Feeding from the Blind Mag

[AR-180]

I have a pair of Savage short actions. The first is in 223. It is a factory gun. The second is a 243 rebarreled to 260.

On the 223, the tip of the bullet hits the barrel just below the chamber opening. For it, I could go with a single shot follower, but I would prefer to be able to feed from the mag.

On the 260, when the bolt is going forward, the round pops up and almost ejects rim first through the ejection port. This rifle really needs to feed correctly from the mag.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I am hoping to soon build up another Savage in 308. I love being able to do the work myself and have exactly what I want at the end.

[handirifle]

On the 223, the bottom of the barrel feed ramp, can be dremmeled slightly, or possibly opening the forward end of the magazine lips, to allow the bullet to raise slightly before entering the chamber.

On the 260, it's the opposite, I think the front of the magazine lips need to be bent slightly downward, to hold the round down a little longer.

That has worked for me, with other calibers, and the problems you mentioned.

[82boy]

I have a pair of Savage short actions. The first is in 223. It is a factory gun. The second is a 243 rebarreled to 260.

On the 223, the tip of the bullet hits the barrel just below the chamber opening. For it, I could go with a single shot follower, but I would prefer to be able to feed from the mag.
On the 260, when the bolt is going forward, the round pops up and almost ejects rim first through the ejection port. This rifle really needs to feed correctly from the mag.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I am hoping to soon build up another Savage in 308. I love being able to do the work myself and have exactly what I want at the end.


The 223 is a common problem and it is worse when using hollow tip bullets, sometimes thay will feed with a V max, or tipped bullet. The fix is having a gunsmith cut a AR15 style feed cone on the back of the barrel.

With the 260 it called trial and error, you will have to bend the mag feed lips, untill it will feed right.

[bluealtered]

On the 260, if it has had years of service or has had the spring "adjusted" it may be the spring has lost some of it's tension. A easy fix is to simply oder a new spring and follower from savage, it's cheap and if it doesn't correct the problem then you can adjust the lips of the mag.

It doesn't take much change, a 64th on the rear of the lips was all mine took with the new spring and follower to correct that problem. I noticed that the hump on the new follower had been changed from the left side of the action to the right side as well.

[AR-180]

Thanks, guys.