What is a "Hinged floorplate magazine?"

[plevniak]

I'm not a hunter and have had only limited exposure to bolt action rifles. I enjoy high power rifle matches using my M1 Garand but I would also like to try my hand at long range shooting using optics.

Ok, that said, I'm looking at various tactical bolt action rifles. Primarily I've been drawn to the Remington line. I understand all the specifications for the rifles except for the various magazine styles. The only one that I recognize is a "detachable magazine". So, what is a "hinged floorplate magazine"? Are there other types of magazines? What are the pros & cons?

I was comparing the Rem 700 VSF in Win308 and the Rem 700 SPS DM in 30-06 when I discovered my problem. I figured a "varmit" rifle would be able to handle any rapid fire stages in the matches, so I'm leaning towards the VSF. The detachable magazine and the $500 price of the SPS DM is attractive though.

While I have your attention...
If anyone wants to recommend which one of the above I should pick or if I should go with another 308 Win/30-06 rifle at or below $900, I'd be glad to read about them.

 

[RRTX]

A hinged floorplate magazine is an internal magazine that can be emptied by opening the floorplate instead of having to cycle the bolt to eject each round like a normal fixed internal mag.

 

[Gordon]

A 700BDL REM has a hinged floor plate; IE> it opens to allow ammo removal from the bottom without feeding it thru action.
a 700 ADL Rem has a blind magazine well that has no quick access to the magazine contents.
A third type magazine exists, on military guns, where the floor plate and the attached spring and follower detach (not hinged although some military are hinges) by releaseing a catch with a bullet point.

 

[Warbow]

My dad has a Ruger M77, and on it, "hinged floorplate magazine" is exactly what it describes.

Basically, there's a lever you can push and the magazine floorplate swings down on a hinge below the stock. Gives easy access to the spring and follower. And I guess you could also use it as a quick way to empty the magazine if there are rounds in it.

Edit: Heh. Not as quick to post as others.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

A hinged floorplate is, in some heavy-recoiling guns, a mechanism for dropping the contents of the magazine in the dirt at the first shot.

Some makes and/or cartridges are notorious for doing this -- one of the first tests I read on the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum noted this flaw.

 

[Slater]

The Mosin-Nagant series has this feature also.

 

[Catbird]

Sks

 

[4v50 Gary]

One problem with hinged floorplates. If you're hunting in cold weather, that metal floorplate will be a lot colder than a blind magazine with wood or fiberglass.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

One different approach is the Browning BBR -- it has a hinged floorplate with a separate box magazine that clicks into it.

I always thought the most useful thing about hinged floorplate magazines is that it makes them easy to clean.

 

[Matt-man]

I figured a "varmit" rifle would be able to handle any rapid fire stages in the matches, so I'm leaning towards the VSF.

If you plan to shoot the rifle in high power matches, keep in mind that you're only getting 4 rounds into the magazines on either of these guns. On the VSF you can add an aftermarket floorplate that extends the magazine capacity to 5, which will do for high power. You'll also have to have the receiver modified to facilitate loading from stripper clips. I don't know about 5-round magazines for the SPS DM.

The VLS would be my pick for a match rifle - the laminated stock can be more easily modified with an adjustable buttplate and cheekpiece for match duty.