SVT Mag Cut-down

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Rayleigh_Scattering

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I'm thinking of cutting down the magazine on my SVT40 so that it is natively t 5rd mag, rather than a 10 with a limiter tab welded in. I just don't like the look of a big black banana magazine waving around for no purpose, as I already don't know if I'm going to be able to pull off bringing this thing to WMU119 this fall for antlerless mule deer.

I've got access to a fellow who's a skilled tig welder and who I did some machining for, so we'll make it look professional (my middle name is not Bubba), but I wanted to ask:

Anyone out there try this already?

Else than the obvious "Make it even, keep the walls smooth inside and out." (and the really obvious "Remove the live rounds before you start welding.") is there anything I should know?

Note that the collector value of this mismatched, refurbed, unscoped, scratched and dented beast is already pretty close to 0.

I welcome your thoughts.

Ulrich
 
I ran in to a couple game wardens hunting dear with an SKS, the one was a real gun nut, he was thrilled I was using soft point ammo and politely asked if he could hold the SKS. His partner was not a gun nut and for all he/she cared I could have been hunting with a single shot 22 LR..... Or a bazooka. Just not interested at all.

I personally have never seen a Svt mag trimmed so cannot say if it is a great idea.

Good luck what ever you decide.
 
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Might try looking around for a Globco mag, or an aftermaket one. Why destroy a 100$ mag when you can buy a decent new rifle for 350$?

And u say its scratched, unscoped, dented, mismatched?......Like 98% of all SVT 40s? Its worth much more than zero.
 
Yep. Trade your fullsize mag to someone who got a cut down mag. SVT 40 mags are few and far between.

You could always just load one in the chamber and close the bolt with no mag, keep the safety on.
 
Thank you all for your wisdom.

I'll put an add in the EE to see if anyone wants to trade their 5 for my 10.

Does anyone know where us folks here in Canada might be able to find a repro magazine? Everywhere I have found is out of stock.

Ulrich
 
Rayleigh_Scattering said:
Thank you all for your wisdom.

I'll put an add in the EE to see if anyone wants to trade their 5 for my 10.

Does anyone know where us folks here in Canada might be able to find a repro magazine? Everywhere I have found is out of stock.

Ulrich
Click to expand...

Ask on the Westrifle sponsor sub-forum. He usually has some of the repros, but doesn't list them because they require fitting and adjustment to feed properly, and he was getting too many complaints from people who are unskilled in the use of a file and set of pliers.
 
grelmar said:
Ask on the Westrifle sponsor sub-forum. He usually has some of the repros, but doesn't list them because they require fitting and adjustment to feed properly, and he was getting too many complaints from people who are unskilled in the use of a file and set of pliers.
Click to expand...

I must have inhaled too many fumes from 80s production Soviet milsurp today... where is Westrifles' sub-forum?
 
NB: I have two of the repro mags, and I do have them both cycling reliably now, there are 2 main things you have to do.

1: The steel tab on the back that the magazine catch uses to lock the mag in place will need to be filed to fit.
2: The feed lips on either side at the top need to be bent back, but this is a bit tricky. Bend them up/back too far, and they won't hold the rounds in. Don't bend them enough, and the rounds are held to low for the bolt to grab the next one and push it forward into the chamber.

#2 was the finicky part, and took a few tries on each of the mags to get right (for me anyway), but it can be done.
 
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