Mossberg 464 mag tube issues

[Treeman72]

So with slim pickings in New York, I bought a 464 30-30 to fill the void of leveractions in my life. I was impressed with the smooth action, resemblance to the 94, and its ability to mount optics. Yes a Marlin can mount optics easier, but I prefer the classic silhouette of the 94 that the Mossberg emulates.

So on a 28 degree day, I headed to the field with 40 rounds of Hornady 170 gr flat points. I load the first round in under great resistance, and force in a second round barely halfway. The magazine tube was refusing to allow rounds to enter. I pull out the second round and manipulate the action to drop out the first round. The orange plastic magazine follower is jammed somewhere up in the tube.

I removed the end cap and the spring bounces out. The plastic follower is jammed in there pretty good. Either I am a complete baffoon, or the rifle has a defect....which is it? Do I try to get Mossberg to honor the factory warranty, or head for a gun smith. My 94ae 44 mag has never malfunctioned in 1000 rounds, and that is the limit of my lever experience.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[olyinaz]

Some Mossbergs ship with a wood dowel in the mag tube. Any chance that sucker is in there jamming it up?

I'd definitely try to fix it first. They'll stand by it, but you'll be out your rifle for weeks while they bugger around with it.

[Treeman72]

No dowel was visible when I took off the cap, the spring popped out, and peered down it with a flash light. Since the weather is poor and it isn't hunting season, I could afford to have them service it. Just wondering if a gun smith might do a better job and recommend a better spring or metal tube follower. Just never experienced this type of malfunction before.

[MrMurphy]

Most Mossberg SHOTGUNS ship with a dowel (even the combat models) simply because it simplifies the assembly steps.

I can't see any rifle coming the same way.

[Treeman72]

There is no dowel. My eyes and the flash light would see it.

[mack]

3 things come to mind. Buggered up plastic follower, dented/out of round magazine tube, piece of crud or dirt. If you can get the plastic follower out, a light shown through the tube may tell you. It's a pretty simple mechanism, shouldn't be a hard fix.
Good luck!

[J Miller]

Brownells, or Steve Young ( Nate Kiowa Jones here ) would also have metal magazine followers so you can get rid of the plastic one.

Joe

[Sixgun]

3 things come to mind. Buggered up plastic follower, dented/out of round magazine tube, piece of crud or dirt. If you can get the plastic follower out, a light shown through the tube may tell you. It's a pretty simple mechanism, shouldn't be a hard fix.
Good luck!

Right. There's only the tube and the follower. Beings that you forced it from the receiver, pop off the mag. end cap, remover the spring, and gently tap the follower back towards the receiver, you know, trying to get it parallel to the sides of the mag tube. A cleaning rod will work. Loading up some "dummy rounds" into the receiver will push the follower the other way. What you are trying to do is to free up the sticky follower.

If worst comes to worst, take off the forearm and mag retaining rings and remove the mag tube. There's only two screws, after the mag end cap screw. A pin will be in the mag. retaining ring and its an easy drive out.

Get the mag tube and follower and play with it until you see what is going on. Put it all back together, then load up a half dozen "dummy rounds" and play with it in your home, before going out with the real deal ammo.

Don't let these little gunsmithing jobs intimidate you. You gotta learn and if you play with guns, you had better learn or have lots of bucks for the gunsmith, plus the mental attitude to deal with aggravation. (which I don't have ) I avoided it all and bought the basic books for assembly/disassembly.------------------------Sixgun