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Converting an internal magazine to a clip?
A.Gun
Member Posts: 1,326 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hey all,
Fairly new to the rifle game. Been a slug gun hunter my whole life. I have a savage Stevens rifle calibered at .22-250 for coyotes. I was wondering if I can make the internal magazine converted to a clip or removable magazine style. Thanks for any input!
Fairly new to the rifle game. Been a slug gun hunter my whole life. I have a savage Stevens rifle calibered at .22-250 for coyotes. I was wondering if I can make the internal magazine converted to a clip or removable magazine style. Thanks for any input!
Comments
Start with looking at models supplied by your rifles current manufacturer. Begin measuring and taking into account magazine attachment. I would consider anything actually smaller than your present box cavity. You may find a magazine that closely resembles your present rifle box housing. Then comes the actual modification if unsuccessful could leave you without any magazine. Any work other than perfect will leave you with a jammed rifle. At this stage you need to decide on extending the clip or using it as is. This is in itself a project.
Let us know your progress.
I believe your idea, is to carry a couple of spare magazines, for quick reloads, not to reload a magazine in the field?
It can be done, but most likely your rifle has a blind magazine, meaning no bottom metal. If that is the case, it will need a new stock, and bottom metal, containing the DBM hardware. You might have more into the conversion, than you currently do in the rifle.
Best
Hey all,
Fairly new to the rifle game. Been a slug gun hunter my whole life. I have a savage Stevens rifle calibered at .22-250 for coyotes. I was wondering if I can make the internal magazine converted to a clip or removable magazine style. Thanks for any input!
Yes, you "can" convert an internal magazine gun to one that will accept removable magazines, but its actually quite a difficult and labor intensive job. You have to machine the stock, receiver, find or fabricate a suitable magazine, fit it, then tune it, etc.
By the time you add up time, labor, and parts costs, its probably not worth the effort, particularly not if the whole rifle is worth less than $400 to begin with (which I'm guessing is probably the case here). It would be far easier and cheaper to just find the rifle you like in the configuration you like, buy it, then sell (or trade) the one you've got to partially offset the cost.
Depending on design, machining the rifle to accept stripper clips is probably quite a bit easier than entire magazines, though not a job for "at home" work by a non-machinist.
I also question the real-life value of this. If you're loading ten at a time into a combat rifle like an SKS, that could be worth something. For combat, you're potentially shooting at multiple covered and/or moving targets and you'll want as much capacity as you can get.
With a hunting rifle? Eh. . . Yes, you'll be able to load your 4 rounds out of a stripper faster than one at a time with fingers, but not so much faster that I think its going to make any real difference.
More doesn't hurt, but there are reasons why hunting rifles traditionally only hold a few rounds. Realistically if you miss with your first three shots, its unlikely that whatever game animal you were shooting at is going to stick around sitting there for a fourth, fifth, or sixth. If they are truly that stupid/clueless you're probably going to have time to manually load a few more rounds before shooting again!
There is a difference between the terms 'clip' and 'magazine'.
Clip usually refers to the stripper clips used to charge (load) an existing fixed magazine in a firearm.
Magazine is a separate carrier for the ammunition which is inserted into the firearm as a unit.
There are some conversions for Detachable Box Magazines (DBM) on the market. These are available for the large volume, major manufacturers such as Remington and the clone custom actions. Savage does make a magazine system but I am unclear as to whether it will function with your particular model. You can always check with the custom makers to see if there is simple adjustment to an existing magazine system which will work with your rifle. Remember that this is a process of geometry and numbers not just fitting some bottom metal. The cartridges still have to feed reliably and the magazines still have to be able to be inserted, retained and detachable.
The process for inletting a new magazine system is simple and rather inexpensive compared to the purchase price of the bottom metal and magazines. It requires knowledge and skills along with the proper tools to complete the job exactingly. We complete a dozen or more of these a week and with no pain whatsoever. The reason for the popularity is that there are sales on fixed magazine model rifles which makes the conversion reasonable and affordable when compared to replacing the rifle with an existing system.
We still machine Remington M700 receivers for clip slots for the M40 conversions. It's not hard nor time consuming but again it's geometry and numbers which make or break the function. The addition of modern scopes can negate the function of the stripper clip simply by blocking access to the slot in the top of the action.
As to value, that's a judgement left for the individual to make. Not all of us see things the same way and converting a rifle to a specific purpose may suit them just fine no matter what others think. The reason 'because I want to' is enough for me.
Best.
The replacement magazines can be used with any cartridge that fits. I use same magazine on .243 Win and 22-250 Rem. Such a magazine might be a good place to start a conversion. Magazine has a 1/8" thick baseplate that looks a little bit ugly compared to stock.
In your case the rifle will no doubt be a blind magazine. If you plan a big upgrade it's worth it to go with a new stock that takes Savage DBM's. Also, in your case Savage sells the parts to make it a DBM.
Note here: We've already addressed a new DBM stock ($200+) and parts for the magazine itself ($50ish)
If you are wanting a lot more rounds I suggest contacting CDI precision and they can handle bottom metal and 10 round magazine for approximately the same money. But, you don't get the shapelier stock. Do a search and you can find other kits for detachable magazine upgrades for Savage and Stevens (200).
Another note here: I've been on SSS waiting list for a long, long time, and still haven't gotten their upgrade notification for a nine round magazine. CDI is the best option IMO.
-good luck