Feeding long 223s from centerfeed magazine?

[BoilerUP]

I'm thinking of setting up a 223AI with Savage factory DBM and magazines (don't really need the capacity or length of the polymer 10rd AICS 223 magazine for this rifle), but I'd need to be able to feed loaded rounds up to 2.52" OAL for 90gr VLDs. I suspect the Savage factory 223 magazine won't accommodate that.

As such, anybody know if it would it be possible to remove the spacer on a centerfeed 223 magazine well and run it with a 308 follower...or simply 'tweak the lips' of a 308 magazine inward?

Any insight is appreciated!

[CharlieNC]

That's long! For what its worth, I have a AICS mag and it feeds 2.41 SMK fine but not 2.43 Horn BTHP. The mag handles them fine but feeding into the chamber entry jambs to a complete halt; since I have only been playing with the longer ones I have not attempted to address it yet. The AICS mag should handle that length ok.

[Westcliffe01]

I think you might just remove the factory spacer, mill a bit off it and replace it again. You may also have to "adjust" the bolt baffle to allow the bolt the additional rearward motion to cleanly pick up the longer cartridges. I just went through this on mine with 80gr Bergers and found that despite the "Wylde" chambering, I was limited to an OAL limit of 2.390" before the bullet would remain jammed in the throat when extracting an unfired cartridge. At least in my case with the 80gr it is the chamber that imposes the limit and not the magazine.

So before you run off and tweak the magazine, get your barrel installed and verify what the chamber will allow you to do.....

[BoilerUP]

Thanks, I have the barrel already and 90gr Bergers are on the lands at 2.495" COAL. It feeds just fine from an AICS 223 magazine which requires a standard/non-extended bolt baffle, but for the purposes of this rifle a 4 round magazine (such as the standard Savage 223 mag) would be fine.