No.4 Mk1 magazine not seating

[Paul Stud]

Hello

I am new to Milsurps and hopefully am posting in the correct forum.

I just got my very first Enfield, No.4 mk1 and I'm having trouble with the mag. It's not original to the gun, and has no serial numbers of any kind. Looks relatively cheap to me, but it's all I have for her. I can't get the thing to seat properly into the receiver. It won't go in far enough to catch on the mag release and as a result it will not feed properly, ever. From the wear marks on the back of the wedge caused by the mag release, it's doubtful that it has ever latched in that gun. I can pretty much guarantee nobody was able to fire the gun with this mag in it, must have thrown it in to make the sale.

When looking at the mag from the rear, the top edges are not level with each other, possibly one side too tall?

Does anyone know if I can fix this POS, or where I can get a real mag? The gun itself is great, numbers matching... just came with this weird magazine.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Peter Laidler]

This was quite common and magazines had to be fitted to the rifle - that's why they are numbered! GENTLY file the backstrap back, a few .001"'s at a time and square-on until it clicks firmly into place and feels as tight as a ducks ar........, er....., tight as a ducks bottom.

[Beerhunter]

Check that one or more lips is not fouling the top of the magazine well. It happened to me once and took me ages to find.

[Paul Stud]

This was quite common and magazines had to be fitted to the rifle - that's why they are numbered! GENTLY file the backstrap back, a few .001"'s at a time and square-on until it clicks firmly into place and feels as tight as a ducks ar........, er....., tight as a ducks bottom.

I had read that, it's a shame I don't have the mag that came with it, would really add to the value.

Upon doing some more searching today, I think the mag might be one of the cheap reproductions from India, China or Japan.

Anyways, by backstrap, do you mean the top edges of the magazine that seat against the receiver? Should I square them out first? Are they supposed to be level with one another on these guns?

---------- Post added at 09:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 AM ----------

Check that one or more lips is not fouling the top of the magazine well. It happened to me once and took me ages to find.

The lips don't appear to be interfering with the receiver at all, but someone has tweaked the front left a ton.

[Peter Laidler]

By back strap, I mean the strap at the back. Why would the original magazine make a rifle any more valuable than a rifle with a magazine, correctly fitted and numbered by an Armourer later in its life. Or come to that, a new magazine correctly fitted and numbered by a competent amateur.

[MJ1]

Back strap.

[Paul Stud]

By back strap, I mean the strap at the back. Why would the original magazine make a rifle any more valuable than a rifle with a magazine, correctly fitted and numbered by an Armourer later in its life. Or come to that, a new magazine correctly fitted and numbered by a competent amateur.

I would kill to have a mag correctly fitted and numbered by an armourer. I meant more or less that I think it would be more valuable to have a magazine made by an actual Royal Ordinance or Savage than a knock off.

[Thunderbox]

Post some photos. You quite possibly are trying to fit a No1 magazine in a No4 rifle.

[Paul Stud]

Back strap.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...54996d33-1.jpg

Ah yes, I understand what he meant now. I don't know if that will solve my problem. By filing the backstrap as suggested, it would lock into place yes, but at it's current seating against the bottom of the receiver. I better get a picture up so you guys can see, as mine looks pretty different than that one.

[Thunderbox]

....as mine looks pretty different than that one.

aha...