So, let's talk about the REAL reasons there are feeding/cycling issues....
Largely, it's the 1) perpetuation of bad information, which is the greater of all offenses, 2) the failure of manufacturers to properly execute in the design phase, and 3) the "I want to carelessly load my magazine," mentality. So, let's start at the end of these things and work our way forward.
3) The, "I want to carelessly load my magazine" mentality. This is actually an easier one to resolve as depicted by
@DownhillFromHere . It's an innocent misconception brought about by various mental components, but the best I can tell, it's largely perpetuated by reason number one. Also, one should see the look I get when I ask, "well, what else about handling your firearm are you currently careless about, or what else do you believe you can be or should be careless about?" That question is a wake up call and quickly resolves magazine loading issues.
2) This next one is a challenge and I won't hit it very hard because there's truly a lot of good stuff out there that interfaces with true-to-scale rimfire platforms. Also, not everyone's design intent is the same, and I don't claim to know all the reasons why one way of why something was done versus doing whatever it is, differently, so I won't speak with conviction about what I have no insight to.
What I do know though, when it comes to certain pieces of critical information, related specifically to AICS magazine and mag well dimensions and location, I personally offered up the actual Accuracy International print information to many chassis makers. I've spoken to this before, so I won't get into it again here, but there are no chassis systems and/or DBMs that are dimensioned the same and magazine fitment is all over the map. The ones I've measured are, well, not good.
This is the single reason we have adjustable things we don't need. And what's worse is, at best, if there's an adjustment procedure provided, it's highly ambiguous, mostly because key dimensions pertaining to proper adjustment are unknown without the proper foundational information.
3) Now the doozy....and a few people are going to be upset about what I'm about to say, but I can't really feel myself caring much about that at all.
A lot of the perpetuation of bad information came from Vudoo Gun Works. Can't feed Eley ammo? Here's a follower we held to a belt sander by hand. At this point, one can refer to #2 above. Light strikes with Eley? "Oh yeah, Mike, we lowered barrel torque to 70 foot pounds because the barrels spin in the vise." They had no way to comprehend that my barrel torque spec was part of the headspace equation to ensure that it didn't matter if Lapua or Eley was in the chamber.
How about mag fitment issues and how to adjust them properly? Just watch Greg Romans video where he says it's "okay if the magazine tilts forward, but if you load against a bag, you'll have a misfeed." Wouldn't this make it not okay if it tilts forward? Again, see #2 above.
Perpetuation of bad information from those not positioned to have a clue what they're saying is the cancerous source of the issues you guys have dealt with and the fact that the issues can be read in every corner of the internet proves how effective todays communications media are. I've been quiet about it until now.
So, my advice is to question the information first while always demanding a higher standard when it comes to everything else. And when you see those guys struggling with rim lock or other such very simple things; help them, it's how we police our own and how we take responsibility for this community. After that, the posers are obvious.
MB
www.phoenixbarrels.com
www.vudoogunworks.com
www.snipershide.com
