# Feed ramp

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_ramp
> Source revision: 1338765118
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{{Short description|Firearm feature which guides a cartridge from the magazine to the chamber}}
[[File:Dirty Barrel - CZ-75B 9mm.jpg|thumb|Rear side of a [CZ-75B](/source/CZ-75B) pistol barrel showing the (here dirty) feed ramp.]]
thumb|Locking lug feed ramp on AR-15 barrel nut.

A '''feed ramp''' is a basic feature of many [breech loading](/source/Breech-loading_weapon) cartridge [firearm](/source/firearm) designs. It is a tightly machined and polished piece of metal which guides a [cartridge](/source/Cartridge_(firearms)) from the top of the [magazine](/source/Magazine_(firearms)) into the firing [chamber](/source/Chamber_(firearms)) of the [barrel](/source/Barrel_(firearms)).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Feed Ramp |url=https://www.sigsauer.com/glossary/feed-ramp/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=www.sigsauer.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Feed Ramp |url=https://www.hallowellco.com/feed_ramp.htm |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=www.hallowellco.com}}</ref> The feed ramp may be part of the magazine ([AR-7](/source/AR-7)), part of the receiver or frame ([Mauser C96](/source/Mauser_C96)), part of the barrel ([H&K USP](/source/H%26K_USP)) or part of the barrel nut/locking lugs ([AR-15](/source/AR-15)).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Derr |first=Greg |date=2023-06-13 |title=Ramping It Up |url=https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/ramping-it-up/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=American Handgunner}}</ref> Some firearms, like the [FN Five-seven](/source/FN_Five-seven), have a beveled chamber instead of a feed ramp.

The feed ramp is a critical part of [semi-automatic firearm](/source/semi-automatic_firearm)s and [automatic firearm](/source/automatic_firearm)s.<ref name=":1" /> When the weapon is fired and the spent case is ejected, the feed ramp functions to direct a fresh cartridge from the magazine into firing position; that is, the fresh cartridge slides along the feed ramp into battery.<ref name=":0" /> The need for the cartridge to slide both forwards and upwards along the feed ramp and into the barrel is the primary design consideration that makes the [ogive](/source/ogive) the preferred shape for all modern automatic pistol rounds (a [hollow point bullet](/source/hollow_point_bullet) is a truncated ogive), as there are many other shapes that are stable in ballistic flight.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Presentation, Feed, Consumption: The Auto-loading Cycle – Small Arms Defense Journal |url=https://sadefensejournal.com/presentation-feed-consumption-the-auto-loading-cycle/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=February 2026|reason=this is true, but we should have additional citations for the claim about ogives being preferred (which is also true, just uncited)}}

A rough surface or the presence of debris on the feed ramp can knock cartridges off-center, inducing a [jam](/source/Firearm_malfunction).<ref name=":2" /> Polishing a feed ramp is among the tasks commonly performed by [gunsmiths](/source/gunsmiths).<ref name=":2" />

==See also==
*[List of firearm terminology](/source/List_of_firearm_terminology)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Firearms}}

{{commonscat|Firearm feed ramp}}

Category:Firearm components

{{gun-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Feed ramp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_ramp) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_ramp?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.