Model 7 feeding issues

[woods89]

I own a Remington Model 7 in 260 Rem. I've had it since I was 12, and its been a wonderful little rifle in many respects. I've upgraded the stock to a Bell&Carlson and it wears a Bushnell Elite 3x9x40 in Talley Lightweights. Its great for the Missouri whitetails and coyotes I hunt with it.

But it has had one small issue for a long time. It has a hinged floorplate ( made of an inferior and unattractive specie of metal). When I load 4 rounds in the mag and try to close the bolt on the top one I often have feeding issues. It's almost as if the spring on the floorplate isn't strong enough to keep the back of the case tight to the feed rails. The easy solution is to only load 3 rounds in the mag, which almost always feeds fine then. This is hardly a big issue but it is a bit irritating from the standpoint that if it holds 4 rounds it should feed with 4 rounds.

I know there are some guys with M7's on here. Has anyone else had similar issues? Did you find a fix?

Ideally I would love to have a DBM setup for it. I know CDI makes one that uses the AICS mags but I'm hesitant to have a mag hanging down under the stock. I carry it a lot with one hand under the floorplate so a mag hanging below the forearm would change that. Also I believe the CDI setup isn't exactly lightweight?

Barring a DBM setup is there a better floorplate to put on it? Something that doesn't feel like it's going to break off when it gets cold?

P.S. For all you 260 guys out there, I have to share that I finally found a pound of H4350 on the shelf of my local Bass Pro Shops tonight! It went into my cart immediatly!

 

[Mr Drysdale]

I own (for my grandsons) three M7s in the 260 caliber. I have not had feeding issues but I don't think I have ever loaded four in the mag. I agree that the floor plate looks and feels cheap, but I have not had a failure with any of the rifles. I hunted with one of them for 15 years before passing it down. I am a big fan of this rifle. If you do something different, let us know. Good luck.

 

[hodgeman]

Sounds like a visit to the gunsmith would fix you up.

Although unusual in the modern era, in the way back when- lots of rifle had quirks and feeding issues. A gunsmith can dress the feed rails and check the alignment. Piece of cake stuff that is the bread and butter for them.

IMHO- a detachable mag on a trim little M7 would be out of place. Those rifles are so nicely balanced and carry so great- a big mag hanging down wouldn't feel right.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I've got a Model Seven in 7 SAUM. For me to get 3 rounds in the mag with the bolt closed really wants to scratch the case. A DM like that's in my M700 BDL would be pretty cool.

 

[Ray]

Same issue with my 300 SAUM. Three rounds in the mag and the bolt has to be forced closed. I've not had time to check out the 308 I picked up last fall.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cahunter805]

You need to bend the mag spring some. It should look like a W. Also PTG makes some nice aluminum bottom metal.

 

[woods89]

Thanks guys! I will have my gunsmith take a look at it.

The more I think about a mag hanging under the stock, the less it appeals to me. Just doesn't seem like it would harmonize with the rifle's lines at all.

At some point I would like to have it Cerakoted so I will look at getting PT&G bottom metal for it then.

Now if only they had twisted the barrel 1-8 instead of 1-9! Oh well, guess that's why they make 125 grain Partitions.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I've never had any issues or negative thoughts about the bottom metal on the Remingtons. What's wrong with them? Mine looks and feels fine.

 

[woods89]

I've never had any issues or negative thoughts about the bottom metal on the Remingtons. What's wrong with them? Mine looks and feels fine.

I'm probably just being picky, but mine is some kind of roughly coated, thin metal unlike anything else on the rifle. Functionally there's probably nothing wrong with it.

I'm also not sure all Remingtons are the same. Mine started out as a birch stock youth model so maybe it's different than a BDL? I can't say for sure, though.

 

[AdamW]

You are loading the magazine full, then closing the bolt on an empty chamber, is that what you mean?

A co-worker of mine would load his magazine full on his .30-06 then drop a round in the chamber for max rounds in the gun. He had the same issue you are experiencing. While I don't think this is an issue with all 7XX series Remingtons, it sure seems as though it causes quite a few issues. I've been thinking about this for Colorado this fall where I'd like to have a fully loaded magazine and an empty chamber for toting the rifle around. Might only load 3 in the magazine. Need to test it for sure.

 

[woods89]

I learned to hunt from my dad and we always hunted with a round in the chamber. He was VERY sticky about muzzle control. I always have my chamber empty if its on my pack or something but a lot of my shots are close and quick with no time to chamber a round.

