Duane,

I appreciate your input. I am not sure that followers are available for the Arisaka, but I will look. Your pointer about "brass tracks" makes perfect sense! Would it be sensible to measure the width and angles on another rifle chambered to this case and figure the same for the Arisaka?

Thanks again!

The 6.5X50 Arisaka cartridge has about the same head diameter as the 6.5X54 Mannlicher round, whioch is a little smaller around than the 577 Mauser size. So if an action is set up properly to feed the Arisaka round, it might be a tad undersize to be reliable with the larger diameter case. It is somewhat analogous to the difference between a Mauser size and a belted magnum, although somewhat less so, but the magazine rails will probably need opening a very slight amount. I think that yopu do NOT need to change your =magazine follower! Besides, I am not aware of any such contraption (rimmed-case follower for an Arisaka) or for any other Mauser-type bolt action. The 6.5 Arisaka IS a SEMI-RIMMED case to begin with!

By looking at a rifle that has been altered to feed and that works you might be able to see the areas that differ from yours and it could help speed up the process. As for the follower- try a magnum follower if the "rim" is of a similar diameter. If a follower is "too small" for the diameter of the case it will either hold the case too tightly against the feed rail(this appears to be your problem), causing more friction then needed or it doesn't hold the case over against the rail at all and when you open the bolt all of the rounds just "pop" out. In your case a small alteration of the feed rails should do the trick- but,if taking some out doesn't help, before you remove TOO much, try a different follower.


www.duanesguns.com

There is just a hint of a rim on the 6.5X50 Arisaka. At first glance, it appears to be a rimless round. While there IS a the 6.5X57R case which has a rim, it is for combination and double guns, NOT for bolt-actions. The 6.5X57 is a plain old rimless Mauser case, just the same in head dimensions as the 7X57, 8X57, etc. etc. It is NOT a RIMMED case. Hence, any feeding problems come from some other cause!!

Duane/ Eldeguello,

Thanks for the advice, I know there are two different case types I am dealing with here- and I knew better than to type "rimless", obviously- semi-rimmed is correct. I am going to tackle this issue slowly and methodically between now and October, so I wanted a starting point or two. Definitely, my problem is narrow feed width, or it seems the rounds off the right rail are being pinched more than the ones coming off the left. The left ones 'almost' feed properly.

Incidentally, my first loads of H4895 with a 120gr. bullet gave me 3022 fps! The Sellor & Belloit FL (131 gr bullet) yield 2684 fps. My load may be questioned as being a bit warm, but case head expansion is .001" over new. Now to the work bench....

Thank you gentlemen!

mark

Fellas,

Okay, after some judicious filing, grinding, blending, and polishing, I have made progress. Currently, the rounds off the left rail feed okay. The rounds off the right rail continue to be pinched, EXCEPT for the last round, i.e. one remaining in the magazine, which comes off the right rail. It feeds nicely. IMHO, the rails are dressed sufficiently and I now have follower issues. Am I right? Also, I have been trying to induce a nicely radiused surface on the rail undersides. Does this matter? I looked at a Win. Model 70 which feeds flawlessly, and the rails look like hell...

As always your help is HUGELY appreciated.

mark

You need to do just a lttle more work on the right hand rail. When a single round feeds fine, but with more in the magazine it doesn't- it is the pressure causeing the problem and a "tight" fit would be multiplied by pressue. It sounds to me like you are using the proper approach and just a little more in the right place will solve your problem.


www.duanesguns.com

There is one thing that I find very helpful when trying to adjust the feeding and working on the rails. Always start with either the 2nd or 3rd round in the magazine box as the first one out. If you put three rounds in the mag and then check the feeding and do your alteration to the right rail until it feeds. Next do the same with the next one up, the 2nd round in the box. The last step is to work on the last one out of the box. If you have the rails adjusted to allow the previous rounds out of the box smoothly and the last one does not, it is obvious that the problem is the follower and it needs work. Don't go back to the rails, work on the follower.

Jim