10/22 Mags and Winchester 555 "RimLock"

[number6]

Odd occurrence at the Lapeer Appleseed this weekend.

On two separate lines.  Two separate shooters, each shooting the white boxed, Winchester 555 ammo.

One repeat Appleseeder, one new.  Both had issues where the rim of a round got stuck behind the rim of the next "lower" round in the magazine.  Because the second round could not move forward in the magazine, and the spring pressure keeping the rounds together, the shooter could not clear their magazine.

Has anyone noticed issues with current lots of the Win 555?

number6

[douglas34474]

It was more likely operator error than bad ammo. Where the rounds deformed?

[number6]

The ones I had on the line I was working, were not deformed.

I attempted at first to use the clip on a sharpie cap to push the round out, but eventually just tossed the mag behing the Eq line and worked on it later.

number6

[Superheat]

Never seen that one before. But I knew what happened as soon as I saw it. " hey we can't get this ammo out of this 10/22 mag". Indeed it was rimlocked. About an hour later I mentioned to number6 what had happened and he stated they had the same thing on his line. The very next breath he said was it Winchester 555 box? 
I went back to the other line and inquired. Yep same white box of ammo.

Buyer be where.

[Whippet]

The round was not deformed on the other mag. I personally inspected the round in question and it was actually reinserted and worked as designed on the next stage.

[ItsanSKS]

$5 bet that the shooters shook, tapped, dropped, or otherwise 'rattled' the magazine prior to this occurrence.  Further, I'll bet that the magazines in question had a few miles on them, and the internal spring was overdue for adjustment...

Been there, done that, with the same result.   

Not an ammo problem in my estimation.  Believe that it was mere coincidence that two shooters experienced this problem with the same type of ammo.  Show me a third and I'll relent.

In the meantime-

Clean the magazine.
Adjust those magazine springs.
Stop shaking/rattling/dropping your darn mag!



-ItsanSKS

[Nero]

Also make sure the hex head screw hasn't started backing out due to vibration.  This can allow extra fore/aft play on the rounds - next the mag will start sticking in the mag well since it's becoming over-length.

(I actually give my 10/22 mags a single sharp rap downwards on the case head end to seat the rounds once I've stuffed them, just as I do on my AR mags.  It may be a superstition, but I've never had a rimlock.)

[AFTERMATH]

$5 bet that the shooters shook, tapped, dropped, or otherwise 'rattled' the magazine prior to this occurrence.  Further, I'll bet that the magazines in question had a few miles on them, and the internal spring was overdue for adjustment...

Been there, done that, with the same result.   

Not an ammo problem in my estimation.  Believe that it was mere coincidence that two shooters experienced this problem with the same type of ammo.  Show me a third and I'll relent.

In the meantime-

Clean the magazine.
Adjust those magazine springs.
Stop shaking/rattling/dropping your darn mag!



-ItsanSKS

This was my thought as well.  Though a little shaking is good to tell which is 2 and which is 8. 
Besides, if the theory on this issue is correct - Better to find out their running soft before they fail completely.


The one mag issue I've yet to figure out though is the ghost round...  You ever have that round that disappears - only to pop up later as #11?  I've seen this a few times.  Even on my own.  Only finally confirmed it when on stage 4 of an AQT, in which I typically like to shoot the eleventh round for extra dryfire practice - That shot really came a surprise!

[Mark Davis]

I have seen it, but can not trace it to specific ammo.
Always assumed it was a magazine preperation error.
Dropping the mag like ITsanSKS says, really does make sense.

[oladcock]

I tap all my mags no matter what gun they are out of, drop them on asphalt, into talcum powder dirt, and shot "555" ammo...Never seen a rim lock. But I disassemble and clean my mags every 4-6 months before they get dirty enough to cause problems.....O.L.