Mauser box magazine conversions

[Chapuis]

I dont see the advantages so please explain, every day is a school day bud

Besides the magazine being un-losable a rifle with a hinged floorplate is far easier to use in the field where it is often necessary to unload before crossing obstacles or climbing into a high seat. Underloading the bolt so that rounds remain in the magazine but the chamber is empty is far less fiddly than unloading then having to remove the magazine and pop the removed round back into the magazine. Not forgetting that at the end of the day simply releasing the floorplate and dropping all the rounds from the magazine straight into your hand couldn't be easier. It would be a poor rifleman who would drop any rounds in the mud on the ground.

Of course you can always have the best of both worlds as with the 75/85 Sakos as while you have a detachable magazine you can also top load. I rarely ever remove the magazine from my 85 preferring to top load. That is until at the end of the day when I remove the magazine along with any unfired rounds for travelling. I once had a Tikka 65 in .308 which was capable of the same, but I also own and shoot several detachable box magazine rifles and can honestly say that for field use I much prefer the drop floor plate system.

[dromia]

"Fortunately we didn't and ended up with a better battle rifle."
Maybe so Dromia, but the Mauser makes a better sporting rifle though.

Subjective.

My 303, 6mm and 22 Hornet sporters are all on Lee Enfield actions, my 270s are Parker Hales Mauser actioned and my 222s are BSAs modified long Mauser actions.

All rifles are very accurate but the Enfield action is my preference in the field as it is far quicker and easier to manipulate than the Mausers which I find clumsy by comparison.

[Maggot]

As in all gun safety it is ultimately the responsibility of the shooter to ensure his/her gun is safe appropriate to the conditions.

It is about understanding the nature of operation of the firearm and never assuming anything.

We seem to be too eager to blame the tool rather than the operator who is the one that is responsible for managing the gun.

In the field I prefer internal magazines as I have seen too many box magazines come adrift and get lost in the field, at the end of the day thoroughly know your firearm and operate it safely at all times, that is our duty as responsible firearm users.

Again Adam

I am not blaming the tool, just that my observations and actual accidents have shown an extra point that many people (ROs in particular) fail to check. In many ways the flag itself is the problem as it masks the presence of a round. This can be compounded when an optic is fitted that obscures the receiver (another bloody good reason for removable mags, offset mounts or otherwise)

Chapius, partly correct in so much as yes I am looking at it from a military point of view...to a point. That is probably why I am biased toward removable magazines.

I dont take the "It would be a very poor rifleman" comment as mistakes have been made by the very best, and it is these mistakes that usually feed back in order to help the next generation of battle rifles evolve.

Anyhow, it is what it is.

Dave, if you find something other than a trench mag let me know will you please? Ta

[Maggot]

Having carried my rifle quite a distance to a vantage point last Thursday only to find I had left my box magazine behind I agree, internal magazines have a lot going for them.

It did not stop me shooting as I could single feed however it is always a worry if a rapid second shot is required.

As Dromia points out....

Its down to the shooter to.....not be a tit and leave the mag behind clapclap

Now I would never do anything so stupid