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Lewis gun questions for AR conversion project.


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Guys, I bought myself a HF mini mill this year and have finally gotten around to setting it up and doing the needed upgrades. I've started working on the build and have and will have future questions about the Lewis gun. I'll either have a real nice dummy or a successful Lewis/AR in .45 acp. I would appreciate any imput from those members lucky enough to own one of these really neat firearms. Ive started at the top with the magazine, adapting it to hold .45s instead of .303. Anyway my first question (just curious) is that I've noticed charging handles on both right and left sides of the recvr? Different manufacturers or were they able to be swapped from side to side. Thanks,

Looked some more and found that they can indeed swap the bolt handle from one side to the other. So I'll ask another question. I have a pair of Lewis mag paws for my build. Exactly how far apart are the pins? This dimension on my build will stay the same as the original.

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Edited by Baltimoreed11754
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Have you seen a lewis drum ? The inside ? as far as bolt handles, yes, they could swap sides but this feature was dependent on the caliber / model. British and Japanese ones can for sure . I seem to remember that the US 1917 model did

 

not have this feature. I do not have a 30 cal US gun here to verify that though...... Below is a picture of the "three line" ( russian 7.62 R) drum

 

DSC00408.JPG

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Here's my drum with the teflon insert but I need to tinker with it as I didn't pay attention and my bullets are in the wrong place. I'm going to redo my stop to move it 1/2 inch. There will be a 1/8 inch plate on the bottom screwed to the the center of the pan. The plate will be locked in place while the teflon tray and magazine shell rotate as usual.

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Edited by Baltimoreed11754
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So maybe American 180 style where the pan rotates, but the bottom with the feed hole is fixed? Maybe take a look at the American 180 AR-15 upper to get some easier ideas? Trying to replicate the lewis might be more work replicating bullet feeds, feed arm lever system and indexing of the pan with the pawls. There are easier methods. If the bottom is fixed I think the indexing will be much easier and loading could be easier too? Maybe lexan so you can see what's going on inside? Only one layer.......minimal fun.

 

British guns allowed you to move the charging handle from one side to the other, the slide down plates are just debris covers for the slots and a safety. Only one handle will only fit but can be switched. The US made Savage Lewis does not have a slot for a handle on the other side, the receiver is closed off completely.

 

An ambitious project, best of luck reinventing the wheel LOL

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That's my plan, to make a pan bottom which is stationary on the upper with a feed hole and the pan turns dropping a round as the bolt cycles. My mills turned up the other day so this week I'll see what I can do. The magazine hole in the lower will contain a carrier to catch the loose rd and get moved out of the way by the bolt as it chambers the rd. Here's one of my AR.45 lower- Olympic Arms upper 'reinventing the wheel' projects. An AR.45/ MP5 sbr.

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Edited by Baltimoreed11754
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Another question guys, is the radius on the feed operating arm cutout a true radius of a circle or is it a more complicated arc? A combination of 2 radii? Looks like 2 to me. Trying to plan the cut on my mill. Edited by Baltimoreed11754
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