Axis ll rebuild *****magazine question

[needagun]

Gonna re-barrel a 243 Axis ll to 6.8SPCll
Is there any particular info I should know concerning the magine to insure proper feeding.

[Rosco]

Curious to hear some these answers, since the rim diameter is .422 instead of the standard .473. I would imagine you would need to either purchase a 6.8 specific bolt head of have it modified by a gunsmith.

[DrThunder88]

PTG does make a 6.8 SPC bolt head, so that's a viable option. I don't know if Savage makes a magazine body that would work with cartridges in that body diameter. I see they don't make any rifles in 6.8 SPC or .30 Rem. I've had trouble modifying the feed lips, but it might be possible for a less ham-fisted hack. My experience has also been in trying to open a .223 Rem mag for .450 Bushmaster. It might be easier to go up to a 6.8 SPC.

[bedlamite]

The bolt head from a 223 can be opened up by a gunsmith, I bought one from MCA over on 68forums. The 308 bolt head has extraction issues.
I've made the 6.8 work using both the 223 and 308 mags by bending feed lips, the 223 mag with the block in the rear was easier and is more reliable.

Here's my 6.8:

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l342/1k_wayne/guns/20150926_065856.jpg

[needagun]

bolt head is ordered and on its way

[needagun]

would it pay to invest in a 22-250 mag ?

[foxx]

22-250 mag is the same as a .308 mag and 243 mag

[DrThunder88]

The feed lips are slightly different on a 22-250 magazine. I don't know how much of an effect it has on feeding, though. That's one Axis I've never had.

[needagun]

I was looking at my ar mags today and compared a 223 and a 6.8. It looks as though a 223 mag would almost work as is. ?????

[DrThunder88]

Keep in mind an AR magazine is a stagger feed, whereas an Axis uses a center feed magazine. The problem is that a wider cartridge may feed through a stagger feed because the opening in the feed lips is wide, but it may not sit high enough in a center feed magazine for the bolt to push it forward. I ran into this when building a .450 Bushmaster Axis. The Bushmaster round is designed to fit in an AR mag, so in my naivety I figured it would be no sweat to use a .223 Rem Axis mag. Not so! The .223 mag required significant modification to work even 50% of the time. Now a 6.8 SPC is smaller in diameter than the .450 Bushmaster, and I would assume it would need less modification to work, perhaps only widening the gap in the feed lips slightly.

[needagun]

Keep in mind an AR magazine is a stagger feed, whereas an Axis uses a center feed magazine. The problem is that a wider cartridge may feed through a stagger feed because the opening in the feed lips is wide, but it may not sit high enough in a center feed magazine for the bolt to push it forward. I ran into this when building a .450 Bushmaster Axis. The Bushmaster round is designed to fit in an AR mag, so in my naivety I figured it would be no sweat to use a .223 Rem Axis mag. Not so! The .223 mag required significant modification to work even 50% of the time. Now a 6.8 SPC is smaller in diameter than the .450 Bushmaster, and I would assume it would need less modification to work, perhaps only widening the gap in the feed lips slightly.


There is a "black follower" available for 223AR mags to allow them to handle 450 Bushmaster. I have a couple. Let me know if you need one.

I was using the 223 mag lip spacing as an example. I figures that if a 6.8 fed well from it with no mosification that maybe a Savage 223 mag would be a good place to start with LESS feed lip mod.

I also have a 20 inch 450 upper I am going to sell.

[bedlamite]

There is a "black follower" available for 223AR mags to allow them to handle 450 Bushmaster. I have a couple. Let me know if you need one.

I was using the 223 mag lip spacing as an example. I figures that if a 6.8 fed well from it with no mosification that maybe a Savage 223 mag would be a good place to start with LESS feed lip mod.

I also have a 20 inch 450 upper I am going to sell.

Both savage mags work for 6.8 if you bend the lips to about .350"-.370" gap, with the top of the cartridge level. The problem I had with the 308 mag was that the rounds lifted in the rear before the tip hit the feed ramp and it jammed nose down, that wasn't an issue with the 223 mag.

[needagun]

well so far I have totally remanned a 22-250 mag and it is USELESS.
With only slight mods to the feed lips and removal of .050 inches from the rear spacer in the .223 mag, I have a "four round" six8 mag that runs perfectly!.