Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Where to start - Mag box, follower hanging up, Kimber 84M

Dual post - in Gunsmithing as well...

Short story is: New 6.5 Creedmoor 84M Montana. Mag box was a bit bound so I ground off a tiny bit of the bottom edge that contacts the stock, front and back, to free up. Then checking function, rear end of follower was staying dipped down. So I started bending the mag box's feed lip and screwed it up.

I have sourced a brand new factory fresh mag box. To unbind I took 0.010" from the bottom edge of the back of the box only. Also filed a bit on the rear top, to fully clear the ejector, as was done on the original. Same exact action as before. One additional thing tried was to put a dab of epoxy at the bottom of the mag well (in the stock) in attempt to block the mag spring from being able to slip forward causing rearward tilt of the follower. This did seem to help initially, prior to getting the new box. Today, this did not appear to be the issue with the new box, so I have removed the epoxy dam, back to original condition....

I have assembled things, multiple times, very carefully. And have tried to tape it all inplace before assembling to make sure it's all staying put. Same condition, each time, without variation.

Before I bend anything I'd like some input.

I have near zero interest in sending it to Yonkers. I've gotten multiple Remingtons to function properly with a bit of tweaking of the box but have failed miserably with this Kimber... I see nothing obviously wrong with the follower such as unevenness, molding defects etc.

So - what am I looking for? I have sought tutorials on such but have not found anything. I'd sure like to move past this issue. It's fairly hard to picture this stuff but I will take any view desired or take measurements, anything... Any help is very much appreciated.

Both boxes are doing the same thing?

No, the old box is now wayyyy FUBAR.

But yes, they both did the same thing prior to any bending....

Have you tried reversing the follower spring?

EDIT
Kingston, I had not. Certainly not upside down... But turned around seems to help! Let me look at this a bit. Thanks.




Here's what it looks like setting in the action. Fairly even along both sides.

When the cartridge is in, the backend will dip down. At that point, the squeeze point is at the cartridge shoulder. That's where it'll sorta pivot as everywhere else is loose. If I had to guess, that's where I'd spread the lips - but left or right side or both or not or WTF.... Bit paranoid of bending it all to heck - again. LOL

So both mag boxes did the same thing. Have you done any tweaking on the follower? Maybe sand/smooth it down a little on the sides and the back? Seems like that would be the next place to look at.

This is an embarrassment for Kimber - and I have had my share so I'm not a "Kimber denier". QC is still their achilles heel.

What direction was your follower spring originally installed?

Be sure the follower spring can float and isnt being bound up in the blind magwell

I got a few short action model 700s to function better by bending the magazine springs. The bolt would skip over the top of the shells occasionally. So I bent the spring such that the top and bottom were no longer parallel but rather the butt end rode higher than the front end. It pushes the rear end of the shell higher and firmer, solved my similar problem.

Sounds like the mag box is too narrow.

What sux is Kimber will be of no help since you "altered" said Montana via "paint"

BW, I'd like to thank you for the clarification. LOL

After looking and looking and not seeing anything real obvious, I stuck a machined 700 follower in there and it darn near worked! So comparing the two, the plastic POS was too wide, so I did some work on it. It'll takes all four down and cycles good enough I'd likely not complained. However, now with a critical eye, it seems only just about right. Even with the uber short cartridge I think my COL is crowding it. I could run it as is. It will not hang up with a cartridge in there but still a tiny bit catchy. Have to look again in the morning with a clear mind and a full dose of coffee.

Kingston. I think the spring was backward from the start, ends facing back.... It definitely exacerbated problems.

I'd like to know if other folk's followers show any sanding, grinding or machining on the edges? This one was straight out of a mold, not screwy looking but upon a critical check, not perfectly flat and true. Appreciate the suggestion to look that way Blacktailer.

Altered! Hell, it's wayyy beyond paint... LOL

Well, I hope you work out the kinks.... Good luck with it...

Boomer

Read this thread, might help

http://www.kifaruforums.net/archive/index.php/t-30116.html

I had problems with a Montana in 30-06 a couple years back....it was the painted stock they loved

I had similar issues with my Kimber. I actually sanded down then polished my follower, bent my spring a bit but you gotta be careful doing that because of the tempered steel. That was the easy part, filing down my feed rails so it would load smoothly was a bit more time consuming. I also ran a bunch of metal polish through the action to smooth it out a bit.

Now it's the smoothest controlled feed I've ever used and feeds like a dream. To be honest, I see buying a new Kimber as a diy project, but once your done it's a fine rifle. I hope you get it running smoothly soon!

You guys remind me of myself playing with those stupid M70 Classics two decades ago....I used to call them a "project in a box". I got sick of that scene eventually, too, and started sending them to a smith....which sometimes worked depending on the smith.

My grandsons electric trains work better right out of the box.

Fortunately the only Kimber I now own functions well.

My only experience with Kimbers is Mrs Blacktailer's 308. COL has to be at factory spec or the shells won't fit or feed from the mag. The bullets have approx 1/4 inch of jump to get to the rifling but if you load for the jump you want, it's a single shot.