L1A1 Hold Open Catch Question...

G

gryphon

New member
Just purchased a Century L1A1 Sporter Rifle. The little booklet that came with it said, "...the pin in the front of the catch is not long enough to engage the magazine follower." Does this mean that the rifle will not lock back after the last round has fired and the magazine is empty? If so, is there a replacement hold open catch that I can buy and use to have it lock back. The FN FAL military manual says that the rifle should lock back.
 
Yes, that means that it won't hold open on an empty mag.

Yes, you can get a spare assembly and swap them out such that it will hold open.

Available from Gunthings -

http://gunthings.com/inchupper.htm

They also have very good photos of the parts so you know what they're talking about.
 
Ben is correct.

It also takes about ten minutes to swap them, using a screwdriver and a little wiggling (the part, not you).
 
Others have posted the fix, but the Brits removed the hold-open on purpose for more reliable functioning in desert areas, keeps the sand out.
 
Destructo6,

It's a good thing you clarified, otherwise I might have been doin' a little dance in the living room, wondering why my parts weren't goin' in! :D

Thanks guys
 
I have encountered three different types of hold-open; a solid one, one with a hole in it and one with a short pin of no utility. The easiest one to alter is the one with the hole in it. British ones never did have an automatic hold-open-on-empty. I once faced a Statement Of Charges for altering one.
 
mk vii,

What charges could they have filed against you? All you were doing was putting in a replacement part. It's not as if you were modifying it for full-auto!
 
"conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline, contrary to Section 69A of the Army Act, 1955"
a useful catch-all to enable them to punish you for almost anything.
 
DSA also sells the part as this is where I got mine. Probably cost around $25 with shipping.
 
gryphon, Mk VII was talking about his military service bringing him up on charges for making unauthorized modifications, not civillian law enforcement busting Joe Schmo on the street. The gun was/is full auto, if I'm not mistaken.

This is true in the US military also. As a user, you are not authorized to disassemble your M16 past basic field stripping. If you disassemble the trigger group you can be brought up on charges.
 
you can use a 3/32 x 1/2" roll pin and just tap it into the hole, it works fine and will cost you a whole $.06 (wanna know how I know?)
 
Destructo, thanks for clarifying. I thought that it may have been a military issue but was unsure.

Pariah, sounds like a good idea. I'm guessing you don't have any problems with the pin coming out?
 
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