Procedure for fitting a no4 magazine

[Enfield_Fan]

What is the correct procedure to fit a magazine. The one I have when fully inserted blocks the bolt from going forward all the way. I have bedded the action and trigger guard on this rifle and it worked fine before I started tinkering so I am sure it is something I have done. Also is there a correct way to position the front ears? Or just fiddle with them until they work?

[Peter Laidler]

We need to know where the magazine fouls the bolt first! It can only foul it at the rear or where the two retaining lips overhang the interior of the magazine at the front. If it is at the front, then you'll need to make sure that the front face of the magazine doesn't intrude too far into the body because it should stop from going too far in on a little step at the front of the magazinbe well of the body, what is called 'the magazine stop face' . If it's stopping there, it will be the front retaining lips and these are retainers and guides that you'll need to adjust so that they guide the nose of the cartridge up the feed ramp into the chamber

[Enfield_Fan]

It is at the front. The front part of the magazine goes all the way up to the feed ramp.

[Peter Laidler]

Nope......... Tha auxilliary spring down the front face of the magazine should stop at the mag stop face. Incidentally, a worn out mag stop face is another feature that would effectively ZF a No4 without the next owner knowing the reason.

You should bring the front face of the magazine forwards (and maybe the rear face rearwards - just a tad - ) to correct this. Difficult to describe. Maybe I ought to do oine of my pictorial thinggies. I'll see if I can't get a scrap body to cut up and show how.

[Enfield_Fan]

Nope......... Tha auxilliary spring down the front face of the magazine should stop at the mag stop face. Incidentally, a worn out mag stop face is another feature that would effectively ZF a No4 without the next owner knowing the reason.

You should bring the front face of the magazine forwards (and maybe the rear face rearwards - just a tad - ) to correct this. Difficult to describe. Maybe I ought to do oine of my pictorial thinggies. I'll see if I can't get a scrap body to cut up and show how.

That would be great!

[Beerhunter]

This thread goaded me into action. For years now my No.4(T) would have a problem with the last round in the magazine. I diagnosed it to be the result of the nose of the platform catching under the lip of the feed ramp ages ago but got no further.

Today I took out the platform and looked more carefully down through the magazine. It was as simple as the front left-hand lip stopping the front of the magazine from going far enough up in the magazine well - so I formed it (bent it - to non engineers). Bingo! The magazine now bottomed (or is that topped) out properly but now the left hand rounds did not feed correctly. A tiny bit more forming so that the lip was parallel to the bullet form and that was fixed too.

The moral of the story? Never put off 'til tomorrow what you can put off for ten years.

[Robert303]

Hello Peter,
Should you have the time I'd be greatful for any tutorial you could put together. I've never had problems with No 4 mags before. Tomorrow I'm off to try 4 magazines in a No4 Long Branch that's been giving me grief.

[Peter Laidler]

Ok......., ok, hold on. I'll see if I can find a scrap body to cut open that will explain it better than words or crappy internal picture shots