Just received rifle back from the smith for practice. I'm having an issue with the feed. With 3 in the magazine, the top cartridge fails to feed about 30% of the time. Front of the cartridge will pop up, lowering the rear. Bolt slides over the top. Slow or fast , same failure rate. This cartridge is feeding from the right. With only one or two in the magazine, no issues at all. Only problem is when magazine is full. Any ideas? I have another follower on the way, and have tried different springs. Thanks

I'd take it up with the guy you paid to work on the gun.

Converting a Model 70 to 458 LOTT is a real pain. The issues you are having are very common. I built a Lott recently and still don't have the feeding perfect. I looked at factory Model 70 Lotts and their magazine box is totally different than standard magnum, it is much narrower. I also noticed the rails are much narrower, about the same as an 06 based action. Well the magnum action is too wide and the cartridge pops out of the front of the action from the left side. Most other Lotts I have looked at (custom) had magazine boxes with big cut outs to allow cartridge to move under the rails to help capture it better. I will NEVER build another Lott. I also we not let a PH have this one until it is perfect in feeding.
I'd send your gun back to who built it and demand that feeding be fixed or return your money.
If someone knows an easy way to make one of these guns feed I'd love to hear how to do it.

Sam

I converted a M70 Classic SS from 7 Rem. Mag. to 458 Lott, for a good customer, and I have to say getting this rifle to feed was one of the most time consuming ordeals that I have ever experienced. I thought I was going to wear out the action screws taking it out of and returning it to the stock. Careful stoning of the feed rails was the ticket but, as we all know, "it's easy to remove material, but a bitch to replace it".

Thanks for the input guys. The smith that is working on the conversion knows that the gun is not feeding correctly. I haven't paid him anything on it yet. I just wanted to start running some rounds through it , so I absconded it for the weekend. He is not sure what is causing the problem, however. I thought I might pickup some ideas from you guys. Time is drawing near for a safari this fall. I have the identical rifle in 375 that I have been practicing with.

It is the new South Carolina made Safari Express. Original cal. 458WM He has replaced the box with a Wyatts extended. Also installed a different ejector and a modified bolt stop. I'm not sure of the modifications that he has made to the ramp or rails, so I won't speak to that. Danny Pederson in Prescott, AZ did the rechamber work.

I appreciate the good info. Thanks

I re-chambered a South Carolina Safari Express from a 458 Win to a 458 Lott. Other than the bolt stop, ejector the gun has fed with no problems.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
If we're talking about the "classic", I modified the entire action back to a pre 64 style...threw away the old magazine box, made a new one to properly fit the ctg, then did rail work.

gunsmiths had nothing to do with the so called classic...it was an entire bean counter effort

I thought David Miller was involved?