AICS 300WM magazines for 6.5x55AI & 280 AI?

[flatlander]

I used Badger Ordnance M5 BM on a LA M700 rifle in straight 284 Win, and haven't had a lot of problems getting the fat 284 brass to feed reliably. However, now I've got a 6.5x55 AI on another M700 LA, and am getting ready to build one in 280 AI.

What I need to know is whether anyone's had sucess getting reliable feeding out of the AI 300WM mags by forming the lips to work with these smaller dia. cases? Or does bending the mag lips to hold a smaller case hold them down so far that the bolt doesn't strip them out of the magazine reliably?

 

[boone3380]

I use the 300 Win AICS and Accurate mags with my 6.5-285, with no problems. I tried my .280 AI in the mags and you will definitely have to work on the lips. I believe you could just bend them in a little and everything would be fine. Funny you asked this, I was just playing around with the idea last night.

 

[flatlander]

We shoot some precision rifle matches where you gotta have 5rd magazine capacity, and 5 or 10rd detachable mags with smooth, reliable feeding are the way to go. I've got short action rifles in 6 & 6.5x47 that work really well in AICS mags, and even 223 w/Berger 90gr LRBTs & VLDs in AICS plastic 10rd mags work slick. I'd have thought someone wanting to run 6.5x55/.30-'06-size rounds through DMs would've already tried this.

 

[boone3380]

The 300 Win mags hold the 280 AI, but the lips would need to be bent in to hold them more secure. They will feed, the lips are just a touch too far apart. I have a long action 6.5-284 and was trying them in it. I'm thinking about building a 280 AI tactical and was checking. You might find some info over on Snipers Hide.

 

[toddconley]

Yes they work great on 280 ai. The lips have to be bent a touch. It doesn't take a rocket scientist though. Just bend a little and see what happens. If this a match rig an advantage is the 5 rounders hold 6 of the 06 cases. The 10 rounders hold 12. My 2 cents is this. Don't do an ai for a match gun. I have one and I love the way it shoots. But nosler brass is over 1$ each. Just add 2 in to the barrel and shoot a reg 280. I always lose brass at matches. Hard to shoot inside a 162 amax @ 3000 fps. Plus 12 rounds in the box.
Thanks for listening,
T