Feeding issue side release mag Savage 116 30-06

[savagefan]

Hello, my friend's Weather Warrior is essentially a single shot. It will strip and feed the first round but not the second. Is this a common and fixable problem? If so what should we check/adjust? TIA>

[Dave Hoback]

No, this is not very common. Especially with 30-06. Yes it fixable. We need some more detailed info to even begin to guess what the problem is. What exactly is happening? Are you saying the bolt simply rides over the next round? If that is the case, what age is it? What is the condition of the follower spring? Or the mag feed lips at need adjusted? Any other history you’re leaving out? Work done to the rifle recently, modifications? Is the condition happening with different kinds of ammunition, or was it with one brand, bullet type, etc.?

Edit: didn’t notice it was a detachable magazine at first. That is first place to start. The mag. Can try adjusting the feed lips, and checking the magazine. Honestly, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you should find someone who understands the system to look at it.

[savagefan]

It is of course the magazine, he says it has done this since new. I had the exact same rifle (1996 mfr) and never a problem, it feeds the first round as stated but the bolt fails to pick up the next one. Just typing this out makes me believe the offside lip needs to be bent in to center the round better for the bolt to pick it up. I haven't seen the rifle yet, I will this weekend.

[J.Baker]

Savagefan, while I agree with your diagnosis that the magazine lips need tweaking, I would disagree with the notion that they need to be bent inward to better center the cartridge. Bending the lip inward would also hold the round lower in the magazine as we're dealing with an arc here. I instead would be inclined to bend the lip slightly upward allowing the round to sit higher in the magazine and thus have more purchase area available for the bolt face to catch to strip it from the magazine.

To the OP - adjusting the feed lips can be easily accomplished by wrapping the jaws of some decent pliers with a couple layers of electrical tape to prevent the teeth from marring up the sheet metal. The magazine housings are made of spring steel and can be stubborn, but just remember a little tweak can go a long, long way in how the round is presented to the bolt. As such, take your time and make very small adjustments until you find that happy spot.

This is also a task you'll often have to do with most factory replacement sheet metal magazines you will buy for most any make/model of rifle as the feed lips on the magazine that comes with the rifle is tweaked specifically for that rifle at the factory during the assembly process. (just ask anyone who's purchased an extra or replacement single-stack Savage rimfire magazine)