Ruger American magazine dragging

[gamestalker]

I've got 3 different Americans I load for and shoot, and everyone one of them has problems with the magazines. I sure wish Ruger would solve this issue. They do pretty well for the first couple hundred rounds, and then the cartridges start dragging real hard when feeding them into the chamber, this condition quickly goes from noticeable, to impossible.

I've tried using very fine sand paper to try and create a smoother surface, and also tried graphite, hoping that would allow the cartridges to slide, but to no avail. Thus far, Ruger has been awesome about replacing magazines for me, but still, why don''t they just up grade this magazine design? Or at the very least, they could add some metal to the internal contact surfaces.

GS

 

[gunboat57]

I had to do some modifying of the magazine of my Ruger American in .223 to get the last shell to feed. The lips were so tight the cartridge base would drop below the front of the bolt. I fixed it by removing just a bit of material from the forward end of the lips.

If you were to push a shell out of the magazine using a dowel like it was the bolt, do all the shells feed OK?

Here's a last shell pushed part way out. This magazine feeds properly.

 

[gamestalker]

Gunboat57, you hit the nail on the head. I broke out the dremel and took off some material, and now if feeds, and much nicer, smoother. I just wish Ruger would resolve the issue with these magazine, it wouldn't be a major cost factor by any means.

GS

 

[gunboat57]

Glad it worked for you. On mine I just had to shave off a few thousandths with an Xacto knife and emery paper. But before I did, I got a replacement magazine from Ruger (free) that worked properly. They changed the shape of the follower and might've beefed up the follower spring a bit.

I think the problem might be that Ruger tries to use the same magazine for more than one cartridge. It's a "one size fits none" situation.

 

[midland man]

so guys hows this new rifle performing??

 

[gunboat57]

My first Ruger American was in 22-250 and with my reloads it shoots as tight as I can hold. Then somebody sold me a bunch of .223 brass so I bought a second RAR to go with the brass. Again, with my reloads, it shoots as tight as I can hold. That is, less than .75" at 100 yards.
The triggers can be adjusted down to about 3 lbs+. But if you cut a coil off the trigger spring, you can get down to 2 lbs+ and still be safe.
Only trouble I've had was with the .223 magazine but I fixed it easily and got a second magazine free.
Overall, very pleased with both my RARs.

I should get a job with Ruger in sales, huh?

 

[243winxb]

Magazine are designed for factory sized ammo. Neck sized reloads may have a problem, as they* are fatter in the body. I found this out with M16 magazines.

 

[gunboat57]

That's a good point about reloads maybe being fatter if only neck sized. My .223 reloads are fully resized and the mag still had feed troubles. The lips were just a little too stiff and the follower spring a little too weak. But I salute Ruger for trying to come up with a plastic material of just the right stiffness over the full range of anticipated operating temperatures. Once all the kinks are worked out, their magazine design will be quite an achievement.

In any case, with my 2 RARs, I basically single load each shot when varmint hunting and don't even need the magazine for the most part. By the way, that's another thing I like about the RARs: they push feed so you can just drop the round in the chamber and the extractor will engage when you close the bolt. With my sporterized M96 Mauser, I have to press a round into the magazine to single load.