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Old March 24, 2007, 02:56   #1
ret_marine2003
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Question Do inch and metric magazine internals interchange?

Good morning.

I have an Imbel reciever FAL that is meant to take inch magazine.

I have several inch magazine bodies that need new springs and other parts.

Do metric mag parts fit our inch magazines?

Floorplates, followers, springs,etc?
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Old March 24, 2007, 05:06   #2
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Old March 24, 2007, 15:12   #3
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Would you care to expand that answer?

Why do the internals not work?

Can they be made to work with effort?

Where can a person purchase magazine springs, magazine parts, or additional inch magazines?
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Old March 24, 2007, 15:22   #4
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Metric folowers and springs will work in Inch mags as I have 2 I have built up that way and they work. As for the floor plates and retainer plate you need to go with Inch and I believe Pat SL5000 may still have some.
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Old March 24, 2007, 16:21   #5
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inch mags and parts pop up for sale here from time to time. GPG and SLR both have small supplies of parts occasionally.
Metric followers and springs as a pair can be fitted to the inch bodies, but not interchanged individually. The metric spring is wound the opposite direction of an inch spring, and therefore the inch follower and floorplate retainer don't fit the metric spring. They are extremely difficult to try to bend the spring ends around to fit the inch followers and floorplate retainers. Floorplates between the two mags are vastly different.
There is no current source of inch springs, but Rawles is looking at importing a few.
Let us know if you find anything. I have empty bodies too, but mostly need springs.
Dave
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Old March 24, 2007, 22:36   #6
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I will be sure to report any supplier of inch mags or parts that I find.

If there truely is no supplier of these parts I may make the magazine bottoms myself and use a similar spring already available.

I doubt if I have the patience to try and copy the follower.

Who are GPG and SLR? (is GPC Numerich aka Gun Parts Group Inc.?)

Do they have a web adress?

How do I contact Pat SL5000?

Thank you for answering my questions.

I have read a lot of the old posts but I am still not familiar of all of the vendors here.

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Old March 25, 2007, 00:04   #7
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SLR-5000 is a vendor here, best to email him with your requests at
pioneerparts@adelphia.net

GPG is "gunpartsguy" he has a vendor forum just below.

Both are good guys to deal with,with quality surplus parts.
Let us know how you do on the springs. Someone defiantly needs to manufacture them as this request comes up quit often lately. Seems every part of the inch mag got imported except the springs.
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Old March 25, 2007, 05:27   #8
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I put Falcon arms metric US followers and Heddonpal's inch US in some inch mags with no issues. I loaded 20 rounds in each and they worked prefectly.

I don't know if Falcon sells the followers anymore, but US Inch floorplates are only $1.25 a piece.

http://www.heddonpal.com/item.asp?n=floo%2d002&d=5&b=1
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Old March 26, 2007, 08:40   #9
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Me still gots piles o inch parts, I just don't adevertise them all the time. I have a full time job and a family as well as sell Aussie parts.
There is still several tons of parts available through me.
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Old March 26, 2007, 09:23   #10
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Wolff advertises mag springs that are supposed to internchange between either version.

http://www.gunsprings.com/1ndex.html
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Old March 29, 2007, 22:58   #11
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Thank you to all of those who provided information and assistance.

I ordered all of the parts including the WOLF springs.

I will update nextweek after I try to put it all together.


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Old April 12, 2007, 15:06   #12
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I got the Wolf springs on tuesday (0410/07)

I havent got any of the things I purchased from vendors on this sight as of yet.

So, I wait.

and wait,

and wait.
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Old April 17, 2007, 17:28   #13
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I have recieved everything now except for the parts I orderd from SLR-5000.

I havent recieved a reply to my PMs regarding when the parts have been sent.

Is he still around, or has something unexpected happened?

Anyone who knows feel free to post.

I would like to make some magazines work now that I have a functional rifle.

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Old April 17, 2007, 23:50   #14
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My single useable inch magazine was malfuctioning at the fourth from the last round in the magazine to the last so I took it apart and switched mag bodies to see if that would be an improvement.

I decided to swith the mag spring as well since I have new springs was going to have to build one up anyways.

The Wolf springs are an improvemen but they are not pre-bent spacifically for the inch magazines.

They have a more "universal" shape.

(universal means to me that the springs can be made to fit either metric or inch magazines but they will not spacifically fit either style perfectly.)

The mounting tab in the follower broke under the pressure of the coil. I had to use some strong silver soder (used for mounting rear sites on rifles) and solder a similar sized fitting to the bottom of the follower.

The Wolf spring is installed and appears to be an improvement, but if you do not have extras on hand and expect it to be a painless upgrade, you will be dissapointed.

I suspect that the follower will function without a replacement tab, but I dont see any reason to test that out for myself and end up in a jam later.
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Old April 27, 2007, 21:20   #15
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Another week has gone by...
and I still have not recieved my parts... from SLR-5000

And so this project continues to wait.

and wait,

and wait,

and wait.
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