Model 16 Feed Problems

I have a Model 16FHLSS, (Accutrigger, Accustock hinged floor plate, left handed) rifle in .243 Win that has feed problems from the center feed magazine. It will usually release the round too early so it pops up and the rim hits the top of the bolt face. I have to back off the bolt slightly to center it so it will chamber. I called Savage and they sent me a new magazine box but the new one does exactly the same thing. I see nothing bent or out of place but this can't be right. I have an older model 16 (pre-Accustock) in 7mm-08 that does not have this problem so I know it's not inherent.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Bump. Lots of looks but no help. Anyone have any ideas?

Try bending the magazine lips inward slightly so that they hold onto the cartridge until it is further into the chamber.

Don't know if it's relevant, but I had a somewhat similar problem with an older Model 10 FLP Tactical in .223 that I bought from a guy on another forum. It's a blind magazine, staggered feed. I called Savage and they suggested that the follower was bad so they sent me a new one. Same problem. It wouldn't feed most of the time. Didn't matter if factory ammo or my hand loads. I finally took a real close look at what was happening. Depending on which side of the mag the cartridge was being fed from, the point of the bullet would hit either the left or right side of the barrel, just off the chamber opening.

I finally decided that the barrel wasn't headspaced right and was too far forward in the receiver. Bought a set of headspace gauges and found that the bolt would actually close on the "No Go" gauge. I re-set the headspace using the "GO" gauge and have had zilch feed problems since.

Since yours is having the cartridge pop out of the magazine it may well be something else, but if there's too much distance between the front of the mag & the chamber, it could well be the barrel is set too far forward. Might be worth it to try and borrow a set of HS gauges and find out.

Does the action look like it is centered in the stock along with the mag body.I am wondering if it is cut off center or something not allowing the point of the bullet to go into the chamber? Do it slowly and watch to see if the point of the bullet hits off center.

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Originally Posted by Cycler

I have a Model 16FHLSS, (Accutrigger, Accustock hinged floor plate, left handed) rifle in .243 Win that has feed problems from the center feed magazine. It will usually release the round too early so it pops up and the rim hits the top of the bolt face. I have to back off the bolt slightly to center it so it will chamber. I called Savage and they sent me a new magazine box but the new one does exactly the same thing. I see nothing bent or out of place but this can't be right. I have an older model 16 (pre-Accustock) in 7mm-08 that does not have this problem so I know it's not inherent.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

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You need to make adjustments to the magazine feed lips...heres the idea...hear me out for a min. and try to imagine what is going on here...when a cart. pops out of the magazine too early the front portion(towards the chamber) of the magazine lips are opened to wide... so they need bent in slightly...but be cautious because bending the front feed lips in also moves the tip of the bullet downward when the cart. is actually sitting at rest in the magazine...so what i am gettin at is when you bend the front portion in it is going to do two things at once and theres no way around that...what your looking for is that happy medium. if the lips are bent too far in and it causes the nose of the bullet to drop too low then when you try to chamber it the nose of the bullet will jam in to the magazine and not feed upward.

same goes for the rear feed lips...bending them in causes the rear portion of the cart. to sit lower in the magazine and cause the tip of the bullet to angle higer...too high and it will hit the top of the barrel instead of going into the chamber area...also too much on the rear and the bolt head will not pick the cart. up and the bolt will simply close over the cart. leaving the cart. in the magazine.

heres the easiet way to learn how to do this..if you have a 22 rimfire like a marlin with a magazine...try manipulating the feed lips on it and watch how it changes the angle and depth of the cart. sitting in the magazine..the good thing about this is if you completly trash it you can pick another 22lr magazine up for the marlin at any wal mart...practice on it and it will keep you from screwing up your savage magazine.

hope this helps...keep us informed

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Originally Posted by fredhorace77

You need to make adjustments to the magazine feed lips...

......same goes for the rear feed lips...bending them in causes the rear portion of the cart. to sit lower in the magazine and cause the tip of the bullet to angle higer...too high and it will hit the top of the barrel instead of going into the chamber area...also too much on the rear and the bolt head will not pick the cart. up and the bolt will simply close over the cart. leaving the cart. in the magazine.....

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Hi All,
I just got the 111 savage #17791 in 30-06 with the detachable mag that I have yet to send a round through. I am experiencing some feed trouble too. I didn't want to just go bending the mag lips but thought that was what it would take. I have a good understanding of how the carts should look in the mag and mine are definitely flatter than I think they should be. Mine will feed properly about 75% of the time. One in 4 rounds will not be picked up by the bolt and just gets closed over with no round chambered. It is random which round of the four will be left in the mag. There is only one lip on each side of the mag and I found them to be quite difficult to bend and stopped.
I have heard great things about this generation of Savage Accutrigger, Accustock rifles but this does concern me a little. Going to call Savage first then try bending harder.

Stretch the follower spring out into a wide "W" shape.

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Originally Posted by sharpshooter

Stretch the follower spring out into a wide "W" shape.

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So increasing spring tension will fix the feed issues?

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Well I think I have fixed it. I have however only dry cycled carts through the action at this point.
The round was not coming up high enough at the rear in the mag to be picked up by the push of the bolt.
First I opened up the mag lips slightly to get the back of the cart to sit higher in the mag and point slightly upward at the same time. This was better but still not consistent. I then used sharpshooters suggestion and pulled the spring open a bit to increase tension on the carts upward in the mag.
I was able to cycle 4 carts through the action 3 times without failure so I think it will work.
Time to go sight it in and shoot something soon.

I was having feeding trouble and tried bending the magazine lips as suggested. I found that worked with A-max bullets, but 155 gr. round nose Lapua bullets hit the breech on the opposite side from which it fed. {See photo.} I spent an hour or so taking the rifle apart and bending the lips. Finally I squeezed the sides of the magazine in to make the whole thing narrower and that worked for me. I had to straighten the lips some after doing that.
That's my experience to pass on to the next searcher with a similar problem.
BTW setting the magazine on a vise and whacking it with a sledge hammer convinced the lips to bend rather easily.
Ben

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g4...psd0c11a70.jpg

Hammer mechanic?


Needle nose will make modest adjustments when needed.