AI ASXR 300 PRC Magazine Issue

[PerformanceWeapons]

We recently had a customer drop off an AI ASXR in 300 PRC to have the barrel shortened for suppressor use and the scope mounted. When we did an initial function check, the rifle would feed a few rounds and stop due to rounds tilting nose down in the magazine. The stack could be reset by pressing down on the rounds still in the magazine, but the condition would repeat after a few rounds. I contacted AI, received a return label, and after 5 weeks received a replacement magazine, however the issue is still present. I have confirmed that the magazine is correct (.300 Win Mag) for 300 PRC. I have not actually test fired the rifle, but I assume that it should load and eject live rounds without issue as normal function.

Has anyone else had a similar issue? I have a personal AXSA that runs flawlessly, and I would expect the same out of this rifle.

 

[Huskydriver]

Is it the older style design?

 

[Milf Dots]

Is it the older style design?

In for interest. Are you referring to an older mag design? Thnx

 

[Huskydriver]

In for interest. Are you referring to an older mag design? Thnx

Yes there are 2 double stack axsr/axmc 300wm mags. The older one is a 10 Rd and the newer is a 12.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

I assume it is the older style 10 round mag since it only holds 10 rounds. I was unaware that there were two versions. Steel magazine body and plastic floor plate and follower, marked .300 Win Mag. Customer bought the rifle new in .300 Win Mag and never fired it. We built him a custom hunting rifle in 300 PRC, so he decided to convert this rifle over to 300 PRC as well. As part of our process, we function tested the rifle and discovered the issue.

 

[Huskydriver]

Are they just sliding too far forward and then nosing down under the feedramp?

Or is one round literally pointing straight down in the mag?

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

Round is sliding forward and going under the feed ramp. The tip of the bullet is actually hitting the front of the mag. I can press down on the ammo stack and reset the mag. It will feed for a few rounds and then the issue will repeat. I’ve thought about deburring this edge at the front of the magazine. There is some distortion from punching the mag latch notch at the front.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I've got zero experience running 300PRC in anything, let alone an AI but I have ran 300WM in those mags in an AXMC and a PSR and have ran enough other rounds in double stack AI mags to know that I wouldn't expect the PRC to run in an unmodified 300WM case. That mag is designed for 300WM which only has the same diameter of the PRC at the case head, everything else is smaller diameter and it tapers more too. The mags run 100% with 300WM though. I would try opening the feed lips a bit on a mag and go from there.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

I've got zero experience running 300PRC in anything, let alone an AI but I have ran 300WM in those mags in an AXMC and a PSR and have ran enough other rounds in double stack AI mags to know that I wouldn't expect the PRC to run in an unmodified 300WM case. That mag is designed for 300WM which only has the same diameter of the PRC at the case head, everything else is smaller diameter and it tapers more too. The mags run 100% with 300WM though. I would try opening the feed lips a bit on a mag and go from there.

Makes sense. We have to tune every AICS mag (single stack) for 300 PRC for our hunting rifles as they come set up for .300 Win Mag. However, this is the magazine that AI specifically lists for 300 PRC and they also offer this as a factory chambering, so I wouldn’t imagine that they would need to tune each one of these from the factory from the factory. Or it could be that they don’t care……….

 

[Huskydriver]

Round is sliding forward and going under the feed ramp. The tip of the bullet is actually hitting the front of the mag. I can press down on the ammo stack and reset the mag. It will feed for a few rounds and then the issue will repeat. I’ve thought about deburring this edge at the front of the magazine. There is some distortion from punching the mag latch notch at the front. View attachment 8094622

Yep that's what I figured was happening...

Imo with vld length bullets like bergers or eldms, they are seated out far enough they will go under the feedramp moving forward under the bolt running the first 2-3 rounds forward.

The issue with the older mags is the shoulder fold stop location..

I have found 300prc will actually run flawlessly out of the 338 lm mag if you bend the feedlips inward a tad...

The shoulder stop folds in the 300 wm mag are more forward than the 338 lm folds ironically.

I have a newer style 12 Rd coming to try and compare to see if it helps with this issue.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

Here’s an image of the condition with the mag inside the rifle. It’s curious from the design that the barrel extension is behind the feed ramp on the chassis. It would make more sense if this were in front, similar to an AR.

 

[Huskydriver]

Here’s an image of the condition with the mag inside the rifle. It’s curious from the design that the barrel extension is behind the feed ramp on the chassis. It would make more sense if this were in front, similar to an AR.

