Well I've been modifing the 50 rnd Winchester hoppers with Dye lock lids for a while, and a few people were asking for a DIY tutorial. Here's the way I found that is the easiest and seems to be the most durable.
Items needed:
Winchester hopper
Dye lock lid
Sharp utility knife
Fine grit sandpaper
Rubbing alcohol or other cleaner (not acetone based)
Crazy Glue (or equivilent)
Start with a standard Winchester hopper (sans lid):
and an old Dye lock lid pod lid. For this version you won't need any of the actual pod, just the black locking lid and the ring that attaches it to the pod:
Trim off the rim on the hopper that the stock lid snapped onto. You don't want to take off too much, just remove the lip and leave the body of the hopper as square as possible.
What gets trimmed off:
This is a close-up of the locking mechanisim of the lid. You will need to "capture" this behind a portion of the hopper wall.
Like so:
I've found the easiest positioning of the open button is at the "5 o-clock" position when viewed from behind. It will allow the most surface area on the locking mechanisim.
Rough up the body of the hopper down about a half an inch with the sandpaper; clean the area really well, and once dry glue the lid in place:
Enjoy!
