Some years back, 1980's, I remember reading a how-to article on modifying the 1903 Springfield action to accept a detachable magazine.  I think it was a M14 magazine.  It may of been Guns and Ammo, but not sure.  It was a multi-segment series that rechambered the Springfield to 7.62x51.  

If anyone could send a link to this article online or scan it for me, I would thamk you greatly.

Maybe BAR magazines.



"The "Air Service"'03 was developed during the First World War. The rifle was a standard Springfield M1903 with a specially made shortened stock and handguard, a modified rear sight, and a non-detachable 25-round extension magazine.

While there are other theories, the probable purpose for the rifle was as auxiliary armament for pilots forced down behind enemy lines. Since a pilot wouldn't be wearing a cartridge belt, the 25-round magazine provided a reasonable amount of ammunition "self-contained" in the rifle and ready for immediate use. Such a rifle would have been much more effective than the typical sidearms carried by aviators.

Ordnance Department documents refer to the rifles as being " ... stripped for Air Service," and 910 were manufactured by Springfield Armory in early- to mid- 1918. Serial numbers were in the 856,000 to 862,000 range.

Most of the "Air Service" rifles were sent to France late in the war, but none are believed to have been issued before the Armistice.

After the conclusion of World War I, virtually all of the rifles were either destroyed or converted to standard service rifle configuration.

Surviving original examples are extremely rare and valuable.




BRUCE N. CANFIELD
American Rifleman - March 2004 - Pg. 43

The BAR mag might work. The M14 mag would be too short for 30-06.

You may be referring to a modification to the M1 Garand to take M14 magazines.

I found that one on a google search.  

Maybe it was a BAR mag??  I do remember they cut back and rethreaded the barrel to rechamber to shorter 51mm length cartidge.

BAR magazines would be too long front to back and require hacking into critical areas.  I have seen m14 mag conversions on mausers and a springfield would be similar.  It required some major modification of the mauser's feedlips to allow the mag to sit properly.   The mauser seemed to work well with the conversion, i'm sure the springfield would be fine also.  If you find the article i would like to see it too.

Advntrjnky

An early issue of "Firepower" magazine explained how to modify a BAR mag to use with an FN49.  The end result was like using a CP mag in a formerly reliable AR

Paladin

neat thread thanks guys


the fn49 is a great rifle too I cannot see why you would do that

I think the FN49 was already 10rounds??  I have a one in 8mm, but haven't fired it in years.  

The BAR mag holds 20.  Twice the fun.

Paladin

The magazine well on the FN is tapered, as opposed to the rectangle of most box magazines. Also, the feed lips are machined into the receiver, so converting an FN49 that isn't already designed to do so to accept detachable magazines would be a sizable undertaking.

The conversion merely fits the BAR mag to the FN49.  Not detachable.  The mag feed lip area is cut away.  My wife has the modified BAR mag somewhere, she uses it as a pen/pencil holder.

Paladin

The Argentian Navy used a detachable mag verison of the FN49 in 7.62mm NATO.  

Argentinian modificationContrary to some speculation FN did not contract or produce the Argentine conversion of SAFN 1949 rifles from 7.65x53mm Argentine to 7.62x51mm NATO. While FN did receive and then later deliver an order for a conversion of a single rifle in March 1967 the remaining armory stock of the Argentine rifles were converted domestically by Metalurgica Centro a company formerly known as Fábrica de armas Halcón. Metalurgica Centro provided and installed in each rifle a new barrel in 7.62mm NATO, modified each ejector, and modified each trigger guard to take a new 20 round detachable box magazine. The converted rifles were provided with proprietary 20 round detachable box magazines manufactured by Metalurgica Centro to fit the SAFN 1949 rifle conversions. The 20 round steel magazines are proprietary but were made to share the magazine loading charger with the FN FAL rifle used by the Argentine Army.[1]

A very small number were later used in the Falklands War as sniper rifles.- Wikipedia,

Wikipedia

CD

http://centerfiresystems.com/magfn49-used.aspx