View attachment 8094646

I would contact ai with that photo and see if they will swap it out for the newer style

 

[M8541Reaper]

I've yet to have an issue with the one that came with my AXSR (REDACTED lol) but the extra one I purchased (#6867) gave me a couple of feeding issues. Not every time though.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

Yep that's what I figured was happening...

Imo with vld length bullets like bergers or eldms, they are seated out far enough they will go under the feedramp moving forward under the bolt running the first 2-3 rounds forward.

The issue with the older mags is the shoulder fold stop location..

I have found 300prc will actually run flawlessly out of the 338 lm mag if you bend the feedlips inward a tad...

The shoulder stop folds in the 300 wm mag are more forward than the 338 lm folds ironically.

I have a newer style 12 Rd coming to try and compare to see if it helps with this issue.

View attachment 8094644

Thanks. We have to tune every AICS mag (single stack) for our hunting rifles for 300 PRC, which are originally .300 Win Mag. We have found that in the single stack mags, they are very sensitive to follower spring pressure and feed lip opening. If the .338 mags run well, then I’ll suggest that to my customer as opposed to trying to make the .300 Win Mag magazine work. Do you have a P/N for the new 12 round mag?

 

[Huskydriver]

I've yet to have an issue with the one that came with my AXSR (#28538) but the extra one I purchased (#6867) gave me a couple of feeding issues. Not every time though.

Well that sucks. 28538 I think is the 308 of win axsr mag def would not work with the 300 prc.

6867 is the newer 12 rounder

 

[redneckbmxer24]

The 338 mag is probably a better idea than fucking with a 300WM mag. The feed lips are already going to be a better angle so you only have to close them a bit, not bend one part of the lip more than the other with lots of trial and error.

A buddy of mine used 338 mags with a RUM in an AXMC.

 

[M8541Reaper]

Well that sucks. 28538 I think is the 308 of win axsr mag def would not work with the 300 prc.

6867 is the newer 12 rounder

Well you'd be right because I'm an idiot. I pulled the wrong model number from my invoice. I meant the one that comes standard with the 300prc rifle (I think the 26091). But the 300prc mag with the plastic baseplate has yet to give me issues. The other one, the 12rd mag with the metal bottom, is the one that messed up a couple of times.

Unrelated note...I cracked my 308's plastic base during a mag change over concrete yesterday.

 

[Huskydriver]

Well you'd be right because I'm an idiot. I pulled the wrong model number from my invoice. I meant the one that comes standard with the 300prc rifle (I think the 26091). But the 300prc mag with the plastic baseplate has yet to give me issues. The other one, the 12rd mag with the metal bottom, is the one that messed up a couple of times.

Unrelated note...I cracked my 308's plastic base during a mag change over concrete yesterday.

Huge bummer. Did you have the same issue as we are describing here with the 12 rounder?

 

[vh20]

I’d load the mag with 300WM rounds and measure the height of the bullet tip of the top round above the front edge of the mag, then do the same with PRC rounds. If the tip of the PRC rounds are lower, adjust the feed lips until they are the same height as the Win Mags. Something to try, anyway.
I’ve had the same issue with 300 and 338 Normas out of a 338 LM mag.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

I did contact AI in Virginia about the issue, including the pictures. I couldn’t speak to a rep (out of the office, in a meeting, etc, etc), but the operator sent me a return label for the factory magazine. I waited 4 weeks and didn’t receive a response. I contacted them again and was told they would check and get back to me. That was another 2 weeks. I finally contacted a distributor that I work with who forwarded my issue to someone at AI and I received the replacement. Other than the operator, I never actually spoke with someone at AI about the issue.

I agree that I would rather close the feed lips on a .338 mag than try to open the .300 Win Mag and still not be ideal.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I did contact AI in Virginia about the issue, including the pictures. I couldn’t speak to a rep (out of the office, in a meeting, etc, etc), but the operator sent me a return label for the factory magazine. I waited 4 weeks and didn’t receive a response. I contacted them again and was told they would check and get back to me. That was another 2 weeks. I finally contacted a distributor that I work with who forwarded my issue to someone at AI and I received the replacement. Other than the operator, I never actually spoke with someone at AI about the issue.

I agree that I would rather close the feed lips on a .338 mag than try to open the .300 Win Mag and still not be ideal.

