I cannot seem to find a .223 M249 top cover short of buying a full M249 kit for $4500.00 (not gonna happen). Guys is there any other feed cover out there that will cycle M27 .223 metal links? One that can be modified? I want to finish this semi-auto project but am stumped for the time being.
I think you are going to have a tough time. When I was building my MG47-308, I learned the trick to all of it is matching the links and the feed mech. If they don't normally work together you will have a tough time. You may be able to mess with an RPD cover, but it will be a challenge. Perhaps if you can tweak the RPD belts to hold 5.56, it could work, but I think that is the reason that no one is building them.
If you find a cheap source for 5.56 feed mechs you will open up a big door that we all will go running through.....
Hello Randy803,
Perhaps a Stoner 63 or US Navy MK23 version top cover can be found surplus from the Florida vendor, Reed Knight. Or.. adapt airsoft pieces of the MK 23 from http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/gandp-u-s-navy-mk23-mg-stor
Those airsoft replicas look amazing. See pic of the airsoft. It's all metal by the way.
@cal70 - I have read several discussions, in the past, about the use of type (u) links. I never could find where these were available. Thanks for clearing this up. So, if you wanted to do a 5.45 or 5.56 cal MG47, you would use a RPD top and tray with the type (u) links?
Didn’t think of that @ Dark Knight. I was more excited at the diameter issue than length. Wait, that didn’t sound real good, but you get my meaning. Thanks.
running the rpd belt backwards ,bad idea on my part. why? the bullet stop has a ridge that runs between the link and bullet and may jam. solution. needle nose pliers to bend /compress the link to fit the 223 round.
You should be able to take some metal off the feed tray? I'll try to get more details later to give you a better idea.
It's hard to say if you can bend the links in more, they are fairly hard and not springy like you'd think. I found this out on one of my belts because there's a tab like thing on the front of the belt that rides on a guide to hold the front of the belt up in the feed tray, one was bent and was jamming, when I tried to bend it back it snapped off.
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