Winchester Model 70 Feeding Problem

[TonyR]

I have been reloading for a friend's custom 375 H&H Magnum which is built on a Winchester Model 70 action. I have been having problems feeding empty cases into the chamber single shot style. I have been trying to chamber the fully resized empty cases before I reload them because I have had few problems feeding the loaded rounds as well. If I just lay the empty case on top of the magazine follower, the bolt will not fully close on the empty case about a third of the time. If I push the case down into the magazine first, they all feed fine. Have other people had this kind of problem with Model 70 action?

 

[280man]

if it is a classic pre-64 type with the claw I think it is supposed to come up from the magazine

 

[Winchester69]

My understanding of the CRF Winchester action, both early and late, is that the claw extractor should be able to override the case's rim. Mauser actions, by comparison, must be fed from the magazine. The owner can live with the limitation, as is necessary with the Mauser, or have a gunsmith take a look. Probably not difficult to correct.
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[TonyR]

This gun has a late action. The serial number begins with a "G". The owner has no problem feeding from the magazine. He is a hunter and rarely loads single shot. My BR guns are a Remington 700 and a Nesika K and both feed fine just dropping the rounds in. I had a pre-64 70 and just used it for hunting, so I never encountered this problem before. I knew that the 70's had had different feed methods but didn't understand the difference until now. I loaded some empty cases into the magazine and worked the action upside-down and they feed fine. Nice to know the difference.