Gunsmithing 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

[bluegrasspicker]

Hi,

If there are four rounds in the magazine of my Savage 10, and the bolt is closed, the first round won't feed. The bolt's just not catching the brass as it closes. If I push down ever-so-slightly on the bullet-side of the round, it will be angled correctly and feed.

I tried tweaking the spring until it no longer fed anything. Now I have a new spring :^)

It looks like if I bent the left forward tip of the magazine side metal it would hold the round correctly to feed, but I wanted to pick your brains before I commenced butchering.

It serves fine as a three shot magazine, but I'd like for it to hold all four if the fix is easy.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Halfnutz]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Curious here too, as to what kind of suggestions come up, if any past bending the lips on the mag.

Is yours in-line or staggered feed.

Mine is staggered and I sometimes have a failure to feed but it is with the second round if fully loaded w/5 rounds. Slight presure on the front of the cartridge will roll the case rim up enough to get it to catch.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Halfnutz,

Sounds like almost the same problem that I'm having. My magazine is staggered. My 'problem round' is on the left. Which side is yours on?

I'm heading out to the barn to get the little plyers to give the magazine an attitude adjustment. I'll let you know how it turns out....

Bob

PS: I hope your nutz heal up.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Well, my gentle massaging with the plyers didn't help. The sides of the magazine are made out of some springy metal!

I also tried putting a shim between the left side of the magazine and the stock. It helped make the problem round more reliabe (but not 100%), but rendered a different one (one that is staggered on the right) less reliable.

I might try putting a shim under the magazine spring to increase the force of the spring in pushing up the ammo. The problem is that it looks like I only need to increase the force on the rear of the round, not the front.

I am NOT going to try rebending the magazine spring. It's tempting, but I remember what happened last time.

Needless to say, I'm still open to any insight that those in the know would want to offer.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Halfnutz]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Mine hangs up on the left side also (I'm referring to the rifle). I shot over 50 rds this morning with only 1 FTF(feed).
I find that if I pay slightly more attention to loading, and keep the rounds pushed toward the back, I have no problems. When shooting and loading from the prone position I have a tendency to get a little sloppy when inserting the rounds.

P.S. Been healed up for about three years now.

 

[Halfnutz]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Another thing, Leaf type spring or coil? My .308 is leaf my 22-250 is coil. The .308 is the one the hangs up.
Make sure you have the follower in the right way. I only mention it because my first round feeds from the right. the "hump" on my follower is on the left side on both rifles.

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

strange. my factory 4 round feeds without issue. i havent fired it but i have made up dummy rounds from several different brands of brass that i have for reloading. is this a new issue or did it happen out of the box?

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

It's a leaf spring. I didn't know that Savage made a coil spring, I might try that later.

Thanks for the heads up on the follower orientation. I was actually looking for a schematic to make absolutely sure I had that correct.

I bought this rifle used about 4 years ago. It's been a problem for a while, I'm not sure exactly when it started.

Bob

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

savage has new mags for cheaper than any catalog ive seen so far. call them direct and get a new mag, sounds like you need one anyway, and compare the two. this may be the only way to fix the one you have. if not at least call them. tech has been helpful with my questions

 

[CDiPrecision]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

I have the fix for this problem..

 

[Halfnutz]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CDiPrecision</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have the fix for this problem..</div></div>

Do you do inletting for it? Or provide the dimensions?

Tempted

 

[deadly0311]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

yes Jeff does inletting for his system. Its a great system that wont break the bank

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

I had a Winchester Model 70 in a McGee stock that would jack the 4th round to the right - religiously during a highpower match where 60 seconds is all you get. It neverdid it in my McMillan Prone stock - not once (Damn I miss that stock!)

Mine turned out to be something in the stock - inletting required. I changed out followers, springs, you name it, just had to inlet some of the wood to release a bit of tension...

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CDiPrecision</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have the fix for this problem.. </div></div>

i forgot to ask, if the savage already has a detachable mag, does your bottom metal still work? will it fit the factory inlet or do you still need more inletting?

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Well, now I have a new magazine on the way from Savage.

I got the magazine out of the action, adjusted the lips some, then broke the rear tab that holds the magazine into the action when I tried to put it back in.

Mine's a blind magazine.

Reinstalling the magazine seems tricky. Actually, it seems impossible! Is there a trick to doing this? I tried using a vice, but when the mag was compressed enough to fit lengthwise, it was too fat to fit widthwise.

I'd hate to break the next one, since Savage was so kind as to send me one for free after I told them what I did.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

why would you break the next one? just pop it in. unless im missing something. im not sure what you mean by reinstalling i guess. do you mean re-assemble? are you trying to attach the plastic bottom plate to the metal body? ive never taken mine apart. im not sure what your doing, if you could explain a little more maybe

 

[Halfnutz]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Step away from the vise.

Set the muzzle on the floor. (protect crown on carpet or block of wood)
Insert tab on the mag into the slot on the action toward the barrel. Then angle a screw driver against the bend at the other tab and tap the screw driver with a hammer. The tab will flex in and spring back into the rear slot.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bluegrasspicker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi,

If there are four rounds in the magazine of my Savage 10, and the bolt is closed, the first round won't feed. The bolt's just not catching the brass as it closes. If I push down ever-so-slightly on the bullet-side of the round, it will be angled correctly and feed.

I tried tweaking the spring until it no longer fed anything. Now I have a new spring :^)

It looks like if I bent the left forward tip of the magazine side metal it would hold the round correctly to feed, but I wanted to pick your brains before I commenced butchering.

It serves fine as a three shot magazine, but I'd like for it to hold all four if the fix is easy.

Thanks,
Bob

</div></div>

I have had a LE2b with McM A-3 for 4 years and mine does exactly this about 40% of the time. Sometimes, it'll feed perfectly for a session and others, it happens consistently. I just barely put pressure on the upper case body and it snatches it up like it should, so it's not a major hassle for me.

There's no rhyme or reason to my glitch. I've tried putting a piece of tape on the rear of the follower, to build it up, but that doesn't seem to work. It's just with a full mag, that case head on the top cartridge is just a tad too low to contact the bolt. With 3, 2, or 1, it never happens. Only 4.

I always joke that I wouldn't want to be firing/reloading on attacking zombies with my rifle, but it's really just a nit and not one that happens all of the time.

Chris

 

[David300]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

I have a Remington that does the same thing if I only neck size the shells.. with factory shells or if I fully size the brass it works fine.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Re: 1st round doesn't feed when savage mag is full

Problem solved!

Thanks to everyone for your help. In particular, I would like to nominate Halfnutz for the Smartest Man in the World Award. The hammer on the tab trick worked like a charm. I'm sure you saved me a trip to the ER.

I installed the new mag. Gun had the same problem. Then I tried shortening rounds from 2.900" to 2.870", and had the same problem.

The winner was putting the action back into the stock with the leaf angled slightly to the right. I noticed that it was off to the left before, since there was a layer of duct tape (from a previous attempt at fixing it) in the bottom of the stock with a little dimple in it.

Now I can get on with my life.....

Thanks again,
Bob