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    Last Round jamming, feed lip adjustment

    I have a No 4 Mk 2 that jams on the last round. It appears that when the magazine is loaded the rounds are held wider apart by the next round and they feed fine. When I reach the last round,the raised part of the follower is narrower and the last round is able to move to the left and slip from underneath the right magazine lip. It then tilts upwards to the left jamming when the bolt is brought forward.

    Rather then work the magazine lips and risk breaking them I figured I would ask first.

    Which way should the magazine lips be adjusted?

    Rick
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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    You won't break the feed lips on Lee Enfield mag. They're soft enough you can adjust them. You'll see...and you have to figure it out from what you see. The lip either needs to go outward or inward...just that simple.
    Regards, Jim

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    Like BAR says. You need to watch and digest exactly what is happening to the last round feeding when you very slowly close the bolt. It's obvious I know, but the nose of the round must be guided to the opening of the breech. Once it is heading in that direction, under guidance and control of a) the bolt face and b) the magazine lip, then that's all there is to it.

    The feed front and rear feed lips control the round when it is in what we call 'the twilight zone'. That is when it's being moved forwards in the magazine by the bolt face, under control of the feed lips, heading towards but not quite IN the chamber opening. Once it's in there, you're home and dry
    Last edited by Peter Laidler; 08-22-2015 at 04:02 AM. Reason: correct grammar

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    I've had similar problems. Little things like fit and feed make a big difference.
    -1) Be sure the mag you use has a strong, "fresh" follower spring -- a soft spring will create problems.
    -2) Be sure the follower travels easily in the mag. One I had was too tight because the follower bound on the sides along the grooves. I took out the follower, then, using a Dremel tool, ground a shallow curve in the area of the mag groove, filing any hard edges, and then using a little grease to make sure there was no binding between the follower and the mag -- it must slide easily.
    -3) The feed lips are very delicate both front and rear. For me this was trial and error. If the forward feed lips aren't properly adjusted, you will experience failures to feed, and failures to strip. This can show up in a variety of ways: Last Round won't feed, Every Other Round won't feed, or sometimes every round jams. The forward feed lips just barely hold the front of the cartridge in place. The rear feed lips must be set so that their is enough of the cartridge rim to be picked up by the bolt. This problem can be made worse if the mag isn't seated firmly and completely in the mag well. Additionally, the rear feed lips have to have the right "tilt" so that the cartridge angles properly into the chamber when the bolt contacts the cartridge rim. And be aware that each of the rear lips must be carefully adjusted independently.
    -4) Lastly, in my experience, chambering a cartridge must be a quick, snappy movement. A slow movement of the bolt can result in cocking the cartridge (as Peter Laidlericon refers to the "twilight zone,") with the bullet jamming before it enters the chamber.

    None of this adjusting will prevent "rimlock" -- when the rim of the top round is behind the rim of the next lower cartridge.
    Last edited by Seaspriter; 08-21-2015 at 07:33 PM.

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    could you buy a spare magazine that works on all ten rounds. compare its overall conditionand specificaly its lips conditions to your own. and then bend your own accordingly. this would put you in the ball park without alot of bending and breaking of magazines and lips.

    I did this because my mgazine was numbered to my rifle and I did not want to damage beyond repair that particular magazine.

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    There are articles on this fitting a mag here written by a member if not someone will chime in I am sure, as its not a case of one mag fits all according to the burst they have to be tailored to suit the weapon and going on todays prices for the mags unless you know someone they are getting a bit pricey

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    yes but how much more valuable is the one that matches your gun....undamaged.
    your probably right.
    it did work for me though.
    and wasnt every soldier issued with two magazines.

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    As a matter of fact...there was a written direction that no extra mag would be issued per rifle. There's more than one thread here too discussing that very thing. I'm quite certain you can get the feed lips working correctly on your current mag...no fears there.
    Last edited by browningautorifle; 08-24-2015 at 11:30 AM.
    Regards, Jim

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    I magazine per rifle and that's all. We did occasionally have to reject magazines but generally only because they were totally worn out or wouldn't fit tightly at the back-strap. We used to adjust magazine lips to feed every day, day in and out. You just have to look at what's going on slowly from above and adjust accordingly. It's just experience and every magazine fits and operates differently in every rifle. That's why they're numbered - because they are individually fitted.

    As a matter of interest we'd occasionally have a big purge and get together 50 or so magazines with worn back straps, cut the strap back, silver solder a new section in and remake to new leaving the strap slightly long. Then use these magazines while rebuilding other rifles needing magazines. Bar out old and re-number to suit new rifle. We didn't waste much

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Laidlericon View Post
    1 magazine per rifle and that's all
    Capt. Laidler's advice is always the best in the long run. All you need is one magazine.

    But here's the rub: If you don't have a good working magazine to compare yours to, the trial and error lip bending can be vexing, especially if the problem is compounded by a problem with a follower and/or follower spring, as I mentioned in thread #4. If you are new to Lee Enfields, and have only one rifle, you have nothing to which you can compare a good versus bad magazine.

    About 25% of the Enfields I've purchased have had the some version of the problem you describe, so you are not alone. When I was faced with this problem the first time, it happened on the second Enfield I purchased, so I was able to compare a good mag to a bad one. However, in lieu of buying another gun, you could consider purchasing another good mag. I bought a spare 1956 NOS (New Old Stock) that functions well in every one of my No.4 and No.5 Enfields. It is the "standard" I use for follower spring pressure, fluid feed, and feed lip adjustment.

    In the long view, having more than one Enfield has meant I have several good working examples against which to compare a poorly functioning one; it's a great way to learn the nuances that give every single Enfield a unique personality. Most of us who collect Enfields get Enfielditis -- the obsessive-compulsive need to collect another.

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