20VT repeater
- Thread starter Gabe22BR
- Start date
Ackman
Gold $$ Contributor
Blaine was one of the best people I've ever known. Really a good guy. Sorry he's gone.
I've built 3 repeater Vartargs now on R700 actions... an ARC Archimedes, a Remington 700 223, and a Defiance Deviant Tactical.
Magazines were the sticking point, and the best mags I've found to use are the Ruger 223 AICS plastic mags, #90562. Their feed lips are differently shaped and longer than the old genuine AI 223 mags, the MDT plastic and metal 223 mags, and the Accurate 223 metal mags; none of those would feed reliably with Vartarg for me, but the Ruger magazine works very well with Vartarg. Load them to the back of the magazine and go. The Archimedes will actually CRF with the stubby little 20VT out of the Ruger mags.
One thing to note, if you feed the bolt very, very slowly or stop the bolt right after the round comes free of the feed lips the little Vartarg can fall down vertically into the gap in the magazine in front of the other rounds in the mag, but run the bolt normally and it never happens. At some point I want to try 3D printing a new follower and a spacer to fill the front of the magazine to totally eliminate that possibility.
I think I paid about $25/ea when I picked up a bunch of the Ruger mags from Brownells. What's funny is while they feed 20VT great they don't feed 223 or 223AI worth a damn in either of my 223AI bolt rifles, lol
For all 3 of those actions the Ruger mags needed to be shortened a bit at the very front of the magazine as they seem to be made tall in that area and hit the action preventing the magazine from inserting high enough and latching in, but if you pull the follower out it takes about 5 minutes with a file to remove 0.050" or so off the front 1/2" of the mag and then they no longer interfere with the action. The feed lips are also pretty thick and the outside of them may hit the side of the action depending on the mag cut in the action; if that happens a round needle file can help make a tiny bit of clearance on the outside of the feed lips for the mags to sit high enough to feed properly.
Magazines were the sticking point, and the best mags I've found to use are the Ruger 223 AICS plastic mags, #90562. Their feed lips are differently shaped and longer than the old genuine AI 223 mags, the MDT plastic and metal 223 mags, and the Accurate 223 metal mags; none of those would feed reliably with Vartarg for me, but the Ruger magazine works very well with Vartarg. Load them to the back of the magazine and go. The Archimedes will actually CRF with the stubby little 20VT out of the Ruger mags.
One thing to note, if you feed the bolt very, very slowly or stop the bolt right after the round comes free of the feed lips the little Vartarg can fall down vertically into the gap in the magazine in front of the other rounds in the mag, but run the bolt normally and it never happens. At some point I want to try 3D printing a new follower and a spacer to fill the front of the magazine to totally eliminate that possibility.
I think I paid about $25/ea when I picked up a bunch of the Ruger mags from Brownells. What's funny is while they feed 20VT great they don't feed 223 or 223AI worth a damn in either of my 223AI bolt rifles, lol
For all 3 of those actions the Ruger mags needed to be shortened a bit at the very front of the magazine as they seem to be made tall in that area and hit the action preventing the magazine from inserting high enough and latching in, but if you pull the follower out it takes about 5 minutes with a file to remove 0.050" or so off the front 1/2" of the mag and then they no longer interfere with the action. The feed lips are also pretty thick and the outside of them may hit the side of the action depending on the mag cut in the action; if that happens a round needle file can help make a tiny bit of clearance on the outside of the feed lips for the mags to sit high enough to feed properly.
Yeah..that may have been me..i posted videos so..its not B.S.
MDT chassis
Asic polymer 10rd 223 mag
It was a savage model 12 left hand action just to make things a little more difficult to find originally a single shot rifle. Its chambered in 17 fireball
Now its a repeater and its awesome..
Ejection would only work if i pulled the bolt back fast or the case would fall off the bolt head. But not any more..i just kept playing with it ..
MDT suggest using the metal magazine and adjusting feed lips. For what its worth.
I already had some polymer 223 mags so i figured i try them before spending more money first..
I cant confirm anyone else's rifle, but in my situation, with my parts, and rifle configuration it works...there is an over sized part available for the savage bolt that help that little case hold on. That i installed years ago..maybe that has something to do with my configuration functioning
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SBS
Gold $$ Contributor
Thanks for sharing.
What degree countersink did u use?
I'd like to make one for future development mode and then when capacity is finalized make the FL die.
I'll order a 60* for my use but just curious what you used.
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That's another uncommon countersink ...70* total.angle.
I guess for this I could just grind whatever angle I wanted on a drill bit.
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Gabe22BR
Gold $$ Contributor
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