10/22 Magazine Movement Causing Failure to Feed

I'm having an issue with one of my 10/22s. With a mag fully inserted, I am able to wiggle it back and forth about 1/16", in which it often gets stuck in the rearward position. It also is able to stick in this rearward position upon initial insertion. With my other 10/22s, I am only able to wiggle the seated mags about 1/32", and they always return to the forward position from the spring tension on the magazine latch plunger. The mag sticking in the rearward position is sometimes causing the bolt to hang up in its rearward position during cycling, resulting in failures to feed. When the bolt hangs up, simply tapping up or forward on the bottom of the mag allows it to move into the forward position, freeing the bolt and allowing it to move forward into battery, chambering the round.

This is not a mag issue as it occurs with all of my factory 10rd mags, all of which do not exhibit the problem with my other two rifles. The problem rifle is a newer model with a polymer trigger group, factory extended mag release, and a VQ auto bolt release.

Any help diagnosing this problem is greatly appreciated.

Remove the barreled action from the stock and see if you can make the magazine "stick".

If it sticks, then take a look at the plunger/spring and plunger/spring recess in the trigger group for burrs, molding flash, etc.

If it's not the action, the problem is probably the magazine opening in the stock, sand-paper should be able to fix that.

Good luck.

No burrs or flashing present in the areas mentioned. I've also tried swapping the following parts, with the stock removed, with no avail: mag release, mag latch plunger and spring, bolt release, entire trigger group.

Playing with it some more, I discovered that the entire trigger group from the problem rifle causes the mag to stick in another rifle, making me think it's an issue with the trigger group. However, a trigger group from another rifle installed in the problem rifle also causes the mag to stick, making one believe it's an issue with the receiver. Now I'm really scratching my head.

Yesterday I was able to replicate the malfunction of the bolt hanging up by hand cycling the bolt while pushing up and back on the inserted mag. However, today, I am unable to do the same. I guess for now I will wait and see how it functions, but I am still curious as to what is causing the mag to stick, and if perhaps its not uncommon.?

One last thing I forgot to mention was that I recently changed from a factory synthetic stock to a factory wood stock. I noticed that the mag well on the synthetic stock is narrower, perhaps just enough to prevent the mag from moving enough to cause the malfunction, explaining why I didn't have the problem with the synthetic stock.

Just to provide a visual, the problem rifle is on the right. Notice the larger gap between the rear of the mag and the front of the magwell (trigger housing). The second picture shows the mag stuck in the rearward position.

I know you have but, have you tried the offending mag in another rifle, and a differant mag in the offending rifle?

DM

I'd check the hole in the front of thee mag well to see if there is any paint in there.

Also check for burrs on the socket head hex screw at the front of the mag.

It's the stock... and how the trigger group sits in it.

Double Maduro said:

I know you have but, have you tried the offending mag in another rifle, and a differant mag in the offending rifle?

DM

Click to expand...

All 15 mags of my factory 10 rd mags exhibit the problem in this rifle, none on other rifles. Trust me, it's not the mags.

blume357 said:

It's the stock... and how the trigger group sits in it.

Click to expand...

But the mag sticks with the stock removed in just the barreled action. The movement is much more forward to back rather than side to side.

Captains1911 said:

But the mag sticks with the stock removed in just the barreled action. The movement is much more forward to back rather than side to side.

Click to expand...

Hi,

Do you have a set of calipers? I think by now I'd be measuring everything I could on the "offending" rifle and comparing those measurements to the ones obtained from one of your known "good" 10/22s. Something might jump out at you there...

Rick C

Rick Courtright said:

Captains1911 said:

But the mag sticks with the stock removed in just the barreled action. The movement is much more forward to back rather than side to side.

Click to expand...

Hi,

Do you have a set of calipers? I think by now I'd be measuring everything I could on the "offending" rifle and comparing those measurements to the ones obtained from one of your known "good" 10/22s. Something might jump out at you there...

Rick C

Click to expand...

I don't have calipers. For now I have put some temporary shims using a few layers of electrical tape on the front face of the trigger group. This seems to solve the problem, now I just need to figure out what to use for permanent shims.