Short Actions Hornet Magazine Issue

[bloorooster]

I was just wondering if anyone else had ran into this.
My 46 hornet shoots like a dream, but every once in a while it will jam. The rims get hung up inside the mag, with the top round’s rim behind the next round’s rim. When it happens I have to break down the magazine, empty it and reassemble it. It only happens occasionally but man what a pain in the arse! I’ve included a couple photos to lend a visual example.
Has anyone else experienced this? Does it occur with the 218 and other rimmed cartridges?

thanks in advance
The Old Hippie

 

[ricksengines]

User error. When you load the mag be sure to stack the rounds properly. The hornet is a rimmed cartridge and if you aren't careful when loading the mag you will get a hang-up as you described.

rick

 

[stonecreek]

I can't tell if those are factory loads or handloads. If handloads, then seating your bullets out just a little longer should keep the rounds from being able to interlock rims.

 

[FLT]

The hornet is my favorite caliber, I have several deferent magazine fed bolt actions and haven’t had that problem. But I think stonecreek is correct it would possible if the overall length was short enough.

 

[bloorooster]

I must concur with Rick, as user error, for I have been conscious of the situation for years. It happens once in a while if I get in a hurry. With factory and handloads.
The rounds shown are indeed handloads, 40g Sierra Hornet out to 1.750”. They shoot very tight groups as they are, and I left them on the short side to accommodate the loss from the rim-step factor. Each round will lose .060” or so as they “step” into the box. The box measures 1.822”.
Stone, should I understand that you mean to lengthen until the rims actually sit atop each other?

Hippie

 

[stonecreek]

Stone, should I understand that you mean to lengthen until the rims actually sit atop each other?

The cartridges should sit in the magazine with the rim of the upper cartridge in front of the rim of the cartridge below it. If your overall cartridge length is long enough it seems that this is the only way the cartridges will enter (or exit) the magazine. It is only when the cartridge is short enough that there is room for the rim of the lower cartridge to get in front of that of the cartridge above it, I would think.

The only other way I can see for the rims to get reversed with proper overall cartridge length would be to insert the cartridge with the nose slanted significantly downward so that the rim of the cartridge above it might slip behind that of the lower cartridge. This might be caused by a follower or spring problem that lets the nose ride lower than the base when loading the magazine.

But hey, you're an old fart like me and we just mess up sometimes. So maybe there's nothing wrong with the rifle other than the guy who owns it.

 

[ricksengines]

There isn't anything wrong with the rifle. This condition is all about not properly loading the magazine.

rick

 

[bloorooster]

Chalk one up for the “old farts”!
I knew there wasn’t anything wrong with my gun. Just wondering if it was a situation that all rimmed cartridges shared with the L46 magazine design. Thank you

Hippie