Single loading magazine follower, M48A Yugo

[Bert2368]

I picked up an M48A yugo this weekend, took it home and while looking it over before hitting the range, found a plastic single shot follower left in the magazine well by a previous owner. Gun owner was "my dead father in law, an old gunsmith" according to son in law busy liquidating the unwanted parts of collection. Son in law doesn't know annything about this (or much about guns in general).

A quick look online shows Brownells selling an ALUMINUM version, apparently identical. But no molded plastic resin version comes up when Google is queried.

Has anyone seen a plastic version like this one before? Or know who makes them?

An enterprising person might make a mould from one of the Aluminum type and start casting their own followers- This is definitely cast, not injection moulded, I can see air bubbles in the resin.

[country gent]

I made them for my AR match rifles for use in the slow fire stages where single loading was mandatory. I had a dedicated mag for this. I machined mine from Black derlin. On the garand there was a modified clip for single loading ( S.L.E.D. ).This allowed the round to be clipped in place and the bolt closed like normal feeding from the clip. On the M1A/M14 you could just snap the round in the mag and close the bolt. Garands and M1A had enough opening to make this easy to do.

They are available for most bolt action rifles also. On a rifle used for targets its a nice addition, most can be installed and removed quickly and easily. Its nice to just lay the round on the follower and close the bolt. If you lighten the ejectors spring it leaves the case laying right on the follower also.

A mould can easily be made for these. I just put a tall piece in the mills vise and machined it on the top of the piece. then cut it off and finished the bottom. Was quick and easy to do.

[Kraschenbirn]

I've made a couple of those from 1/4" white nylon wear strip. Pretty easy actually: cut strip to length and width to fit inside magazine box, mill groove down top side of adapter, finish up fitting/alignment with fine file(s) and 400 grit sandpaper.

The one you've got looks like it might've been cast from something similar to glass-bedding material.

Bill

[Uncle Grinch]

Does the single round follower allow for controlled round feed from the magazine? I had one on a Rem 700 that allowed a round to be dropped in the action and close the bolt.

Curious how this works on a Mauser, unless I he extractor has been modified to slip over a chambered round.

[john.k]

legend has it ,if you force a Mauser extractor...(post 1891),over a rim repeatedly,it will break.........certainly a good way to start a crack in the sharp machined edge that clears the bolt lug........(Rem 700 has a 10c circlip as extractor).............however ,the local range has a beat up milsurp K98 in 308 that they hire out,it must have been clicked over rims a million times ,and no one remembers the extractor being replaced...............so ,if I own the gun,then dont do it,if you own the gun.......?

[Bert2368]

I just put 10 rounds of FNM '73 surplus 8mm, magazine fed through the new M48A. It's fine, asside from kicking like an 8mm Mauser (ouch) and the point blank sight setting being a real 200 yard setting. OK group, 18" high.

While I'm cleaning, will see if it is controlled feed from the single loading follower.

All my CZ 527 rifles and CZ 550 (4 various mini mausers, .22 Hornet, .221 Fireball, .223 Rem, 7.62x39 and a full size in 6.5x55) are controlled feed, but don't fuss over being single loaded. Extractor snaps over the rim on closing, haven't broken any yet.

[country gent]

The commercial and custom controlled round feeds had the extractors adjusted to allow single loading of rounds usually. With the single followers the round is centered and higher than 1 clipped in the magazine is so it snaps over the rim. If this causes problems single load by snapping the round in the mag on the original follower, then chambering will allow the round to slide up under the extractor like it should for the controlled round feeding.

Working the bolt slow and easy you can see the round slide up and snap under the extractor and slide into the chamber. The extractor has control of the round from mag to ejection. They will normally camber sideways upside down up or down. Short stroke the bolt and the round is ejected it doesn't lie there to jam up the rifle

[Bert2368]

I can confirm, this follower allows the extractor to engage a cartridge rim in pretty much the same fashion as it would rim of a cartridge fed normally from the magazine. By the time the bolt is 1/3 of the way forward, extractor has engaged rim to the point where a round can't fall out of action even if the rifle is inverted.

On closing bolt, the round rises up smoothly as bolt pushes it forward, rim slides up and behind extractor claw, a slight "click" is felt just before bolt is fully forward as base of cartridge comes fully into normal firing position relative to bolt head.

Very different from the single feed which occurs if one just drops a round on top of the bare, factory original follower without pushing it down below feed rails, in that situation round is NOT held to bolt face and there is a much more noticable SNAP as bolt is closed and camming forces the extractor to flex enough to move forward and snap over rim.

This single feed follower is well designed. Shouldn't stress the extractor more than a normal feed cyle does.

(Edit)
Now where did that package of 8mm cast boolits and the NOE 8mm mould go?