I am working on a Winchester M70 push feed that stove pipes cartridges from the right side of the magazine. The head of the cartridge will pop completely up through the loading gate when cycling with snap caps or dummy rounds. The cartridge gets stuck with the bullet in the chamber and the case head sticking out.

It is a post-64 .375 H&H with new Williams follower, new Williams 2 pc floor plate and spring. Is my problem spring pressure or magazine box related ---- or something else?

quote:

Originally posted by NorthGaAire:
I am working on a Winchester M70 push feed that stove pipes cartridges from the right side of the magazine. The head of the cartridge will pop completely up through the loading gate when cycling with snap caps or dummy rounds. The cartridge gets stuck with the bullet in the chamber and the case head sticking out.

It is a post-64 .375 H&H with new Williams follower, new Williams 2 pc floor plate and spring. Is my problem spring pressure or magazine box related ---- or something else?

***If it was an older rifle, I would venture a guess that it's a spring pressure problem, but being a new setup I would say the follower is a tad tight at the rear and is catching.

I would venture a guess it is the wrong follower and possibly the wrong mag box if that came with the bottom metal. That Williams stuff is for "controlled round feed" not push feed. Get the original box and follower.

Had that problem with TWO detachable mags (.280 Rem BDL DM). Had to Kwik Klip mine -- nothing else worked.

a follower and wolf +spring are cheap from brownells.

I am using the original box with the new floor plate and trigger guard. I will put in the old follower with riveted spring and check.

Thanks.

So I switch back to the original follower and spring. Rounds from the right side of the magazine to not pop up consistently for the bolt to catch the case head on the forward stroke.

If I load he magazine with 3 rounds (top round on the Right, 2nd down on the Left, 3rd down on the Right), slide a round in the chamber and close the bolt holding down the top round in the mag and cycle the action, the round in the chamber is ejected and the nose of the next round pops up(causing the case head to be lower) and the round will not feed into the chamber on the forward stroke of the bolt.

Suggestions??

In your area (SE U.S.) there are a lot of competent gunsmiths. Rather than waste time playing "By guess & by golly" I recommend you take it or send it to one of them.

He'll give you a perceived cause and a cost estimate for repair.

If the cost is more than the rifle is worth spending that much on, sell it and buy something that you have used dummy rounds in to make sure it functions correctly.