AI feeding problem

[Scott Evans]

Single stack MDT plastic AICS style mags fix pretty much all 223 case based AI feed woes without any other modifications, if you are talking about a std stagger feed setup. Needs bottom metal installed properly, most of the time it is NOT. Adjust front and/or rear pillar height to get the thing going into the breech face in the correct position, ignore recommended pillar heights. If you already have the bottom metal in, you can shim it with washers to get the mag pointed in the correct direction for the loss of case taper going to AI.

I also have a stagger feed SA in 223AI it could use some help, you CANNOT be gentle with it, slam it in quick and its 90%, try being gentle/slow and its about zero %. Not gonna bother fixing this one once the barrel is gone its probably going to get the caliber changed. Love the stagger for varminting its just waaaay too easy and convenient to top off the mag while looking around instead of dealing with a damned hard to load DBM.

There's been many days I'd rather deal with a single shot than a hard to load DBM or feed challenged unit. SS makes things easier than one would think. Try a SS mag insert first, unless you absolutely have to have a functional repeater.

Think twice about bending the lips of that nearly irreplaceable 223/204 stagger feed mag to try to make it work better, if you aren't comfortable with junking one to figure it out.

[TXRoadlizard]

Single stack MDT plastic AICS style mags fix pretty much all 223 case based AI feed woes without any other modifications, if you are talking about a std stagger feed setup. Needs bottom metal installed properly, most of the time it is NOT. Adjust front and/or rear pillar height to get the thing going into the breech face in the correct position, ignore recommended pillar heights. If you already have the bottom metal in, you can shim it with washers to get the mag pointed in the correct direction for the loss of case taper going to AI.

I also have a stagger feed SA in 223AI it could use some help, you CANNOT be gentle with it, slam it in quick and its 90%, try being gentle/slow and its about zero %. Not gonna bother fixing this one once the barrel is gone its probably going to get the caliber changed. Love the stagger for varminting its just waaaay too easy and convenient to top off the mag while looking around instead of dealing with a damned hard to load DBM.

There's been many days I'd rather deal with a single shot than a hard to load DBM or feed challenged unit. SS makes things easier than one would think. Try a SS mag insert first, unless you absolutely have to have a functional repeater.

Think twice about bending the lips of that nearly irreplaceable 223/204 stagger feed mag to try to make it work better, if you aren't comfortable with junking one to figure it out.

Not a bad thought. I'll remove the bolt and see what the alignment between the mag and the chamber looks like. Shimming the bottom metal might be just the ticket. Thanks for that suggestion.