Hello. I've been shooting Marlins for several years (30-30 and 45-70). I have decided to buy smaller, flatter rifle.
I have almost decided 25-06. The queston is what is hinged floor plate? I think the floor plate is where you put in magazine and the cover for that is hinged.
Can someone confirm or deny?

Hello. I've been shooting Marlins for several years (30-30 and 45-70). I have decided to buy smaller, flatter rifle.
I have almost decided 25-06. The queston is what is hinged floor plate? I think the floor plate is where you put in magazine and the cover for that is hinged.
Can someone confirm or deny?


No magazine w/ a hinged floorplate. You insert the cartridges into the top of the receiver. If you want to dump them out, you push a button and the floorplate opens up and the cartridges come out the bottom.

SOme floorplates are not hinged...like on the old military Mausers.

So is the hinge a good thing? What is the purpose?

The purpose of a hinged floor plate is to aid in unloading. Bolt actions with no floor plate/fixed have to have rounds worked through the action to unload. It is safer to just dump the rounds out through the bottom. Disadvantages is on some worn or heavy caliber/recoiling rifles the floor plate may come unlatched and dump your ammo out. Its a personnal preference option.

CD

Beyond that, it can also facilitate clearing a jammed magazine. I.e. the rounds can get 'jammed' and not feed up from the top as they're supposed to. In that scenario it can be a lot easier to clear it from the 'bottom' (or top and bottom simultaneously) via the hinged floor plate. On the flip side, some people do not like a hinged floor plate for larger caliber 'dangerous game' bolt action rifles, as there might be some risk of the floor plate 'accidently' opening (say due to the recoil and / or the hunter in 'scrambling' to get off a quick shot) and thereby 'dumping' all of the rounds save the one in the chamber.

The hinged floor plate aid in loading also. Open the floorplate, turn the rifle upside down with the muzzle slightly elevated, drop in cartridges (bullet towards muzzle :rolleyes: bolt closed, safety on and muzzle pointed in a safe direction.) and close floorplate. It works well while shooting pdogs when there is a slight break in the action. With practice you can become quite fast doing it this way.

RJ

Also, there are a few rifles that have the magazines attached to the floor plate and you must open the plate to attach or remove the magazine.