Mag Size Question

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Dogfish858

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I picked up a .308 No5 Mk1. It is irreparably Bubba but a sweet gun altogether.

I'm adjusting it to fit M-14 mags. Thus the question: does the mag cap apply to magazines manufactured for a certain rifle, or only to the rifle the mag is fitted to. It's not a straight across thing, and I'd like to use 10 rd mags if possible.
 
To the best of my understanding you cannot take an m14 mag and modify it to fit a No5 and declare it to now be a No 5 mag and therefore not limited to 5 rounds. The mag was manufactured to be an m14 mag and you cannot change that fact. You'll be stuck with it limited to 5 rounds.

Otherwise we would all take our 10 round M14 mags, modify them to fit an Enfield and call them Enfield mags, get rid of the 5 round limit feature, and then use them in our M14s anyway.

It all comes down to what the mag was designed for when it was manufactured. Modifications after that does not change what it was designed for.

What we need is someone to turn out a pile of 7.64 NATO Lee Enfield mags.

What we really, really need is the mag capacity limit restrictions removed.
 
Mags are regulated, guns are not. Thus, if you take an m14 pinned mag and open it up to hold 10 rounds, it becomes a "prohibited device". What some people are doing is using certain 10 round pistol mags in their m14s. More info can be found on the "Main battle rifle" board.
 
Thx guys.

Now for the second question: could a blind magazine from a P-14 be fitted to a Lee Enfield? There is not enough metal in a No5 action to mill it away for an M-14 mag.
 
I assume you want a larger capacity 303 mag?

See if you can cut the top off a Bren mag (about 2"). Cut the bottom off a #4-5 mag and fit the Bren mag the bottom half of the #4-5 mag. The Bren mag follower and spring could then pass up through the regular mag. the Bren follower would need trimming, or use the #4 follower. I envision the Bren mag touching the bottom of the rifle, so it would look like it went all the way up.
 
Kind of confused here, First off, was your No.5 re-barreled to .308? If so I think it would probably be easier to fit a 10 or 12 round Ishapore L2A1 magazine. I have never heard of such a .308 conversion and I would be a little leery of the No.5 action and .308 pressures. P-14 is only 5 rounds so why would you even attempt it?
 
Ganderite said:
I assume you want a larger capacity 303 mag?

See if you can cut the top off a Bren mag (about 2"). Cut the bottom off a #4-5 mag and fit the Bren mag the bottom half of the #4-5 mag. The Bren mag follower and spring could then pass up through the regular mag. the Bren follower would need trimming, or use the #4 follower. I envision the Bren mag touching the bottom of the rifle, so it would look like it went all the way up.
Click to expand...

this is a project to itself, the biggest problem is that the front of the bren mag is significantly wider than the LE mag, the best be would bet to make the mag permanent, with the bren mag bottom attached to the bottom of the triggerguard plate, and the LE mag cut off flush with the bottom of the trigger guard plate. it would need to be welded extremely carefully to not warp anything, and then the transition would need to be smoothed out inside.

if you cut the bren mag spring a leaf or two, and then attached the bottom of the LE spring to the top of the bren follower, the bren follower would keep the narrower LE follower centered until it reached the transition, where the bren follower would stop while the LE follower continued up.
 
There are no less than 3 different mags that either were, or are still available to allow proper feeding of the 7.62mm round in enfield conversions. Any of these 3 mags will fit the #5 Jungle Carbine, and all hold 10rds.

First would be one of the Enfield manufactured mags for the 7.62 target rifles and also the L42's. These mags have an ejector tab riveted to the mag body. Second is the Sterling made 7.62 mag, again usually fitted to target rifles, but without an ejector tab. Third is the Ishapore 7.62 mag that fits the Indian 2A and 2A1 enfields. This mag is also without an ejector tab as the 2A and 2A1 use a screw for the ejector much like the 303's.
 
Ok ,my take is that the No.5 is a bolt action, therefore the mag capacity is potential unlimited.
An M14 Mag modified to fit the No.5 would has a 10 round capacity.
Now the big question is, If the mag is so modified to now ONLY fit the No.5 and never can be used in the M14, would it then have a legal capacity of 10 rounds?
How about the angle of a custom built No.5 mag that looks just like a factory piece, but is stretched to contain 20, 30 or whatever rounds? Would that not be just another No.5 mag but with greater capacity?
 
moonshot5 said:
Mags are regulated, guns are not. Thus, if you take an m14 pinned mag and open it up to hold 10 rounds, it becomes a "prohibited device". What some people are doing is using certain 10 round pistol mags in their m14s. More info can be found on the "Main battle rifle" board.
Click to expand...

