converted this to feed 375 H&H but didn't touch the rails.....it's the way it came from Winchester.

Thanks Vapo.

That helps some. I didn't think the rails looked modified because there's still a few tell-tale little burrs that look an awful lot like original manufacuter. So far, like Malm says, "no harm done".

I'm going to send the ol' Meat Gun to Malm and have him take a look professional look at it. I'm trying to get rid of my MRC .450 Ackley and need a reliable companion for the fuzzywuzzys in the neighborhood.

As an aside, in case anyone is wondering, the .375Imp was too much gun because it was ostensibly my "long range" thumper. After about 300 rounds, I realized it was a bit much to be applying "long range". The .450 was set up as an iron sighted, foul weather, rock 'em, sock 'em, (both ends) CQB rig.

Thanks Guys!

PWS

In the top picture, there is controlled feed, and yet the top cartridge is not captured by the bolt face and extractor.

So the next cartridge is free to push up high enough to obstruct the bolt.

The extractor looks like it is short enough to push over the rim.

The 2nd cartridge could be pushed down with the thumb, while the other hand pushes the bolt forward and chambers the top round.

The bolt then holds down the now top cartridge in the magazine.

When the unfired cartridge extracted, the next round should stay down until the ejection.

The second pic makes it look like that didn't happen.
Is the ejector long enough?
Are you pulling the bolt back fast enough?

swap out the follower & compare the results.

Tnekkcc,

The photos are simulations of what happens. If the next cartridge is coming from the left side, occasionally, it will pop up out of the magazine when the bolt is brought rearward to ejection, thus binding as the next cartridge below (from the right) is picked up by the bolt moving forward. Technically, I should have staged the upper cartridge more to the rear for the photo but the effect is the same, a loose round in the way.

The second photo took a bit to stage but that's the way it occasionally ends up if the next round is coming from the right. The next round pops out of the magazine and interferes with the ejection of the empty case, sometime pinning it under the left bolt race. Perhaps the extractor is a bit loose also, as it allows the round below to knock the empty off the bolt face?

In neither case should the rounds be popping out of the magazine until pushed out by the bolt. The faster I slap the bolt back, the more often the rounds pop.

I will say it reliably feeds the first and last rounds though! (the one I feed and the one retained by the follower)

DHumbarger,

I tried a follower and spring from a .458 M70 but it made no difference. As far as getting other followers, I live remote in Alaska and logistics are pretty slow so any mistake on my part is at least four week's turnaround (at best). It's worth it to send it out once, pay shipping for a round-trip to a 'smith who knows what to look for and what to do about it, and has on-hand access to tools and supplies if something more than changing a part needs to be done.

I do appreciate the advice.

PWS