I've had problems both ways, whether I'm depressing the fourth one to close the bolt on the chambered round or whether I'm just loading four in the mag and closing the bolt to pick up the top one. Anymore I just click in 3 and chamber the top one and I don't really have problems. The full mag and one in the chamber did prove to be more trouble than what its worth. I put three in a buck one time (turned out the first was all I needed) but usually one, maybe two is all I need.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I'm probably just being picky, but mine is some kind of roughly coated, thin metal unlike anything else on the rifle. Functionally there's probably nothing wrong with it.

I'm also not sure all Remingtons are the same. Mine started out as a birch stock youth model so maybe it's different than a BDL? I can't say for sure, though.

Oh, ok. My M7 is a stainless. Maybe that's the difference?

 

[elkguide]

Just because it says that it can hold four rounds, doesn't mean that it should or will function smoothly with four. If when loaded with three it functions as intended, I would let that be my first clue.



As the wise old hunter said............


"One shot......dead deer.
Two shots..........maybe, dead deer.
Three shots...........exercised deer.
Four shots..............target practice."

 

[woods89]

Likely, that's it. Mine's blued. Wish it was stainless!

 

[woods89]

Just because it says that it can hold four rounds, doesn't mean that it should or will function smoothly with four. If when loaded with three it functions as intended, I would let that be my first clue.



As the wise old hunter said............


"One shot......dead deer.
Two shots..........maybe, dead deer.
Three shots...........exercised deer.
Four shots..............target practice."

The same guy who was so sticky about muzzle control also burned that one in my brain.

Like you say, there's really no reason to push it if three works. But you know how we are in our teens! "If I can wedge five in here, I need to!"

 

[elkguide]

The same guy who was so sticky about muzzle control also burned that one in my brain.

Like you say, there's really no reason to push it if three works. But you know how we are in our teens! "If I can wedge five in here, I need to!"

Been there - done that. As I think back on the last thirty animals or so that I have taken, only one required a follow up shot and yet I still carry five or six arrows and/or always have ten cartridges in my pocket???????

 

[missjordan]

My first rifle was a .308 M7 and it was one solid little gun. I hunted with it for years and never had any problems with it not wanting to feed. They are a great rifle!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Shrek]

The PTG bottom metal is nice and there are extra power springs available for Remingtons . The magazine box may be a little wide when put into the B&C stock also. I'm not sure if the mag box is welded on the back or if it's an open seam held tight by the stock. If the well on the B&C is a little wider the magazine box may be spreading too far with the pressure of the fourth round and causing the rounds to bridge in the box. A competent smith should spot the problem. I doubt you have actual feed rail problems. In fact , if the smith wants to start grinding on the rails seek a second opinion.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I don't think it is a matter of the spring not being strong enough. When it has three in it, it works fine, but when you try to put four, it doesn't. Putting the fourth round will make even MORE tension on the spring, so if it works with three, the fourth will make the spring tighter. I don't thing the solution would be to bend the spring to allow it to apply more force. I would just load three 3 (plus one in the chamber). Four rounds should be plenty when hunting. If you missed with the first three, the game will probably be gone before you can fire the fourth.

 

[beetlespin]

Hi Woods89, I recieved a Remington model 7 6mm as my first deer rifle in 1996. It was not a current production rifle but was new and was of late 80's or early 90's vintage. since 96' i have shot over 30 whitetails and various other varmints with the rifle. I live in Wisconsin and a majority of the deer were shot during deer drives which my family has been doing for generations. The 6MM and 260 are both non-magnum width rounds and have the same diameter. the short mags are wider and cannot fit 4 in the box like a standard cartridge. Ours will fit 4 and the short mags will fit 3. Before each drive I fill my gun with 4 in the box and one in the chamber. I know western hunters don't usually shoot running game but that just the way it is on deer drives. Most of my family hunts with Browning Bars and I usually am the only guy with with a bolt action. I have no problem getting the shots off that I need to kill running deer and many times that will be multiple bucks at the same time. Last year I shot 3 bucks in 10 minutes off a post I was holding. That being said, you should not have an issue putting 4 rounds in that box. It is designed to and should from the get go. The other thing you can try is to separate the action from the stock and check that everything is in proper alignment. The stamped steel that forms the box that goes between the action and the bottom metal is not welded all the way around and it can be a real pain to get it to fit in the action and bottom metal properly. If they are not fitted together properly there will be extra distance between the action and bottom metal and the bottom metal will be elevated away from the stock. This leads to improper spring tension and feeding issues. There is a lip on the bottom of the action that the box steel must fit into. Its a pain but needs to be done properly.

P.S. the bottom metal is something like crappy pot metal and the nice blued finish on mine is all chipped up. It looks like crap but is functional. So i know what you mean.

The model 7 is a great rifle and it would be the last gun I would ever get rid of.

If that does not fix it and the spring looks to be in good shape, I would take it to a gunsmith and see what they find. No major surgery on it without a second option as well.

Good luck!