Thread: Mauser feeding and floorplate

Yup don’t take anything off the rails, you can’t put it back!!! I also have spare springs and followers…

Cheers everyone. All taken on board and I'll have a play with the spring as per gundocs advice.
Well aware feed rails are touchy.
As posted it actually feeds quite well when the projectiles are allowed to sit up properly. Surely the projectiles.arent meant to touch the side.of the action?
The bottom of the feed ramp that over hangs the mag box is doing me no favours.
I was under the impression though that all the action feed rails and followers are made to suit different cartridges.
I've gone from a 7x57 to a 270 sort of close.
@HandH if you had a 270/3006 based follower/spring I might be interested if these tweaks dont work

@gundoc about the bevel on the rear of the follower.
Did it on the P14 so the bolt could slide over better,
Does that also help stop with not bending the spring?

Changing the step height on the follower can make a huge difference to how the rounds are presented to the chamber. I have two rifles converted from med 7x57 length to long and in both cases the followers for 7x57 were much flatter than they needed to be for the long case. Gluing a strip of plastic or metal to the follower is a reversible way to test if this will make a difference

Originally Posted by csmiffy

@gundoc about the bevel on the rear of the follower.
Did it on the P14 so the bolt could slide over better,
Does that also help stop with not bending the spring?

The back of the follower was left square in the original Mausers so it provided a solid stop to remind the soldier he was empty, but also pivoted the follower forward, bending the spring over time. The bevelled edge follower is preferred to protect the spring as well as making it easier to close the bolt on an empty mag.

Originally Posted by gundoc

The back of the follower was left square in the original Mausers so it provided a solid stop to remind the soldier he was empty, but also pivoted the follower forward, bending the spring over time. The bevelled edge follower is preferred to protect the spring as well as making it easier to close the bolt on an empty mag.

Excellent. Learnt something again from you @gundoc. Thank you
I was channelling my inner moron today as I was going around to a mates place to give him back his parker hale 3006 and get my 416. A mad rush this morning pulling the follower and spring out of his one to try in mine and take a bunch of photos. It still did the same thing projectile touching thing but the spring on his follower is way shorter than mine
Also had a go with his and it has a similar issue where the projectiles rub the side of the action but after a chat found out it started life as a 308 and got a rebarrel.
Once I get my stuff sorted I'll post some of the applicable photos up

Smiffy, is your PArker Hale made on a military 98 action or is it a Santa Barbara commercial one? (The military will have a thumb cut out, PH Safari etc. The PH1200 and so on had straight left hand receiver wall.

@JohnDuxbury ex-military with thumb cut and safety on bolt.
Just tried putting happy snaps up of the offending part of the feed rail plus some of the followers but just wont let me
i do have the 8x57 to try too to see how that feeds, that is the most likely original follower etc to see what touches where

see below, Blued follower is mine, silver one is from mates 3006 that was a 308. Mine is a bit springier
If you look closely you can see where the projectile is touching the side of the action, almost a little ridge there. At the least just a polish in order?
Damn computer. had a couple more but stopped again

Originally Posted by csmiffy

see below, Blued follower is mine, silver one is from mates 3006 that was a 308. Mine is a bit springier
If you look closely you can see where the projectile is touching the side of the action, almost a little ridge there. At the least just a polish in order?
Damn computer. had a couple more but stopped again

Attachment 188070

Attachment 188071

Attachment 188072

Polish only, emery paper etc. That ridge is actually essential as you push the cartridge forward it directs the round to a more central path towards the breech. As the mauser does not have coned breech its quite important. You could experiment with different followers as some have suggested - longer ones could help prevent the nose diving effect, along with spring tension, etc. I've successfully used Remington 700 and Schultz & Larsen followers in M98's but they were for much straighter walled magnums than your 270.

Instead of removing metal I am also going to try a thin metal packer glued in the front of the mag box as long as the cartridge length is ok. Then I don't have to remove any from the feed ramp @FRST yup I tend to agree with you.
The projectile is obviously touching just ahead of that

The process carrie's on.
Funny story, took the presses steel floorplate from the recent 8x57 acquisition and tried it in the parker hale.
Yeah nah. The bullet rubbing didnt change but the last round off the follower gets jammed and dog knotted like a bastard as per the pic.
For shitz and gigs I tried the 270 follower in the 8x57 and it worked mint.
Put the pressed steel one back where it come from and yup, last round gets stuck again.
It did work once but didnt try too much as the case is a bitch to get out
Looks like I may be up for at least one follower lol
Photos worked on my phone. Didnt try the puter this time
From the pics it there is a wear pattern half way up the side of the 270 follower but that wear mark is there but very light on the pressed steel on. Just hasn't had the same amount of use but profile must be a bit dodgy

I got to have a play with my old Zastava .308 today....it will jam up too...BUT if we placed rounds carefully centered it feeds fine,too far back and bolt will ride over,too far forward and will jam.....spring felt weak...but when we placed rounds in centerally,no worries or issues at all....the four loads were all pointy splitzers.

First 3 rounds are ok (8x57 follower) but the last one gets stuck between the follower and the feed rail
The follower profile somehow just isnt right.
Didnt measure with verniers as it could be bugger all but the visually the eyeometer suggest it isnt miles different.
As posted it did it in both actions so it is a it of a dog I reckon.

Originally Posted by csmiffy

First 3 rounds are ok (8x57 follower) but the last one gets stuck between the follower and the feed rail
The follower profile somehow just isnt right.
Didnt measure with verniers as it could be bugger all but the visually the eyeometer suggest it isnt miles different.
As posted it did it in both actions so it is a it of a dog I reckon.

Easy fix then with a follower that works that can be copied. The height of the step makes a huge difference - the higher it is the more the rounds point to the centre. Often one side feeds fine and the other jams or flicks up