20 Rnd Smle Magazines

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Not to upstage Mr. Laidler, but I read somewhere that the magazines were bought post war for a automatic rifle project that went nowhere, and they were subsequently scrapped.
They were just as bad an idea as the german 20 round mags. Nice while you remained in the trench but a pain in the arse when you were advancing.

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.

[Nigel]

Peter told us that the mags were purchased by Vickers after WW1 and were to be used on a Vickers Hotchkiss LMG developed in the mid-1920's. It didn't get anywhere (Army probably felt in had enough Lewis guns). Spot the mag in the picture.

[Alfred]

I'd just last night been looking at some photos in Hatcher's Notebook of a couple of experimental Automatic rifles of this sort.
On page 99 the author is shown firing the "Berthier Machine Rifle of 1917" from the hip.
The magazine used in this particular sample has a waffle type reinforcement, it doesn't resemble the Enfield 20 round mag.

The "Hotchkis Machine Rifle", also of 1917 is pictured on page 108. the magazine used for this example may be an Enfield 20 round, but it looks to be straighter. Its likely a less curved mag used for a different cartridge.

The prototypes shown are possibly .30/06 versions since they were being tested by US Army officers.

The updated versions of the 20's and 30's had probably gone through many changes by then.
Those mags would have been handy for the Charleton conversion, if the springs used were up to pushing rounds upwards against gravity fast enough to avoid misfeeds that is.

For a time reproduction 20 or 25 round trench magazines for the GEW 98 were available, a bit too expensive though. Maybe someone will make a repro of the Enfield 20 rounder. Not really many applications for such a bulky mag on a BA rifle though. Two spare ten round mags would have served better.

The Lee rifles used by the US were often issued with belts of precharged magazines for quick reloads.