Loading a Stevens centerfeed

[onesureshot]

So I have been working on a build for my wife, starting with a new Stevens 200 centerfeed .223 Rem. I will be putting a Boyds classic stock on it, and I have been working on the mods to the stock to use the centerfeed magazine. As I was fitting the mag and L shaped bracket, I would make a couple passes with a chisel using just hand pressure, then install the mag and action to see how it was fitting together. When I got to a point that looked right, I decided to load a few dummy rounds to check the feeding. That is where I ran into the WTH? thought. Is it just me, or do you need to slide each round part way into the chamber, then back it into the magazine? I tired to press them straight down like you would a normal magazine, but could not get them to fit.

I got three of the Boyd's stocks with plans to build my wife a rifle, then one for me and another for my son. As it is now, I will make sure the next two rifles are the older style, as the centerfeed doesn't impress me at all.

[FW Conch]

??? I got the Boyds Ross Thumbhole Varmiter from Stockeys & it was basically a drop in. I think I had to do a little inletting @ the L clip but it wasn't much. It was designed & sold for centerfeed.

I have a 358 Win. rig mounted on it now & although it seems more difficult than it should to push the shells down I really don't have too much trouble doing it. I "don't" have to push the shells partially toward the chamber to push them down. - Good Luck - Jim

[Got Diesel]

Really you just need to push the rounds into the mag from the top. It may be tight but they will fit. If it's tighter than you like you could probly open up the lips on the magazine a little bit.

[onesureshot]

Hmmm, I will have to play around with it some more, but it sure seemed like a goofy set up to me. I wonder of the feed lips are bent on my magazine? There is NO WAY to push a round down into the magazine on mine.

Did they change to this style just to streamline the manufacturing process so that the DBM and blind mags all use the same action? Trying to hold the mag body and spring in place and seat the action almost requires three hands, lol. I sure like the mag body being attached to the bottom of the action better than this set up.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I will keep working on it and see what I can come up with.

[FW Conch]

? sureshot, I'm not exactly sure what you'er saying but the centerfeed magizine & spring just goes down in the hole in the stock, held in by the "L" clip @ the back. The action simply sets on top of the already installed assembly. HTH's - Jim

[onesureshot]

I played around with it a bit more today and after several attempts, I was finally able to press dummy rounds straight down into the magazine. It takes quite a bit of thumb pressure and I can see the magazine box pushing downward as I load the dummys, then when I cycle the bolt, it will start to push the rounds forward, but then slips over the top and will not feed. I have to reach in and pull the mag box back up to where it makes contact with the bottom of the action.

I am working on the block for the front of the mag well and some shims to go along either side of the mag body. I noticed the front of the mag body has a tab that stick out, so I will make sure the front block is notched for the tab to sit in, and hopefully keep the box from pressing down into the mag well so it will feed ammo.

I am hoping after I get the blocks made and everything fit so the magazine does not push down into the mag well that it is not as hard to load. As it is now I am not sure my wife will have the thumb strength to load the magazine.

[diesel]

after 2 years of fiddling with that inline fed on an '06 200, it found a new home. how do they figure that inline is any improvement over a stager feed? Personally, I'll use the stager feed iffin I must buy used to get it. different strokes for different folks. iffin it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[geargrinder]

I'm the other way around. I've always had to mess with the stagger feed mags to get them to feed just right.

Never had a problem with any of my centerfeeds.

I'm going to figure out a way to convert all my staggers to center.

[FW Conch]

;D same here geargrinder - I have had no trouble even when switching to the Boyds stock ! - Jim

[~Ace~]

CDI Bottom Metal, Alpha Mags.... problem Solved, Much Sexier.

[geargrinder]

CDI Bottom Metal, Alpha Mags.... problem Solved, Much Sexier.


Sexy yes, but way too expensive for my wallet. :)

[bootsmcguire]

I am with geargrinder on this one. In my 308 class cartridge guns I like the centerfeed much better, always feeds for me. my 30-06 CF is 100% reliable. I had a 243 model 10 in SF and I had to point the barrel up at about a 30 to 45 degree angle to get it to feed right. if it was parallel to the ground it would pop out and jom up every time. My 204 and 223 both in SF do very well and have no complaints, but I would not be scared to try a 223 CF setup based on my experiance with CF guns so far.

Sorry to hear of your troubles, how well does the mag load in the factory stock?

[J.Baker]

If you look at a factory CF stock, you'll note there's a small shelf at the front of the magazine bay that holds a little metal tab/lip on the magazine box itself. This is what sets and holds the front height of the magazine, and is why converting a SF stock to CF is somewhat of a PITA.

[onesureshot]

I have not tried it in the factory stock, I guess I should have given that a test run to see if it helps the feeding issue, but regardless of that, it is still a lot harder to load than the SF models I own. It does seem like it might be getting easier the more I do it, so maybe it just needs to break in a bit?

In playing with it further, I think I have it resolved. I had made some blocks out of wood to hold the magazine box back from the front of the mag well and put a notch in it for the lip on the front of the mag body to sit in to prevent it from pushing down into the mag well. After I had got it to feed reliably, I decided that having the front block and two side shims was going to be a pain in the arse when I take it apart to clean it, so I made a one piece block / shim out of black .125" Kydex. I measured the block and cut the kydex to match, but instead of two seperate side shims, it has two wings that fold back along the sides of the mag body. I put the Kydex in a toaster oven for a few minutes until it became plyable, then wrapped it around the mag body and put it in the press I use to make Kydex holsters. Let it cool for about 15 - 20 minutes and pulled it out. It snaps on the mag body, holds itself in position and makes putting the magazine body, follower / spring and "L" clip into position much easier than trying to get all the other pieces in place.

It seems to feed reliably, is rock solid and makes putting everything together much easier than it was before.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I really appreciate it. The pillars should be here today, then I can get the bedding job wrapped up, the scope mounted and hopefully sneak in a trip to test fire it before Christmas.