Mags not reliably feeding on an Ishapore 2A1

[Dieudonne' Saive.]

Took the new 2A1 to the range today for a function check and sight-in...

I have four mags, all of which would not feed reliably. The bolt would not pick up the 180gr rounds, from either side of the mag. I suppose all mags could be bad, but I find that hard to believe.

How can this be rectified?

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.

[Daan Kemp]

LE mags often need adjustment to feed reliably. Might be a bit loose and too low to pick up rounds, lips bent, etc. Careful bending of the feed lips, etc should solve the problems. Mags aren't bad, just need some tinkering and time.

Bottom line, they weren't intended to be used as for semi autos, they were intended to stay in the rifle and be loaded with chargers, which is why the mags usually were numbered with the rifle's serial number. You'l be surprised how quick reloading with chargers is.

[Alan de Enfield]

How can this be rectified?

As mentioned the magazines on Enfield's are 'quite delicate' and the 'tabs' are easily knocked it only takes a fraction of a millimetre to foul up the feeding.

If I remember correctly it was designed for the NATO 150gr bullets so the extra length of the 180gr may not be helping.

Are you using NATO 190gr or Win 308 ?

A short extract from some info about 7.62

Winchester Ammunition (a division of the Olin Corporation) saw the market for a civilian model of the T65 cartridge and released it commercially in 1952 as the .308 Winchester, two years prior to adoption of the cartridge by NATO. The dimensions of .308 Winchester are almost the same as 7.62×51mm mm NATO. The chamber of the former has a marginally shorter headspace and thinner case walls than the latter due to changed specifications between 1952 and 1954. This allows 7.62×51mm mm NATO ammunition to feed reliably in rifles chambered for .308 Winchester but can cause .308 Winchester ammunition cases to rupture when fired in rifles chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO.

[Daan Kemp]

There has been some discussion bout fixing the mags. Do a search and more information should make itself available.

[Dieudonne' Saive.]

It's like the bottom of the bolt, is not grabbing the case head a it passes. Multiple slow, deliberate passes of the bolt will not pick up the tail of the round at all. This is different than the round being picked up, but not chambering.

[Lee Enfield]

It's like the bottom of the bolt, is not grabbing the case head a it passes. Multiple slow, deliberate passes of the bolt will not pick up the tail of the round at all. This is different than the round being picked up, but not chambering.

remove the magazine, re-insert, seat the magazine with a good hard slap, and try again.

Sometimes the magazine don't fully seat (even though it clicks in and you cannot make it move deeper).

[Dieudonne' Saive.]

remove the magazine, re-insert, seat the magazine with a good hard slap, and try again.

Sometimes the magazine don't fully seat (even though it clicks in and you cannot make it move deeper).

Of course. But ALL FOUR mags are encountering the same issue. I even applied upward pressure on the mags after being seated to simulate this BTW.

[Alan de Enfield]

Of course. But ALL FOUR mags are encountering the same issue. I even applied upward pressure on the mags after being seated to simulate this BTW.

I did ask a question in post #3

If I remember correctly it was designed for the NATO 144 / 150gr bullets so the extra length of the 180gr may not be helping.

Are you using NATO 190gr or Win 308 ?

[oldfoneguy]

Exactly as Daan said in post #2. The magazine on my 2a1 is serial numbered to the rifle and has no issues. Pick 1 magazine and work with it by adjusting the feed lips at the top and keep it in the rifle. Especially if it is one that's matching to the rifle.

This rifle was designed from the onset to use the 147gr M80 NATO ball ammo exclusively. Performance with most anything else will be substandard. My personal experience with my 1967 manufactured Ishapore 2A1 is only M80 works well and it has a distinct dislike for the M118 175gr ball.

[Brit plumber]

What happens if you push the front of the bolt down as you push the bolt forward?

As far as I can tell, if the bolt passes over the round, either the mag is not seated correctly, the mag lips are damaged or the bolt/rifle body is worn (sloppy bolt). My other thought is, have you the correct boxy 7.62mm mag or could it be a .303 mag? I’ve not tried a .303 mag in my 2A1. So don’t know if it’s even possible.