Floorplate opening under recoil

[mdwest]

I recently replaced a stock on a Winchester 70 in 7mm WSM. It was originally an "ultimate shadow" variant with a blind box mag. The replacement stock is a laminate that is set up for a 1 piece floorplate.

I purchased a 1 piece oberndorf style floorplate from stockys.. From what I can tell it fits perfectly in the stock. No adjustments were needed. Its flush with the wood, the rifle cycles perfectly, and the floorplate snaps securely shut.. I can load the magazine, shake the weapon, tap the butt against the ground, etc.. and the floorplate stays shut..

When I fire the rifle, the floorplate opens though, and all the rounds drop out.. every single shot, without exception.

I took the rifle to the range this weekend and put 20 rounds through it. With every shot the floorplate released.

Any thoughts on whats going on or how to fix it?

 

[Clayton]

The obvious solution being a stronger spring on the Floor Plate Release Button. If not that I would be doing the same thing as you are now.

Surely one of group can offer a better answer. Good luck.

 

[sestoppelman]

Just about gotta be a weak spring as mentioned. Winchester usually has a three screw, two pc affair for a floorplate. As yours came without any floorplate, it seems that yours should work fine if all is working properly. Call the folks you got it from, they may have other springs or get a hold of Brownells Inc, or perhaps Wolff Springs. Or you could experiment with springs yourself, by cutting some to fit and going with longer springs etc. It can be fixed.

 

[Buckdog]

md 70 Winchester floorplates can be fickle creatures. I would take a look at it to see if when the pop up button comes out that it is really coming all the way out as far as it can over the floor plate, this not happening is a m70 thing. or if it isnt closing all the way down by the button if it isn't you can take a dremel tool and carefully grind the half moon dimple a little bigger etc. if it is a weak spring then I suggest you send it back wence it came and buy another brand. or just palin don't mess with it if you don't feel comfortable and send it back. I think I have had to slightly grind my last 2. the last one was on a serious custom 416 rem mag the custom smith had the tolerances so close it hardly opened!

 

[Grumulkin]

I bought a use 460 Weatherby Magnum and I'll bet the previous owner had the same problem as there is a neat and nicely blued screw that holds the floor plate securely in place. I've never felt the need for a floor plate that opens anyway; it's just another thing to go wrong.

 

[mdwest]

my first thoughts went to a weak spring... Ill punch out the pin this afternoon and remove the spring and try to figure out what its dimensions are.. I tried searching both brownells and midway and couldn't find any options for floorplate latch springs.. I'm guessing Ill either have to figure out how to fabricate something myself (cut another similar sized spring to length that has more tension)... or may end up having to take it to a gunsmith.. (really wanted to avoid that if its just a spring)..

I also emailed the company I bought the bottom metal from.. we'll see how they respond.. hopefully they will ship out a replacement spring, or offer to let me mail this one back to them and they'll send a new one..

Recoil really isn't that brisk in this rifle.. is a 7mm WSM.. but it weighs in over 8 1/2 lbs.. Shooting it with 150gr factory loads is really no more sharp than shooting my 7 lb .308 with 180gr factory loads.. I wouldn't think there would be enough "kick" to release the mag... but.. for whatever reason.. it does..

 

[Clayton]

Maybe one of these:

Numrich Gun Parts: http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

Wisner's: http://www.wisnersinc.com/additional_info/winchester_model_70.htm

 

[curtism1234]

I'd just duck tape the floorplate and load from the top

 

[mdwest]

update: I sent an email off to stocky's (https://www.stockysstocks.com/) late yesterday evening, letting them know I was having an issue and asking for some assistance.

First thing this morning they responded back offering to swap out the floorplate for another one, no questions asked..

Great customer service on their part I believe.. fast turn around on the response.. and no attempt to send me to the manufacturer, or try to get me to fix it on my own, or go see the gunsmith, or do further testing/analysis before they would take action, etc.. (like I have had others I have made purchases from in the past do)... they just apologized for the inconvenience and offered immediate resolution..

 

[Clayton]

That practice is not as common as it used to be.

 

[mdwest]

That practice is not as common as it used to be.

sad.. but true...

my expectation of companies doing "the right thing" these days is pretty low.. many simply don't care.. once you make a purchase, any problem you encounter is yours to deal with..


Something I forgot to add to the update post.. not only did they offer immediate resolution.. but they also offered an "upgrade" at no cost..

The floorplate I purchased was aluminum..

they don't have any replacement aluminum floorplates currently in stock..

So they offered to replace it with a blued, steel flooplate.. at no additional cost to me.. (retail on the steel floorplate is about $23 higher than the aluminum one)..

since I'm not at all concerned about weight on this rifle... that's a more than suitable option for me..

I offered to pay the difference.. but they wouldn't have any of that... they insisted on me just shipping back the aluminum one, and they would ship the steel one out right away.. and they would eat the cost difference.. and they continued to apologize prolifically for the inconvenience..

Really cant ask for better service than that I think...

I expect things to sometimes go wrong.. or a product to not meet a standard, etc.. everyone/everything has an occasional off day...

How a company responds to things when something goes wrong is what really matters...(to me at least)...

These guys couldn't have done a better job at making a customer happy....