I have a Remington 700 223AI that I have been shooting for several years. I have never been able to get feed smoothly. I have a milled follower.

Every once in a while it will feed smoothly, but 9 out of 10 I have to wiggle the bolt to get it to feed the rest of the way in. My brass is being terribly scuffed.

I was wondering if any of yall have swapped to a center feed system and if so was there a noticeable improvement in the feeding? I was looking at the wyatts center feed mag box. All I see listed is a bdl mag box, will they work in a ADL setup?

The next option is to go with a Badger type setup wit AICS mags. Any help would be appreciated.

What does the scuff look like. Is a scratch that runs along the casing, or is it a wide short scuff? How far in the chamber is the round when you have to start wiggling the bolt?

Have you looked inside of the chamber? I've never seen ammo that was a scuffed up as that.

Well those have been chambered many times.... those are dummy rounds. Fired rounds usually only have one scuff and thats if it hangs up while feeding.

@ Badley: Looks like the same problem I hadwith my two 700 S As. Do this: Load a few rounds straight into the chamber without loading in the magazine first. If there's no hanging-up or case scratches-- then the problem is with the undersides of the mag feed lips. You could probably feel it with your fingers by depressing the follower and checking, but be very careful when you do. I got cut by the sharp edge on both of mine [ .243s--A Varminter w/H BRL. and 700 Syn. w/22" Brl.] Took some 220 wet-or-dry then 320 and finally 600. Edges are slicker 'n owl s.... Well.... let's say--- no hanging-up and no scratched cases. Try it . It may solve your problem. Good Hunting.
WILL.

Ill check that out blue. It has no problem feeding standard 223 rounds.

My guess the linear scratches are a secondary problem and not what is causing the problem. Sounds like the smith forgot to chamfer/radius the leading edge of the chamber, or didn't radius enough. Shine a light in there it should have a slight radius!

As already stated the rails can be polished to be easier on the brass. I would collapse the spring a bit as well. Looks like it's putting lots of "up" on the follower...


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Does this look right?

Hard to tell but I don't see a radius there. Do you?


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I'll see if I can hang a pic..


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Who was it that set the barrel back and rechambered??

Like this??

I could not capture a pic with my chitty camera. The leading edge of the chamber should have a slight chamfer, bevel, radius around the circumference...

Most cartridges with a bit of taper can get by without it but I've found AI's benefit greatly by doing it...


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There it is. That shows it clearly!!


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I don't know, picked this gun up already chambered. I worked up a load and it shoots great. Both fire forming and fire formed loads. I liked it so much i decided to make it even better and had it rebarreled with a 1/8 Hart. While rebarreling the smith went through the action and trued everything. Had issues with the gun after that failing to fire. I got frustrated with the gun, took it back to the smith and had him swap the barrel back out. Sent the bolt off to Gre-Tan and had the firing pin bushed and have not had a issue with it failing to fire since then. Now that it fires like it is suppose too, I want it to feed like it is suppose too. I'm really getting fed up with the gun, but I am in it to deep to just walk away.

Mine definitely doesn't have that.

I think the X-man hit the nail on the head.

Wonder if it would have been good with the Hart if the firing pin had been bushed before the change back to the Rem barrel?? How long ago was that and do you think the smith still has the barrel??

Heck I can see brass shavings now that I am looking.

I sold the barrel to a buddy, its now a 22-250AI.

I see a slight radius in that pic but the brass shavings are definitely telling you it's not enough. You need what 257 dude has...lots of chamfer!


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Yea. I'd take a file (lightly) to the front edge of the mag box where the cartridge feeds. Maybe bend the follower spring as suggested previously so there's not as much pressure on the front of the follower. Smooth the edges of the feed lips inside the mag box....and see what happens.

That is probably better advice. The shavings appear to tell us that it's happening when the cartridge is chambering.....not when it's leaving the mag box.