Hi everyone,

I bought my Swedishicon M38 back in October. To test it out, I bought a box of Remington Core-Lokt 140gn 6.5x55 ammunition. I've read around online and a lot of people recommended it for use in the 1896 or M38, so I figure my problem likely isn't the ammunition.

Here is what happens (pardon the blurriness):








Of five rounds, the first two that feed from the right of the mag (i.e., the 1st and 3rd rounds) will skid up the feed ramp, and then the bolt will push them forward until the nose of the bullet jams against the 7 o'clock position on the outside of the chamber.

In this following image, you can note a lot of copper fouling on the feed ramp, from the rounds being pushed over it. I don't know if this is to be expected in an M38, but it doesn't look right at all to me.


When the 1st and 3rd rounds are being fed, it is anything but smooth. The sides of the casings are scratched (probably by the walls of the magazine, or the lip of the receiver). It also does not appear as though the extractor is grabbing the cases on the 1st and 3rd rounds as it does on the 2nd, 4th, or even the 5th (which feeds alright, despite also feeding from the right side of the magazine).

I've contacted the previous owner about this issue, and his remedy was simply to ram the bolt home with as much brute force as possible. I can't see a good reason to need to do this on a Mauser, and despite thinking it was pretty dumb, I tried working the action harder than I normally would on my milsurp bolt rifles. The result? Bigger scratches on the cases, and visible damage to the méplat. I didn't expect it to work, but I wanted to see just what this guy was telling me he did.

If anyone could help me out here, it'd be hugely appreciated. I don't know what I'm looking to fix at this point. I'm assuming maybe the magazine spring, but I have no real idea. I'm at my wits' end, because I really love this rifle overall. I shoot competitively with a Swissicon Rifle Club, and between this thing and my K31, I have a real love affair with accurate milsurp rifles. It's in great condition overall (the flash makes the mag follower look way worse in that last picture than it does to the naked eye), and I want to be able to use it to hunt, too.

Thanks in advance for any help, and please let me know if you need more information to help me diagnose this issue!
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