Magazine manufacturers

[Kev]

Has anyone made a list of .303 UK,Australian and Canadian box magazine manufacturers ?

If so could they post it please ?

[woodsy]

Kev

I have the following info from Peter Laidler;
(all UK I assume)
Austin Motor Co. M13, parts, assy.
BSA M47, parts
Best & Lloyd M30, drum winding handles
C&H Bevens Ltd, drum adapter brackets
Broadbent & Co N14, springs
Dernier & Hamlyn, drum winding handles
ESS Signs S223, parts, assy.
Elkington & Co M78, parts, assy.
Gillette Industries, springs
Gimson & Slater M635, springs
Godins (Newport) Ltd M91, parts, assy.
V&N Hartley N29, parts, assy.
Arthur Heaton & Co N179, platforms
Hindle Automotive Products M178, platforms
Howard Wall S123, parts, assy.
Hugh Campbell S167, drum winding handle
Invicta Springs N175, drum springs
Willen Jones & Sons M136, platforms
Lines Bros S68, drum parts
Meccano Ltd, drum rivets
Prince-Smith & Stells N56, platforms
Sigmund Pulsometer Pump Co N65, drum parts
Unity Heating Co S365, parts, assy.
Vickers Armstrong (Bath) S121, drum parts
Waygood Otis Ltd S292, drum parts
Wilson & Mathieson N90, drum parts

Mags were made in Aussie by Lithgow (scarce) and also by Electrolux, and possibly others.

I hope this helps

[pongo]

Add Enfield to the list !,I have got an Aussie mag stamped MA and it has what looks like a sunburst stamp on,anyone got any idea who that maker is ?

[woodsy]

MA is the mark of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, NSW, Australia. For some reason, MA mags are not seen very often.

[Kev]

Cheers Rod

Have added a couple to the list of 303 box mag manufacturers, can anyone interested check their mags and add manufacturers name and/or code to the list please ?

Also has anyone any other wrap round and spot welded construction mags other than Elkington & Co M78 ?

BRITISH

Austin Motor Co. M13
Howard Wall S123
BSA M47
Broadbent & Co N14
ESS Signs S223
Gillette Industries
Gimson & Slater M635
V&N Hartley N29
Arthur Heaton & Co N179
Hindle Automotive Products M178
Howard Wall S123
Willen Jones & Sons M136
Prince-Smith & Stells N56
Unity Heating Co S365
Enfield
Elkington & Co M78
Hurcules Cycle M117

AUSTRALIAN

Lithgow
Electrolux
Ryland Bros,Newcastle
H E Smith,Alexandria
Mudgee Feeder Factory


CANADIAN

John Inglis
TMS

[Kev]

Rod,you may not see MA mags very often cos we have them all over here ! ;D

[woodsy]

I had a mate from Lithgow (he is on the museum voluntary staff) visit me and view the collection earlier this year, and he was quite interested in my single example of the MA mag. My one is the only one I have knowingly seen, although I may have emptied many at the Government's expense in the '60's. ;D ;D NZ got very few, if any, Lithgow Brens.

[NZ L1A1 Collector]

Hey Rod, I think they had some Lithgow Bren mags at the Wellington Gun Show a couple of weeks ago. Buggered if I can remember who the seller was, but I think it was one of the main dealers from Auckland. I'm sure they were labeled as being 'Australian' and were $40 ea. Since they weren't 'L1A1' I didn't take too much notice.

Mind you, knowing me I've probably got it all wrong LOL

[britplumber]

I've got a box of 12 MA marked mags plus lots of loose ones, some of them are even the deac ones that have the lips removed and the internals.

I've also got a wrap around mag I'll check aswell.

I'll check tonight.

[pongo]

what is a wrap around Mag ?

[Kev]

Probably not the correct term but thats what I call them.

Rather that the 'normal' manufacture of two halves of a mag placed together and welded at the seam,these have overlapping edges that are spot welded.




All mine of this construction are M78 , anyone got any other makers ?

[Kev]

These are the best Aussie ones (brand new) that were at Beltring a couple of years ago.Just wish I had bought more !
I would just like to whole heartedly thank the Australian tax payers who sent us all this lovely stuff .....good on ya ;D

[woodsy]

It is a good thing that it is a fair swim from me to you!

I noticed on my SOLITARY MA magazine that it is marked MA '42 on the case just below the top plate. If you have bugger all to do ;D perhaps you could see if the full Lithgow manufacturing date range exists on the mags ('40?? to '45). Production began in '40 but the first guns were not completed until '41. I have a partial 12 mag Tropical pack by TMS, with the remaining mags still in the wax paper, which came out of Papua-New Guinea.

[Kev]

I will have bugger all to do later so will investigate

Are you coming over this summer Rod ? If not you had better tell me when your bithday is

[britplumber]

kev said:

the label shows this one as packed in october '83.