Stripper clips + Scope = ???

[Dionysusigma]

How (if at all possible) are rifles with fixed internal box mags reloaded using stripper clips if there is a scope mounted over the receiver? Does the scope have to be offset to the left/right? Is there a special cut for the clip that goes diagonally into the magazine instead of directly above?

Can this even happen? The reason I'm asking is that (if it's possible) I'd like to be able to reload my chopped Swedish Mauser ( http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82437 ) using modified .308 clips. Is this an unreasonable goal?

TIA...

 

[strambo]

That's one of the benefits of the scout scope position. Don't think you can do it with a regular mount.

 

[Jim K]

The quick answer is that rifles with normally mounted scopes (e.g., M1903A4) can't be loaded with stripper clips. The scopes on the M1C and M1D rifles were offset to allow clip loading because that was the only way to load them; most other rifles are loaded a round at a time just like sporting rifles. There have been a few tricks, like the scoped Swiss M31, which has a neat small diameter scope attached permanently to the side of the receiver and a pivoting objective lens piece to see over the stock.

The "scout position" scope allows clip loading, but has drawbacks itself, and is not (IMHO) an ideal solution (except in the mind of "da colonel"). A pivot mount would work, but is slow and awkward to move and tends to get out of alignment if moved too much.

I don't know of any rifle with an angled clip guide for that purpose.* The fact is that adapting the service rifle to the sniper role is usually the last thing considered by an army. They concentrate on getting the battle rifle they want, and only after it is adopted and in production does someone say, "Can we make a sniper rifle out of it?" Then many dollars, or marks, or francs, or pounds are spent trying to make a sniper rifle out of a rifle that was not designed to be one. Of all the rifles I know of, only one, the British EM2, was ever designed from day one to incorporate an optical sight, and it was a whole 1 (yes, that is correct, 1) power.

*The Johnson M41 clip guide is at the side, but was designed to allow filling a partially empty magazine, not to clear a scope; AFAIK, the Johnson was never fitted with a scope, at least in service.

Jim

 

[klover]

fore and aft on my rifles

Sks has bolt cover mounted short scope which allows strippers forward of it, and my m-8 has a Mitchell's long eye relief scope (made by Sako and very nice) in place of the rear sight which allows for strippers behind it. Both work great.