20 round G-43 magazines?

[RCS]

Look on www.joesalter.com he has an "airservice magazine" for sale - note the design of this magazine so that it will fit the 1903 rifle.

Anyone remember when the 7,62 BREN magazines were modified to fit the FAL ? There were some problems as the weak BREN spring only had to push down on the cartridges when installed in the FAL rifle the spring did not always provide enough tension for reliable feed

[Griff Murphey]

I think the RIFLEMAN was the publication. The magazine was not inserted, just welded to the trigger guard. One would think the Air Service magazines might have been of use. Unfortunately they were mouldering away in a warehouse until sold off or junked in the 50's-60's.

[RCS]

You know the US Marines were well trained on the use of the M1903, rapid fire, using the stripper clip, bayonet training etc - yet someone is going into a close combat situation with a homemade magazine attachment that may work or may not work ? I can not buy this ! The "airservice" magazine was never accepted, being a poor design, the Germans had a 20 rd magazine during WW1, the British had a curved 20 rd magazine for the Lee Enfield in 1918. The concept of using a larger magazine on a bolt action rifle was around long before WW2 but also died long before WW2. The story always sounds good, the Type 99 LMG magazine on the Japanese Type 99 rifle or the franken AK47/M16 magazine for our M16.

[MJ1]

Looks BAR to me

[RCS]

Nice prop for the camera, they must have used hundreds like that in combat, before that they were tested at Aberdeen

[Griff Murphey]

The air service magazine I have works great! I think it was very well designed.

[MJ1]

You can see the bead of brass rod melted on there. REMF shot. But the GI must have had some skills.

[Griff Murphey]

I bet that real cream puff looking major was the S-4. Hey MJ1 I sent you a PM.

That is actually a good height for an extended mag making for a great magazine rest in prone.

[Griff Murphey]

Back to the original G-43 question....I tried an MG-13 mag which in the interim I ordered from IMA. Possibly could be modified but not a good bet for the G-43. Although the retention system is similar, all of the notches/ledges are there but in the wrong places.

[John Sukey]

I still wonder why a sniper would need an extended magazine?

[MJ1]

Nothing new in my box?

[Griff Murphey]

Should be, now.

[Griff Murphey]

Just to answer John Sukey, several of the current bolt action sniper rifles use 10 rd. Mags, or 7 rds. For larger calibers. The M-21 was/is very successful with the 20 rd. Mag. Of course, a long magazine prevents a very low prone such as the "Hawkins" position.

If the field expedient 20 rd. Mags were used on Guadalcanal it was probably for extra firepower dealing with massed infantry attack, i.e. Banzai charges. If It was done at all I suspect it would not have been done on USMC sniper 03s.

[RCS]

I would be courious to know how the M1903 rifle was altered to accept the BAR magazine ? I have converted M1 rifles in the past to accept magazines so I do have some idea as to the machine work involved. The BAR magazine being one inch wide (unloaded) will not fit inside any of my 1903 stocks, inletting would be required. The issue 1903 trigger guard with the bottom plate removed is too narrow to insert the BAR magazine. Another question, do any of you think a new magazine section was fabricated to accept the BAR magazine ? of course after all this fabrication the new BAR magazine was then welded to the altered trigger guard.

[emmagee1917]

In WW1 , they had adapters that placed the rifle over the top of the trench while the sniper stayed below. You aimed through parascopes and worked the bolt and trigger through linkages . You set these up before daybreak to keep from being spotted. There was no way to recharge the rifle without bringing it down to do so. That put you in a very real danger of being spotted and recieving some HE for your trouble. 20 rd mags allowed you twenty shots a day vs 5 for a normal rifle. As an air service rifle , it has been proposed to keep loose stripper clips and bandoliers / belts out of the cockpit controls to having less to grab out of a downed plane.
Chris