Fellas:

I suppose I could ask this question of a reputable gunsmith or two who lurks on this site, but I assume they are too busy building rifles to answer my learning questions.

I have searched a bit here and I have read lots of posts that touch on the "Must" requirement for a reliably feeding rifle (especially in a DG situation), but I am interested in the exact "What's" and "How's" of the issue. So, what does a top-flight 'smith do to a rifle (take your pick, M70 or other Mauser-type) to make it feed reliably?

Are there particular steps taken regardless of the make of the rifle? Particular items replaced? Other? Finally, what makes one 'smith's work better than another when it comes to particular steps?

Thanks.

I am certainly not a smith, but I think if you take a look at the Mauser 98 Military Rifle and the Springfield 1903 military Rifle and study those two rifles you will see what makes a rifle feed well.

Those two Rifles were made to stand up in any kind of weather and any kind of condition to the most dangerous game of all, a guy shooting back at you!!!! They had to work all the time, every time.

So, if you measure the cases for the cartridges they were made for, and then measure the openings in the underside of their receivers, and the curvatures where the feeding takes place, and the length and width of their magazine boxes, and the exact shape of their followers, you can get an idea of the various
relationships between cartridge and rifle that make for reliable feeding.

Once you get an idea of those relationships you can start to get an idea of how they need to change when you change the size of the cartridge or some other variable when making a DG rifle.

I think I've said it before, but feeding problems cannot be some sort of an overall statement or drawing. This is an art...not a science. I've made ammo feed like grease, then the customer will come up with some new bullet shape (like a beer can) and guess what? the damn thing won't feed without another half day's attention...If made to feed with the longest, heaviest, bluntest nosed bullets available, it will amost damn sure feed all others

I think the secret is in the position of the top round in the magazine. In that it should either be, or start to become as it is pushed forward by the bolt, in a position where it is virtually in line with the chamber waiting to receive it.

So the second element is good contact with the face of the bolt and the cartridge as it is "picked up" from the magazine. That depends also on how rigid the bolt is in the rear receiver ring.

The next element is the ramp in the receiver where it abuts or surrounds the back of the barrel.

The Lee Enfield, provided you loaded the rounds correctly, always was a very efficient feeding rifle. But, like the military Mauser, was also capable of feeding the four styles and shapes of bullets that were used in it during its service life.

Lastly the shape of the chamber itself and the cartridge are of least relevance. As any shape chamber will feed well on a single shot rifle! So I think that the key is having the components of position in magazine, carry of the round by the bolt, and the feed ramp so constructed as to actually present the round to the chamber AS IF IT WERE BEING FED IN LIKE A SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. In other words as much in line and on axis with the chamber as possible.

The longer the cartridge the more critical this is. Modern cartridges 308 or short cartridges 303 are easier to get to feed than longer cartridges. 270 is a pain in the backside if the rifle isn't right to start with!

Mr. Weibe is correct, a rifle that feeds to perfection with one bullet & OAL might/will sometimes not feed worth a crap eith a different bullet or OAL. I have had actions that would feed an AI type cartridge without a hitch and the next action of the same type makes you want to pull out your hair. Even with a 700 Rem sometimes a different magazine box, follower, or spring can make the difference between jams and proper feeding.
Enfieldspares started the list of potential causes and the list only goes on and on.
Ithink as well as an art, sometimes a little divine intervention helps(at least in my case).

www.duanesguns.com

What makes a rifle feed reliably ?

Experience, Time and $$$$.

Mr. Wiebe should not talk about his customers like that! Doesn't everyone want to shoot Sledgehammer solids (beer cans) in a Mauser chambered for 416 Remington? Of course, since he got my Wiebe rifle to cycle the beer cans (without fail), it will now handle any bullet I choose to feed it, whether the rifle is upright, upside down or sideways. I found that comforting when I was up close and personal with three different buffs.

Great job, Duane!

JTurk

JTurk

Why don't you show us a good close up photo of that Wiebe rifle of yours that feeds so good.

I can take the photos, but do not know how to post them--I am computer-challenged and too stubborn to learn how to do it.