22 Rimfire Reliability

What is the more reliable rimfire feeding system, mag box or tubular?

  • Magazine box

    Votes: 46 55.4%

  • Tubular magazine

    Votes: 41 49.4%
  • Total voters
    83
  • Poll closed .
B

bigbull

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After reading a few posts about ammo feeding reliability it has begged to ask the question.

What is the more reliable feeding system, mag box or tubular and why?
Bigbull
 
I'm going to be a bit foolish and say it'll (also) depend on the design of the bolt....:redface:...but one thing I have noted with tube-fed lever actions is that a good "elevator" is going to be key (the Ithaca M-49 R comes to mind, IIRC)....:wave:
 
All my .22 rifles have been 100% reliable when kept reasonably clean, as far as feeding and ejecting is concerned.

They are bolties and semi-autos with tubes or magazines. Makes/Models are CZ452 Style and Varmint, Winchester 69A and 190, Marlin 981T and 60, Savage MKIIF

Ammo has been and will continue to be Winchester bulk (Dynapoints or Xperts whichever is available for cheap), American Eagle or Blazer. All cheapo stuff.

Accuracy is another issue, though.
 
I have had both kinds that were good and bad. I would have to say, the all time "never let me down" was a cooey single shot bolt action. 35 years of shooting and never a ftf. :)
 
In my experience, tube fed .22s are far more reliable. The pressure keeping the cartridge pushed back ensures it's 100% in the correct position where this can often not be the case with box magazines. It also helps reset and prevent partial feeds or lead bullets which get deformed (dented) against the feeding ramp as happens sometimes with the 10/22. The pressure from a tube feeding rod will prevent this and push and cartridges back which are not in the correct position. A box magazine has no such aide.

A lot of people just don't like tubular magazines and have probably never tried them. They're going to skew the vote.
 
I voted for tubular, because I've seen too many box magazines that don't feed properly due to bent feed lips.

Of course if there's slack in the system that lifts the shell to the chamber in the case of a tube mag fed action, that'll be a weak link, but I've seen more bent feed lips. Re: denting that tube? Why are you beating on your gun! And of course, cant really lose a tube mag, though if you're a buffoon (or six years old) your might lose the follower... f:P:

By the way, my .22 is a 10/22, and both my Ruger 10 shot mags feed just fine, tyvm.
 
I've got bolts (CZ 452, Savage MK2 BV) plus a Winchester '06 that belonged to my grandfather and dad before me.

The tube fed '06 has at least 25,000 rounds through it of every variety conceivable (LR, Longs and shorts), and has not misfired as far as I can recall. Vast majority of rounds were high velocity for Ghog control.

'06 dropped but never damaged...on the other hand, I have miss-placed magazines on occasion and have had to manually feed shots into my bolt actions one at a time.

The only reasonable solution is to buy one of each type so as to enjoy all and offend none!
 
Interesting read so far, I guess I should have expanded on action type since this can also be a factor to reliability issues. In fact I was thinking about bolt actions but if it skews the poll please explain if you see any benefit for reliability between bolt or lever action or pump for that matter. I assumed that the bolt would be the most reliable but it seems from the various responses that some might have had other experiences.
bb
 
reliable .22 rifle

A Cooey .22 single shot is about as reliable as you can get......they are well built, simple, and accurate......when was the last time you absolutely had to have a .22 repeater?
Us prairie boys cut our teeth on those inexpensive little rifles...
 
The thing is, the guns are generally reliable... What makes the difference is the quality of the magazine feeding device.

I've seen both malfunction, but as long as they use a quality feeding device, it will be reliable.


On a side note. I prefer a "box" magazine just because in the past I've had .22's come loose and jam up really badly in tubes. With a box mag I can remove it, clear the malfunction, and get back to having fun faster.
 
I have a tube fed Ranger,and it doesn't always position CB Longs well for chambering.Not an issue though-but I don't think anything is fool proof,other than the single shots
 
Tubes have worked fine in both my Cooey's for years. I have also not had any trouble with my magazines for my Savage MKII. As long as everything is well maintained and clean both should work well. More of a matter of preferance. If I had to pick I would go against the tube simply because it is a little more effort to reload and some of those squirrels and gophers might escape!
 
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