In a couple recent threads there were some questions about feeding issues with the Savage Model 6 & Stevens Model 87 series. I had a general idea on how these worked but never took a close look at how these feed. On looking much closer I learned a few things that were not clear before. I'm sure many have already been through much of this but here is everything I found.
The two thin slots in the bottom of the bolt, along with the lifter spring and cartridge guide spring work the lifter. When the bolt is forward the bottom of the bolt between the two slots pushes on the top prong on the lifter to lower it allowing a cartridge to feed into the magazine guide. With the lifter down the rear prong is raised into the slot farther back. As the bolt retracts the lifter spring raises the lifter slightly until the cartridge contacts and is held by the cartridge guide spring, the lifter spring is not strong enough to overcome this by itself, as the bolt retract farther the rear groove curves down to the bottom of the bolt and this pushes down on the rear prong snapping the cartridge past the cartridge guide spring. The lifter spring then raise the cartridge to load position as the bolt continues to open.
I originally thought the possible reason for it working this way was to allow the action has retracted far enough by the time the cartridge lifted that the nose of the bullet does not contact & rub along the bottom of the bolt. This way the nose of the bullet cannot be distorted by the bolt. I had never tried to cycle one without the cartridge guide spring so I removed the cartridge guide spring and started running dummy rounds through; I found out that there was more to it than that.
Everything worked fine until about the 6th round when I ended up with 2 cartridges on top of the lifter and a jammed action. I had this happen again a few cycles later. This is what is pictured in the center detail on the last page of the patent – without the spring to stop it a cartridge can sometimes be pushed high enough to allow another to slip under it. A few rounds later I had one of the dummy rounds tilt with the rear up and the nose down and that really jammed the action. That was similar to what is shown in the bottom detail but it was at much more of an angle blocking the bolt from closing and keeping the lifter from moving up which then blocked the bolt from opening. I would not want this to happen with a live round.
I also found that the lifter stop on the front of the release housing is only needed if you put rounds in the magazine of an empty gun with the bolt held open, it keeps the lifter from rising high enough to allow a round to go under it, otherwise it is not needed - the lifter never gets that high otherwise.
The two thin slots in the bottom of the bolt, along with the lifter spring and cartridge guide spring work the lifter. When the bolt is forward the bottom of the bolt between the two slots pushes on the top prong on the lifter to lower it allowing a cartridge to feed into the magazine guide. With the lifter down the rear prong is raised into the slot farther back. As the bolt retracts the lifter spring raises the lifter slightly until the cartridge contacts and is held by the cartridge guide spring, the lifter spring is not strong enough to overcome this by itself, as the bolt retract farther the rear groove curves down to the bottom of the bolt and this pushes down on the rear prong snapping the cartridge past the cartridge guide spring. The lifter spring then raise the cartridge to load position as the bolt continues to open.
I originally thought the possible reason for it working this way was to allow the action has retracted far enough by the time the cartridge lifted that the nose of the bullet does not contact & rub along the bottom of the bolt. This way the nose of the bullet cannot be distorted by the bolt. I had never tried to cycle one without the cartridge guide spring so I removed the cartridge guide spring and started running dummy rounds through; I found out that there was more to it than that.
Everything worked fine until about the 6th round when I ended up with 2 cartridges on top of the lifter and a jammed action. I had this happen again a few cycles later. This is what is pictured in the center detail on the last page of the patent – without the spring to stop it a cartridge can sometimes be pushed high enough to allow another to slip under it. A few rounds later I had one of the dummy rounds tilt with the rear up and the nose down and that really jammed the action. That was similar to what is shown in the bottom detail but it was at much more of an angle blocking the bolt from closing and keeping the lifter from moving up which then blocked the bolt from opening. I would not want this to happen with a live round.
I also found that the lifter stop on the front of the release housing is only needed if you put rounds in the magazine of an empty gun with the bolt held open, it keeps the lifter from rising high enough to allow a round to go under it, otherwise it is not needed - the lifter never gets that high otherwise.