I couldnt find what you speak of anywhere , unless you mean the AIA mags , they are for bolt actions.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I haven't been able to find any purpose-built 7.62 mags for sale anywhere. If any of you have a lead, please by all means pass it on.

Regards the mag size limit, I asked the firearms office directly -- they said consult Bulletin 72 and that it would still be limited to 5 rounds. I like the M-14 mag for the look: I've seen photos of installations done on other guns. The straight mag looks good, the original Lee Enfield mag always looks incongruous to the rest of the rifle (at least on a sporter, and in my eyes).

With the No5 conversion to 7.62x51, I believe Gibbs did it. As well, it's basically just a lightened No4 -- if it's able to handle the same pressures as the other action then it should be able to handle the conversion.
 
You can't use a 12 round Ishapore mag either. That'd be evil. Only original 10 round Lee-Enfield mags are exempt from the daft law. What you really need is a proper Mk 2A mag or a .308 follower and tweak the mag lips. You also need to make sure the rifle has the right bolt head or it won't extract correctly.
Out of idle curiosity, how long is the barrel?
 
Ganderite said:
I assume you want a larger capacity 303 mag?

See if you can cut the top off a Bren mag (about 2"). Cut the bottom off a #4-5 mag and fit the Bren mag the bottom half of the #4-5 mag. The Bren mag follower and spring could then pass up through the regular mag. the Bren follower would need trimming, or use the #4 follower. I envision the Bren mag touching the bottom of the rifle, so it would look like it went all the way up.
Click to expand...

did that problem is the lee Enfield has a 10rd limit
 
antiqueguy said:
did that problem is the lee Enfield has a 10rd limit
Click to expand...

if it was done correctly, you could get around that by precluding its use in the charlton (sp?)

the RCMP regarding AIA mags:
"- the magazine design for this rifle, in calibre 7.62MM NATO has been determined to be a purpose built, proprietary design intended for a bolt action rifle (notwithstanding its incidental ability to be inserted into some other designs with varying degrees of success). Although this magazine design is similar to that used on the M14/M1A type rifles, differences, including the absence of a locating hole on the front of the magazine and a different détente on the rear of the magazine are significant enough to distinguish it from a magazine intended for use in any automatic or semi-automatic rifle of known design. This decision only applies to newly manufactured magazines intended for use in bolt action rifles, commonly known as the Lee-Enfield design as produced/supplied by Australian International Arms (AIA). Design characteristics also distinguish these newly manufactured magazines from their original Lee-Enfield counterparts. These new magazines are intended for use with a rimless cartridge (7.62MM NATO) as opposed to the original rimmed 303 BRITISH cartridge (this also precludes its use in the Charleton Automatic Rifle)."
 
the RCMP regarding AIA mags:
"- the magazine design for this rifle, in calibre 7.62MM NATO has been determined to be a purpose built, proprietary design intended for a bolt action rifle (notwithstanding its incidental ability to be inserted into some other designs with varying degrees of success). Although this magazine design is similar to that used on the M14/M1A type rifles, differences, including the absence of a locating hole on the front of the magazine and a different détente on the rear of the magazine are significant enough to distinguish it from a magazine intended for use in any automatic or semi-automatic rifle of known design. This decision only applies to newly manufactured magazines intended for use in bolt action rifles, commonly known as the Lee-Enfield design as produced/supplied by Australian International Arms (AIA). Design characteristics also distinguish these newly manufactured magazines from their original Lee-Enfield counterparts. These new magazines are intended for use with a rimless cartridge (7.62MM NATO) as opposed to the original rimmed 303 BRITISH cartridge (this also precludes its use in the Charleton Automatic Rifle)."
Click to expand...

Does anyone have a copy of this letter they'd be willing to share?
 
From the Canadian Firearms Program Website:

There is no limit to the magazine capacity for semi-automatic rim-fire long guns, or for other long guns that are not semi-automatics, with some exceptions. See also Special Bulletin for Businesses No. 72, Maximum Permitted Magazine Capacity.
 
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