700 issue

[4xforfun]

I bought and then sold a Rem 700 LA to a friend. It is a stainless LA Rem 700 which had a single shot plate glued in. My friend had a 28 Nosler tube chambered up for it and used bottom medal he had from a Rum. Anyway ...he said that the pate would slide past the feed rail and he was unable to cycle his bolt when empty. Closer inspection ...it is obvious that someone had milled too much off of the feed rail (or what ever it is called) and the plate simply slides past it and blocks the bolt.

Question .....would this matter if we went to a DETACHABLE mag system of some sort? Otherwise this would be a single shot only action.

Thanks,
Tod

 

[Doom2]

If I follow what you are describing the bolt is catching on the back of the follower. If that's the case then it's going to catch the bolt when empty. You would have to load a couple of rounds to see what happens when loaded.

It sounds as if someone monkeyed with the ramps trying to make a standard LA into a magnum action or UM as you noted. I doubt changing followers will make a difference.

 

[LoneTraveler]

Check the feed rails closely, Someone may have already milled the magazine rails to accept a detachable magazine, With the magazine having it own feed rails.

 

[4xforfun]

Check the feed rails closely, Someone may have already milled the magazine rails to accept a detachable magazine, With the magazine having it own feed rails.

Don't have to look close.....it is obvious......it has been milled. For what I have no Idea!! I have 4 other 700's to compare it to, and it is obvious.

 

[Rusty85]

A Wyatt's center feed magazine box should work.

 

[tobnpr]

Sounds like it was a standard LA, the feed rails were milled to mimic the magnum long action's feed rails for heavier bodied magnums.

 

[shortgrass]

You can take a Rem 700 receiver that is for the UMs and install a barrel chambered for a std mag (like .300 Win., 7mm Rem Mag, etc) and it'll feed just fine. Sounds to me like the rails on this one were way over cut. This is the prime reason to keep receivers off the milling machine when performing feed work and pick up a mill bastard file and do it a little at a time! I am old enough and been gunsmithing long enough to have done it this way on many, many actions. Back in my day, we "cut our teeth" on Springfields and Mausers, where if you were using either to build a magnum you needed to open the feed rails. Flawless feeding can be achieved by working a little at a time. Even a std 700 can be greatly improved upon with a bit of judicious and careful handwork with a file and then stones to smooth feeding. It's not rocket science, and not all gunsmithing is machine work. Lots of stuff gets screwed-up by applying powder tools when a bit of handwork is all that is need or required. This one that the OPs' friend has would probably work OK with a center feed box and follower, be it a Wyatts in BDL configuration or a center feed detachable box magazine set-up. It ain't junk yet!

 

[timl]

Any chance the action was originally from a 700 DM (detachable magazine) rifle? The ones with the magazine that has a tab on each side to release it. I have an action from a 700 BDL DM, and you can't use a hinged floorplate with it. I have been able to use M5 style detachable bottom metal. I've used PTG, Hawkins and Grayboe and they all functioned fine.

 

[LoneTraveler]

Thanks timl for reminding me of the 700 DL, That model came out about the time I left the field as a wildlife Officer. Never handled or worked on a 700 DL model.

 

[shortgrass]

From what I have seen of the 700DM, I'm not sure a single shot 'sled' would hold in the feed port.

 

[rm76]

Any chance the action was originally from a 700 DM (detachable magazine) rifle?

This is what I was thinking.

 

[tobnpr]

One more time...
The 28 Nosler requires a RUM magnum action with wider feed rails. OP said this is how the rifle was originally chambered.

 

[timl]

No, he said he sold it to a friend and the friend had a 28 Nolser tube chambered for it, that's when he realized the bottom metal wouldn't work.

 

[shortgrass]

One more time...
The 28 Nosler requires a RUM magnum action with wider feed rails. OP said this is how the rifle was originally chambered.

The OP never mentioned what the action was originally barreled for. He did say his friend tried to use RUM bottom metal.