Just more random thoughts on the subject while I finish my coffee.
- Got a LH Kimber of OR M84 .223. If you put four rounds in the magazine it feeds fine, but if you put that fifth round in it will pop out and smokestack every time. But it is just about the most accurate dang rifle I've ever owned, it will easily group in there with a heavy varmint barreled .223. It's lightweight, great trigger, great accuracy and it looks great but my five shooter is functionally a four shooter. Oh, well.
- Got a Yugo Mauser straight out of the factory. Genuine M98 design, rough and ready battle rifle shooting the 8x57 rounds it was originally made for. If you don't pull the bolt back smartly on the last round it will just drop the empty case back onto the follower.
- Unaltered 1915 Swedish Model 96 does the same thing. Unless you smartly eject the last round it will just fall back on the follower or at best dribble out to the side. But it's as accurate as a modern bolt action, it is a jewel of true old world craftsmanship with everything polished and hand fitted, so I live with its idiosyncrasy and just work the bolt smartly for each round. No biggie.
- My Ruger American .22-250 will jam the 2nd and 3rd rounds every single time if you feed them slowly. Just a coincidence of the shorter round in a magazine made for .243 and .308 rounds. I could cuss the rifle, smash the barrel against a tree and gnash my teeth at my misfortune, or just remember to feed the rounds quickly in which case they never fail to feed. I prefer the latter route.
Could name several other examples but y'all get the idea. Nothing wrong with fixing what ails a rifle or tweaking it where needed, but I don't see any reason to dispose of a rifle just because it isn't perfect in every possible way. And those rifles that are perfect get an honored place since I know that they aren't as ubiquitous as we'd like.
