Axis magazine disassemble?

I just finished the machine work on a 7.62 X 25, 1: 10 twist, barrel for my Axis. When properly head spaced, the much shorter (was a .223 ) rounds will not feed. (no surprise)


How can I disassemble the stock .223 mag, without destroying it, so I can make and install a new follower?

The plan is to machine a new aluminum follower with a "ski jump" style ramp to point the stubby little round into the chamber.

I'd like to get the follower/magazine to work with the other barrel I finished today, a 22 TCM, if that doesn't work out, I'll make a dedicated magazine for each barrel. (the 6mm TCU and the 7mm TCU barrels planned next should have no such feeding problems, as the OAL is the same or slightly longer than the .223)


Anybody have a better idea?

Thanks, Paul

All I do is put a little pressure on the sides of magazine with my hand and then pull the bottom plate off. The rest is easy.

I wouldn't waste my time with those magazines, they'll never feed a cartridge that short no matter what. The follower has little to do with it. The fact is that the action size is incompatable with those small cartridges. Even a single shot feed ramp won't work that well.

All right then,
There are 4 .250" X .035" slots in the magazine body (steel) 2 are visible, 2 are covered by the plastic base plate at the rear of the magazine.
Insert a small screwdriver, depress the catch(s) and the bottom plate pops right off. There are holes on each side, either will work. Go easy, or the POS Savage plastic will crack, destroying the magazine. (don't ask how I know) I think the base plate plastic is the same batch as the recoil pad latch. (I know, I know, buy cheap, get cheap.)

I also discovered that a round placed on top of the feed lips, not on the follower in the magazine, will feed fairly reliably. At some point, I suppose I'll have to carve out a ramp, separate from the follower and attach it to the magazine. until then, she's a one trick pony, lol.

A little fabrifixing on the extractor and I'm off to the range to see if this hot mess will go bang and hit the paper...

Thanks, Paul