Call Tuesday or Wednesday and talk to Scott. Most of the AI guys are down at the AI classic for the weekend.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

Call Tuesday or Wednesday and talk to Scott. Most of the AI guys are down at the AI classic for the weekend.

I’ll give it a shot. I was told to talk with Tim by my distributor but couldn’t get past the front desk guard…………

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

Update……..I emailed Tim at AI on 3/15 and have not received a response. I had a chance today to look more closely at the issue. Huskydriver is correct in that the magazine shoulder folds are causing the issue. The height of the round stack is not the issue as the first few rounds will feed normally and when the stack is square. The problem is the round stack tilts forward during the feeding cycle and does not recover to the relaxed position once the round has been fed into the chamber.

You can push down on the rear of the stack to correct the issue but it repeats on the next or after round.

It seems to be a combination of interference with these folds and a bad design of the spring and follower (for 300 PRC). The follower could definitely use more even spring pressure at the front, but that may not be necessary with .300 Win Mag rounds.

I agree completely at this point that using a .338 Lapua mag with closer feed lips would be a better solution that bending and hacking at my customer’s $160 magazine.

While it would be nice to talk to SOMEBODY at AI, I’m going to advise my customer to pick up a .338 mag.

 

[PerformanceWeapons]

Also, I can’t get the mag to run just by pushing rounds out of the magazine with my fingers on the bench, so it’s definitely a mag issue and not related to the operation of the bolt or ejection.

 

[Milf Dots]

It's surprising to me at least, that the precision rifle and magazine system many consider the most reliable in the world, can be had from the AI factory chambered in 300 PRC, but the magazines aren't designed properly for 300 PRC. Just wow.

 

[Huskydriver]

It's surprising to me at least, that the precision rifle and magazine system many consider the most reliable in the world, can be had from the AI factory chambered in 300 PRC, but the magazines aren't designed properly for 300 PRC. Just wow.

Quite sad actually.... Really blew their reputation with this and the atx rollout..

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

@PerformanceWeapons I had this exact issue when I first bought my AXSR in 300 PRC. Bullet tips will hang-up on the front of the mags when dry cycling or simulating feeding by pushing them out of the mag. The 12 round steel mags I have don't seem to do this.

It turns out this just doesn't happen during live fire (in my experience), the recoil sets the bullets back into the correct position within the mag. I have shot ~900 rounds of 300 prc since buying mine in September, including 2 field style PRS matches (to punish myself and others) and have had 0 mag failures. I am not a big fan of this, but the mags have never failed during actual shooting.

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

I have a newer style 12 Rd coming to try and compare to see if it helps with this issue.

The left feedlip on my 12 rounder needed tuning, as it wasn't positioning the left side rounds high enough for the bolt to catch and reliably feed. After that though it has been 100% with 300 prc.

 

[Huskydriver]

@PerformanceWeapons I had this exact issue when I first bought my AXSR in 300 PRC. Bullet tips will hang-up on the front of the mags when dry cycling or simulating feeding by pushing them out of the mag. The 12 round steel mags I have don't seem to do this.

It turns out this just doesn't happen during live fire (in my experience), the recoil sets the bullets back into the correct position within the mag. I have shot ~900 rounds of 300 prc since buying mine in September, including 2 field style PRS matches (to punish myself and others) and have had 0 mag failures. I am not a big fan of this, but the mags have never failed during actual shooting.

Yea so I had a brand new 12 rounder this last week out west for some elr work. Repeated issues just like seen here with the 10 rounders. The only way I have found any of them to be reliable, is to tweak the lips a tad in the front unfortunately

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

Yea so I had a brand new 12 rounder this last week out west for some elr work. Repeated issues just like seen here with the 10 rounders. The only way I have found any of them to be reliable, is to tweak the lips a tad in the front unfortunately

Its good that they can be adjusted/fixed, but disappointing given the price that you have to DIY it if you don't get lucky.

 

[M8541Reaper]

Man I am just a weirdo I guess. My 12rd mag on Tuesday ran the first 5 just fine but then failed to catch the remaining 5. However my 10rd mag fed them flawlessly (and always has). Zero tweaking to either. I guess I'll have to tweak my 12rd mag.

 

[M8541Reaper]

Its good that they can be adjusted/fixed, but disappointing given the price that you have to DIY it if you don't get lucky.

Exactly.
Fuckin 11k rifle and you have to tweak brand new 80-150 dollar mags.
Shame...

