A (perhaps) Silly Question

[Peter Laidler]

Your boss was right Beery! The L4 MG and L1 rifle magazines were deliberately made to be and were, fully interchangeable with no help from gravity.

The only ones that did interchange but didn't work too well were the earlier 30 round X10/L4A1 and the 20 round British trials FN mags. This was because of the original L4A1 hold open mechanism that was marginal. And when it failed, the accelerating breech block whacked the empty platform and buckled it. But the platform was modified when the magazines were made for the L4A2/L1A1. And the L4's did without a HOD.

They decided after the troop trials that a HOD is a bit of a frill that you could do without. Because even if you don't count your rounds, even during the heat and noise during a wild gun battle, you WILL hear the empty metallic ring of the breech block closing on an empty chamber. And they're right..... you do!