.50AE Fail to Feed

[Syclone538]

A friend of mine just got a used DE in .50 AE and sometimes the bullet or the front or the case will catch on the front of the mag. It seems like the rounds are not angled up enough. Does it just need a mag spring or is there another issue here?

[SAWMAN]

I have had a DE(MK1) for some 18'ish years now. I have never had a FTF or a FTE problem with it.

Realizeing that the 44 and the 50 are different sized rds you would be more likely to have a FTF problem with the larger in diameter round.

This is what I have done to my DE. Polished the feed ramp with a Dremmel tool using a small felt wheel(turned as slow as possible),and using some white or brown polishing compound. Make the ramp look like a mirror. I also very lightly polished the chamber.

Load a mag with ammo and slowly push out each rd using the eraser of a pencil. Put it on the base of the round and push it out slowly the same way the action would push it. Note how it bears on the underside of the mags feed lips as it is being stripped from the mag. You might even be able to see two scratch marks on the brass. Smooth and contour the underside of the feed lips. I also smoothed and reshaped the leading edge of the mag(the front part closest to the feed ramp).

Other than that ----> the front part of the feed lips might not be bent up enough,the mag springs could be improper or excessively week,the return spring ass'y could be worn/improper/weak, or the shooter could be "limp wristing".

If you want to do the simplest first,just take a pair of needle nosed pliers and VERY SLOWLY and a VERY LITTLE AT A TIME,bend the front 1/4 to 1/3 of the feed lips,upward. This,always trying a loaded rd as you slowly bend. Even if this is the "fix",I still reccommend that you do what is stated in para. 3 and 4.

Good luck with this and pls let us know what the problem and the "fix" was.

[templetonhal]

I agree with SAWMAN, sounds like a weak mag spring or user is not gripping the gun tight enough. The recoil springs on the DE are pretty stout, make sure they are "lightly" lubricated.

When shooting the DE, grip the gun tight and lock the wrists. Pretend you are holding a live snake, keeping it away from you and choking it at the same time. DE recommends shooting with a Weaver hold. If you are right handed the right arm pushes out while the left are pulls in, while conciously locking the wrists.

[Syclone538]

I didn't think limp wristing could be an issue, with it being gas operated, but I really don't know. I was keeping my elbows slightly bent and allowing the gun to come back quite a bit, simply because it hurt less that way. I don't think it jammed on me though.

Thanks for the input, and I'll try to get some pics up of the rounds catching on the mag.

[templetonhal]

If it hurts you you may be sub-conciously holding it looser than you should. I'm in my 50's and the DE 50 does hurt my right wrist (all the years of abuse -crashing on bikes) so I don't cap off many rounds.

Another symptom if you are holding too loose is the brass will come smack you between the eyes. The brass should just clear the right side of your face with some velocity.

[Syclone538]

Here you can see the case catching on the front of the mag. I'll have more pics before too long. The brass never did hit me in the face, but I think it did hit one of my friends in the face.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p253/tz34/Guns/IMG_2549.jpg

[SAWMAN]

Syclone, is that a OEM MR mag ???

Shape the leeding edge of that mag as per my above post(about 45deg) and give 'er a try.

[Syclone538]

I had assumed so, but I really don't know.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p253/tz34/Guns/IMG_2550.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p253/tz34/Guns/IMG_2551.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p253/tz34/Guns/IMG_2552.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p253/tz34/Guns/IMG_2554.jpg

[templetonhal]

There's hardly any wear on the mag and you are using CCI ammo, pretty stout ammo. It could be a mag with a defective mag spring. I would seriously try another mag, it almost if the ammo is nosediving into the mag due to weak mag spring.

[u n v kenny]

If it's not the mag, it may be the limp wristing... You definitely cannot limp wrist a DE lol

[Chastech]

My DE is in 357mag trim. I bought it used and it had FTF issues when I first shoot it. It started on the second Mag but would do so on all my Mags after that. Heat maybe? I bought a spring kit from Magnum Research and everything now works normal. Just my 2 cents.