5 rd. flush fit #4 magazine

[RU shooter]

Has anyone ever made one like the one here http://www.303british.com/id34.html How did it work out for you?
I'd like to have a 5 rd. flush fit mag. on my #4 match rifle for offhand stage. If so did the reliability remain the same as the arsenal made 10 rd'er? As its a match rifle reliability is everything.Are any mods. to the spring nessesary Any coments welcome.


Thanks,Tim
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[dromia]

Five round magazines were common on the BSA sporterised Long Lee and No 1 actions, I've got a couple on Enfield sporters (Lee Speeds they are know as) in my collection and they work just fine.

[docone31]

Yeah.
It worked out well. I took the Magazine to a muffler shop an had it welded.
It changed the "feel" of the rifle. With my Ishapores, it helped. With my Enfield it didn't matter much.
You can also get them here
http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=1139350&chrSuperSKU=&MC=&CatID=11952&mySort=2
If you have something else to do.

[Boz330]

Yeah.
It worked out well. I took the Magazine to a muffler shop an had it welded.
It changed the "feel" of the rifle. With my Ishapores, it helped. With my Enfield it didn't matter much.
You can also get them here
http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=1139350&chrSuperSKU=&MC=&CatID=11952&mySort=2
If you have something else to do.

That magazine is for a #1. It will work in a #4 but it goes in hard and extends below the stock.
The old NRA Gunsmithing Guide tells how to modify the original mags. They say just put the full size mag springs back in.

Bob

[KCSO]

I happen to have a couple Santa Fe short mags for sale if you don't want to make one.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I remember seeing a #4 that was sporterised and had a flush floor plate on the trigger guard instead of a removable magazine. Probably was a bunch of work but the job looked professional as did the sporterising job.Robert

[Mk42gunner]

If you do make one; I would do it to an extra magazine, just in case Murphy shows up.


Robert

[Four Fingers of Death]

I find that the standard magazine has good lines that match the rifle, but the shorter magazines make the flat grooved trigger guard stand out and look silly. If you were going to shorten it (I can't imagine why you would want to do this, maybe I grew up with Enfields and am more able to accept the shape) and wanted it to all look balanced, you'd have to do some blacksmithing on the trigger guard. Cut a bit out, bend up and re-weld so that you have a curve instead of a flat front. Lot of work for a $75 rifle. This is a Parker Hale factory built rifle, not a Bubba, which was produced in the 70s, it is not flush, but I think it looks better than the flush ones. You can see what I mean by the trigger guard, but it is not so obvious, I think the must have done some work to it. I don't have the rifle with me so I can't check.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/Bolt%20Rifles/ParkerHaleNo4Sporter.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/Bolt%20Rifles/ParkerHaleNo4Sporter1.jpg

[Boz330]

Mick, for hunting some states don't allow a 10 round magazine, and some lock it in at 5 rounds max.

Bob

[KCSO]

That's what the Santa Fe mags look like.

[wiljen]

You can also put a couple of bolts through the mag body and weld the nut on to satisfy the state 5 round limit. I've seen a couple done with the the bolts ground almost flush and blued to match that maintained the original shape while limiting capacity to 5 rounds. Game wardens here are willing to let you carry a gun with more than a 5 round capacity as long as you have no more than 5 rounds with you too, but check with your local folks on that count.

[RU shooter]

I happen to have a couple Santa Fe short mags for sale if you don't want to make one.

Thanks for the offer KCSO but I want it totally flat ,As stated its for a match rifle and flat and flush with the mag well works best for me and balances best on the heel of my hand when I shoot the off hand stage. Thanks all for the help.


Tim

[TAWILDCATT]

I know some hunters that used the Lee in maine and it was legal as the gun was bolt action.are the laws in your state for all guns??

[Multigunner]

I have half a dozen spare mags I bougth when they were still cheap, for awhile mags were alot easier to find than even individual chargers much less bandoleers with chargers so if you wanted a quick reload you had to have spare mags.

A couple of my spares are from DP rifles broken up for parts. These often have a damaged lefthand feed lip, since apparently when the bolts get worn or the sidewall spreads from excessive pressure the bolt will begin to contact the feedlips and wear them down.

Anyway, I figure that by using the tension spring notch as a mag latch notch one could cut a damaged mag down from the top, first making a template of the lips of a good mag, then filing the top of the cut down mag to match.
The finished mag with original rounded corners and edges would look and feel pretty good to the hand when carrying at the side.

A ten round mag doesn't get in the way at all when an Enfield is in full military trim, but if cutdown and the fore end lightened up the center of gravity shifts from just in front of the mag to right in the middle of the mag well.
I have a sportered No.4 with scope and with the ten round mag in place its not so easy to carry one handed in the field. My unaltered No.1 and No.4 rifles while heavier are in fact easier to carry for extended periods.