Blind Mag Box Help

Big Smitty · 08-11-2015, 01:45 PM

I am in the process of converting a 110 Savage from a 30-06 to a 300 Win Mag. All is going great with the exception of the blind magazine box which is a stagger feed. Does anyone have a quick simple solution for getting the 30-06 box to accept and properly cycle the 300 Win Mag rounds? At this point I can not find a 300 Win Mag box to purchase. Looking for a way to modify the 30-06. Any help or advise appreciated. Thanks!!

**robobotdye** · 08-11-2015, 06:34 PM

I am no expert on the subject, but since I am also having troubles with getting a 338 win mag to feed properly, I have been looking into this issue recently. What I have found, is that according to the parts list on the savage website, the magazine box is the same for the magnum cartridge as it is for the standard 30-06 rounds. It is the follower that is different for the two types or cartridges. The follower is available for purchase from the Savage online parts. I think it is around $9, plus some more for shipping. In my case, the feed lips have been tampered with, so I recently ordered a new magazine box. Waiting to get that part still. So I would say look into getting the right magazine follower, not the box. Hope this helps!

Big Smitty · 08-12-2015, 09:06 PM

Thanks Robo. I have the magnum follower. It helps some in my case, but still not reliable. 3 rounds in the mag and when trying to cycle the first round they all want to come flying out. 2 in the mag to start and the first one wants to bind up when pushing it forward. One only in the mag and it works OK. I typically don't chamber a round until ready to shoot as this is my western hunting rig. Would like to get 3 in the Mag to work reliably. Might have to settle for 2.

Also, looking at the Midway site I found this on the description page for the long action 110 blind mag box: "Feed rail width for Standard Magnums (.517") different from 30-06 (.538")". So guess all is the same except the the feed rail needs to be adjusted. I am going to see if I can adjust to the .517" and see if that helps things.

**handirifle** · 08-13-2015, 02:10 AM

They are very slightly different, but when mine was chambered in 338WM, I found the '06 box actually fed them better than the magnum did. I would sure try it before buying another.

**robobotdye** · 08-13-2015, 11:51 AM

Smitty, your problem sounds the same as mine. I can load three rounds into the magazine, but when closing the bolt on the top round, they all come loose and jam up the action. Sometimes opening the bolt will release the rounds in the magazine. I will have to measure the feed rail width. When I was on the Savage part website, I put the magazine box in the shopping cart from both my 270 Win rifle parts list, as well as my 338 Win. I was curious if they would be different. It showed up in my shopping cart as qty 2: of the same magazine box (same part number). So I assumed they must be the same. I just got the text from UPS that my savage order was delivered, so I will have to check it out when I get home for lunch break. I hope it works.
I did switch out the magazine follower from the 270 Win to see if that would make a difference, but it did not help. I was tempted to try the magazine box from the 270, but it feeds good now, and I don't want to mess that one up. I read somewhere on this site about sanding the magazine follower to improve feeding functionality, but it was very vague, and I couldn't find any more info on that. Hopefully the new box will fix the issue.

Blaine

**robobotdye** · 08-13-2015, 03:39 PM

I put the new magazine box on. It measured .510" at the narrowest place. It is a big improvement. I no longer have rounds popping out. However, I still have a bit of issue with the bolt picking up the top round when there is 3 rounds in the magazine. Not every time, just occasionally. I need to look more into it later.

Big Smitty · 08-13-2015, 08:30 PM

So I made some mods and got my 30-06 box to work perfect with the 300 WM. Here is what I did. My stock is a Bell and Carlson Medalist.

I ground off the ears on the bottom of the mag box that held the follower spring from going out the bottom of the mag box. Ground them flush to the side wall of the mag box so the follower spring would pass the bottom of the mag box and rest on the bottom of the stock inlet. This lessens the tension on the follower spring. I used the flat spring follower, it works better in my opinion that the round coil spring follower.

Tweaked the mag lips to .510 or so using a DIY feedlip adjuster. Old screw driver cut off with a hacksaw and then made a hacksaw cut about halfway through about a 1/8" up from the end. You can buy these from Brownells, but I just made mine after seeing it.

That's it. With the reduced tension 3 rounds of 300 WM go in the box and cycle as they should, no issues.