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

Man I am just a weirdo I guess. My 12rd mag on Tuesday ran the first 5 just fine but then failed to catch the remaining 5. However my 10rd mag fed them flawlessly (and always has). Zero tweaking to either. I guess I'll have to tweak my 12rd mag.

I reached out to Adam at Mile High about my issue since I bought it from them. He said he had tuning the 12 rounders for 300 prc down to a science and sent me a shipping label for that mag and its run perfect ever since he did whatever voodoo to it.

 

[Huskydriver]

Exactly.
Fuckin 11k rifle and you have to tweak brand new 80-150 dollar mags.
Shame...

#itsasystem

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

#itsasystem

#itsafeaturenotabug

 

[Huskydriver]

I reached out to Adam at Mile High about my issue since I bought it from them. He said he had tuning the 12 rounders for 300 prc down to a science and sent me a shipping label for that mag and its run perfect ever since he did whatever voodoo to it.

I would be interested what he does vs what I do... Do you have calipers?

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

I would be interested what he does vs what I do... Do you have calipers?

Sure, what measurements do you want?

 

[Krob95]

Quite sad actually.... Really blew their reputation with this and the atx rollout..

ATX is flawless (never mind the 3 generations already, bad mags, shims, shit triggers, etc) I am just trying to convince myself to keep this thing at this point. Once these barrels go, may revisit the topic

 

[Huskydriver]

Sure, what measurements do you want?

Lips across at the front and at the back please for starters see where that gets us

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

Lips across at the front and at the back please for starters see where that gets us

The 12 round mag is:
.660" at front of lips
.645" at back of lips

Reliable AXSR plastic baseplate 10 rounder:
.660" at front
.715" at back

 

[M8541Reaper]

Lips across at the front and at the back please for starters see where that gets us

At least buy him a steak dinner first.

 

[hafejd30]

Lips across at the front and at the back please for starters see where that gets us

 

[Huskydriver]

View attachment 8104000

 

[Huskydriver]

The 12 round mag is:
.660" at front of lips
.645" at back of lips

Reliable AXSR plastic baseplate 10 rounder:
.660" at front
.715" at back

Was that 10 rounders tweaked or those the factory measurements?

 

[Brym427]

So is there a "new" 12rd mag for the axsr thats made by ai? Mine came with a 10rd with plastic follower and baseplate, is this the new or old style?

 

[brianf]

never understood how this stuff gets past the design review

know how you can stop bullet tips from getting stuck under the feed ramp...design a mag that stops before the feed ramp

AI designed the action, chassis, and mag...its not like they cant change one spec +/-.100" for a smooth transition

its really not that hard

 

[Huskydriver]

never understood how this stuff gets past the design review

know how you can stop bullet tips from getting stuck under the feed ramp...design a mag that stops before the feed ramp

AI designed the action, chassis, and mag...its not like they cant change one spec +/-.100" for a smooth transition

its really not that hard

View attachment 8104076

Yep with a 300 wm shooting cip length ammo that won't happen but with the prc....

 

[Huskydriver]

So is there a "new" 12rd mag for the axsr thats made by ai? Mine came with a 10rd with plastic follower and baseplate, is this the new or old style?

Old @M8541Reaper posted the pn to the all metal 12 Rd above... It looks just a 338 lm mag with the lips tweaked a bit from ai just looking at it

 

[Vivacious Stallion]

Was that 10 rounders tweaked or those the factory measurements?

Both my 10 rounders were sent to me new from AINA after I made a warranty claim with them over feeding 300 prc. I assume they are factory measurements.

Measured a second 10 rounder, back measured at .720

 

[SuperBoot]

Lips across at the front and at the back please for starters see where that gets us

I’ve been using the 6867’s for a couple years now in my MC & SR. Can shoot a couple pics over when I get home.

Fun fact, the “new” 6867’s are just leftovers from the PSR contract & early WM MC’s. Hence why the “new” mags still need tweaks and tuning. They’re a Win Mag magazine with feed lips shaped for a tapered, belted case with an OAL like 200 thou shorter. Hence the lack of spring pressure on the front of the mag in the “new” and “old” designs.

Really the only saving grace of the 6867 is they didn’t taper the body of the magazine like the newer ones, so the gremlins can get tweaked out via feed lip mods, and you don’t have to worry about the round stack getting pinched like in the newer plastic baseplate design.

This all just boils down to design laziness and smoke n’ hoping that a PRC would run in mags they had already expressly engineered for a different cartridge.