This is my first post as a new member.

Frist some background. I purchsed 2 - LH long Montana 1999 barreled actions, one in .375 H & H and the other in 6.5 X 55 Swede. I am in the process of stocking them with semi inletted stocks from American Gunstocks. The inletting on the 375 is almost done.

The question I am having about feeding problems. Neither actions feeds dummy cartriges very well. The 375 will barely feed, but it does not want to strip rounds from the box magazine. Sometimes it will ride over the cartridge leaving it in the mag. THe 6.5 x 55 is worse.

Feeding from the left side of the staggered mag is fine. The right side (opposite the bolt) will not feed at all. The bolt barely catches the cartridge, pushes it forward a 1/3 of the way, then as the cartrdge begins to tip up into the feed ramp the base slides off the bolt face and the bolt chews up the brass or the bullet, stoppoing things completely. Quite bad and very repeateable.

Fro those of you who do not know the M1999, it is a copy of the M70. It has the M70 footprint and excellent trigger. THe action is manufactured by Ruger for Montana. The actions seem pretty good, but not well polished of fittend when they arrive.

Can somebody please tell me how to examine the feed rails, magazine, etc to cure these feeding problems. I am an amature gunsmith, but pretty good with my hands and mechnaically. Also, you you know a good book on action tuning, I would love to hear about it.

Many thanks.

Dan Rawlings

Sounds like the right side is keeping the cartridge too low, and that some metal needs to be taken off of the bottom of the feed rail.

Now, are these actions in a stock when this is happening, so there is normal spring pressure on the follower?

also make sure the magazine box is properly mated to the bottom of the reciever when assembling. it kinda sounds like it may be possible that the box on the right side isn't holding the cartridge close enough to the centerline of the gun. if everything is in order, maybe try temporarily shimming the inside of the right side of the magazine box with a business card or two. something to experiment with before takin' the 'ol Dremel to a new gun.

monty

One thing that can do this, particularly from the right side of the mag. is the extractor claw is a bit too tight to the bolt face which is preventing the rim of the cartridge from slipping freely up under the extractor. If you apply firm pressure with your thumb to the side of the extractor rearward of its forward anchor point you may be able to spring the extractor open a bit more than it currently is. If this doesn't work you may have to remove the extractor from the bolt and flex it in a direction away from the bolt at about it's mid-point.

You don't want to overdo this but when you have the bolt removed a cartridge should slide easily up under the claw and just be retained loosely. Try this initially as it exists as a precheck. If you find it dragging as it slides up under the claw this is usually enough to cause the feeding problem you describe. Same applies to Mausers and pre/64 70 actions.

Cartridges coming from the left side will frequently slide towards and wedge the claw open enough to feed smoothly while the right side doesn't if the extractor is just a bit tight.

Sounds like the right side is keeping the cartridge too low, and that some metal needs to be taken off of the bottom of the feed rail.

Now, are these actions in a stock when this is happening, so there is normal spring pressure on the follower?

The 6.5x55 is new and unstocked. As I mentioned,it is the worse of the two. The 375 is completely inletted, but no finish work is done on it.

Can you please elaborate on where and how to remove metal from the feed rail. I think I may try the suggestion of putting a couple of playing card shims in place to move the cartirges toward center.

also make sure the magazine box is properly mated to the bottom of the reciever when assembling. it kinda sounds like it may be possible that the box on the right side isn't holding the cartridge close enough to the centerline of the gun. if everything is in order, maybe try temporarily shimming the inside of the right side of the magazine box with a business card or two. something to experiment with before takin' the 'ol Dremel to a new gun.

monty

Thanks Monty.

The bottoms are in place. Howeve, the springs to not seem to be very stiff to me. I do no have a mauser/M70 around to compare.

I had not thought of the shim idea. is this how people figur out where and how much metal to remove. Does tha angle of the rails matter. right now they appear to be completely 90 degress (square.)

One thing that can do this, particularly from the right side of the mag. is the extractor claw is a bit too tight to the bolt face which is preventing the rim of the cartridge from slipping freely up under the extractor. If you apply firm pressure with your thumb to the side of the extractor rearward of its forward anchor point you may be able to spring the extractor open a bit more than it currently is. If this doesn't work you may have to remove the extractor from the bolt and flex it in a direction away from the bolt at about it's mid-point.

You don't want to overdo this but when you have the bolt removed a cartridge should slide easily up under the claw and just be retained loosely. Try this initially as it exists as a precheck. If you find it dragging as it slides up under the claw this is usually enough to cause the feeding problem you describe. Same applies to Mausers and pre/64 70 actions.

Cartridges coming from the left side will frequently slide towards and wedge the claw open enough to feed smoothly while the right side doesn't if the extractor is just a bit tight.

Your replay made me go check. I did not know about this one. Both ejctors fit the case head about the same. Each requires a definite push to go past the ejectory. I tested this with the bolts out fo the gun. Each has a kind of a snick snound when the cardtriged goes unders. NEither is what I would call a slip fit. I do not have a mauser or a M70 around to double check, but I will find one.

The ejector set up is different than either of the other rifles. On the side opposite the ejcetor is another pies that is under the ring that goes around the bolt. I think it is a guild of some sort, but have never seen anything like it on any other rifle.

Thanks for the info. PLease keep it coming, all.

Dan

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The ejector set up is different than either of the other rifles. On the side opposite the ejcetor is another pies that is under the ring that goes around the bolt. I think it is a guild of some sort, but have never seen anything like it on any other rifle.

Thanks for the info. PLease keep it coming, all.

Dan[/QUOTE]

Dan: I have never had a Montana in my hands but I believe the piece you are referring to is intended to be a gas blocker in the event a case or primer lets go. Some of the later pre/64 70's had it as on my own .243 Fwt. from mid-50's vintage. My 30-06 from almost the same year does not. Some people criticised the original 70 for not handling escaping gas as well as a Mauser and along with the relatively small cocking piece shroud gas could run directly down the raceway and into your face. Never having had a 30-06 case let go in 11000 rounds the point is a bit moot if you are watching your pressures carefully. If I'd ever come across defective brass it might not seem so unimportant to me.

If this piece remains stationary when you close the bolt and remains in line with the left receiver raceway then that will be what it is.

I note in my original post I used the term "retained loosely". Probably a poor choice of word. Held lightly would be more appropriate.

The 6.5x55 is new and unstocked. As I mentioned,it is the worse of the two. The 375 is completely inletted, but no finish work is done on it.

Can you please elaborate on where and how to remove metal from the feed rail. I think I may try the suggestion of putting a couple of playing card shims in place to move the cartirges toward center.

I wish I could, but it would be like giving a haircut over the phone. If you have some other CRF actions around the house that feed correctly, load up some dummy rounds and see what happens when you move them very slowly, their relationship to the other rounds, bolt face, centerline of the action, etc......

Might be a job for a good gunsmith, as it's hard to put metal back one.

The shims, of course, aren't permanent, so give that a whirl.