Stovepipe issues

[Willy Pete]

Hey shooters,

I recently bought a Max Predator in .223 and am really enjoying it so far, well the camo dip is kinda ugly but I'm trying to get used to it. While I am working up loads with a 69 grain Sierra HPBT, currently I've been slowly breaking it in with factory 55 grain FMJs as I have a ton of them. And it's shooting sub-moa. Yeah.

However, when I load the magazine (center feed DBM) with four rounds the first round tends to stovepipe while advancing. I'm guessing that this isn't unusual and folks must have figured out a fix or can correct whatever I'm doing wrong. I have done some searching, but yielded few results on this forum. Please help.

You're all good looking and brilliant. I anticipate your replies with bated breath.

Willy

[thomae]

Perhaps you could explain more clearly what you mean by "Stovepiping."
For me stovepiping usually only happens on a semi-automatic firearm when the expended brass only makes it partway out the ejection port before being caught and trapped by the bolt returning to battery, thus looking like a little "stovepipe" sticking out the ejection port, and functionally keeping the bolt from returning to battery so the firearm can not be fired again until the spent brass is cleared.



I'm not trying to be a smart alec, but I don't understand what your problem is.

[fgw_in_fla]

If you're referring to stove piping as in the photo above - happening with a bolt action rifle - I've had that happen with my .243 when I first put it together.
It needed a little "tweaking" of the mag feed lips. When the mag was full, upward pressure from the spring was a bit more than the mag lips could hold. By closing them a bit, the round stopped jumping out of the mag as soon as pressure from the bolt was applied.

It took a little observation & adjustment while loading the mag & chambering the first round. I made up some dummy rounds to avoid accidental firing & blowing a hole thru the garage refrigerator. Again.

[stangfish]

:

[Willy Pete]

My problem seems to be akin to what fgw_in_fla mentioned. The type of stovepipes I am experiencing are not those found with a semi-auto where the spent cartridge stovepipes after firing and while being ejected, weak mainspring or what have you. Rather, while advancing the bolt to insert a round the nose of the round seems to jump upward, as though the magazine spring was a little overzealous, causing the bullet tip to miss the chamber altogether and point skyward while the bolt closes on the now perpendicular cartridge. Like your picture thomae, but with a live round.

It makes sense that the front feed lips of the magazine are not keeping the nose of the round inline with the chamber. Kinda sucks that a brand new fifty-some dollar magazine requires fussing with, if this is indeed the culprit.

[davemuzz]

Yeah....sounds like weak lips. Once....in my teenage years I kissed an inexperienced girl who had weak lips....but that's another matter. But for this weak lips I'd call Sabage errrr....Savage and tell 'em what you got. I would think they would ship you a new "Clip" or magazine.

BTW....when I was in my 20's I recall kissing a young woman in her 20's who didn't have weak lips. I would refer to her as "Week Lips"....because it seemed once she latched on.....it took that long to de-latch.

Just saying......

[stangfish]

I'd call Sabage

You can tell by looking at daves lips they are kinda weak.

[davemuzz]

You can tell by looking at daves lips they are kinda weak.

I'm currently undergoing therapy for this condition. It's more a physiological matter. You see, when we "parted ways" she had actually vacuumed my wisdom teeth right out of there sockets. It just wasn't natural....I tell ya.

[fgw_in_fla]

After 3 divorces, I'm trying real hard to stay out of this discussion. The one about lips, not stove piping.

You guys aren't making it any easier......

[thomae]

Willy Pete: Ok, Now I understand.
You can call Savage and see if they will ship you a replacement magazine, or you can try bending the lips yourself very gently with some sort of pliers without any teeth. (Don't want to put any burrs on the edge of the magazine lips).

Oh...and did you check to see if the spring is in backwards? Not sure, but that might cause something similar to your symptoms.

[yobuck]

is she the one with the expensive lawyer?

anyway id like to know how you go about bending the magazine lips? seriously i really would.
just a pair of good pliers?

[davemuzz]

yobuck....all it does take is a good pair of pliers to bend\tweak the mag feed lips. I've also used a piece of round steel (similar to a go\no-go gauge) to insert into the magazine and then use a brass hammer to tap\work the feed lips to where I wanted them. Remember, all of this takes patience and time.

And BTW.....YES.....She IS the one with the expensive lawyer. But then.....have you ever heard of a cheap lawyer??

[stangfish]

Another thread going south. I'm glad I have had nothing to do with it. again.

[davemuzz]

Another thread going south. I'm glad I have had nothing to do with it. again.

Stang......Now be honest.....you live South of everyone else. How could the thread not go south when you even think of posting on it? BTW.....have you taken a good look at your lips in a mirror lately?

[Willy Pete]

Weak lips, huh? I'll try calling Savage.

Speaking of topics going south, this reminds me of a joke I heard in the corps about a guy who refused to have sex because his mother told him "they have teeth down there."

Thanks for the help and ridiculous banter.

[davemuzz]

Ridiculous banter is our specialty. The help....we do try.

[palerider338]

Weak lips, huh? I'll try calling Savage.

Speaking of topics going south, this reminds me of a joke I heard in the corps about a guy who refused to have sex because his mother told him "they have teeth down there."

Thanks for the help and ridiculous banter.

Sounds like my grandpappy's cure for the clap: rub cow dung on the affected part for 1 week.....doesn't cure it but sure teaches you a lesson.

[stangfish]

have you taken a good look at your lips in a mirror lately?

No Why?

[handirifle]

For the OP (back on topic boys) when you bend the mag lips remember a little goes a long way. The shape of the area you bend should not really even be noticable. It takes very little to make it work.
if you do too much, that too, will become evident. Don't worry about gettin it wrong, it just takes a little finesse.

[jonbearman]

I found a reasonable lawyer and my divorce cost 1583.63 period.He made her lawyer do all the work.I have heard that somewhere before.

[Willy Pete]

Thanks handirifle. I expect to give it a whirl in the next day or two. I was thinking a little surgical tubing over needle-nose pliers would do the trick without scratching the magazine.

[SlimySquirrel]

Had the same issue with my Hunter Max 1 in .223 I bent the "Lips" a little and it fed "Better" but still did not like the Hollow Points and even a few Soft pointed rounds had issues.

Gotta say that it really is frustrating when you are trying to get shots off and they wont feed properly...

ANyone had this issue and then installed an XLR chassis? Was wondering if the the different Magazine might help cure it?