Pierre
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- Jul 29, 2020
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That's pretty much my question. It's a welded base plate & waited too long before I tried them...I screwed up... I wonder if there is a way to tune a welded base plate mag???
1911 magazines
- Thread starter taat2d
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Vin
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- Jan 30, 2019
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Wilson Combat mags all the way, they work every time for me.
Love2Shoot2
Fanatic
I have had the same issue with Wilson ETM, Wilson 47, and Tripp Research mags. I called Tripp and they said to send their mags back to them for tuning. They also explained that slamming mags in with a slide-lock reload causes the inertia of the ammo in the loaded magazine to expand the lips at the top of the mag. This is even more prevalent in the .45 mags. Anyway, they tuned my mags and all went back to dropping free. All it cost me was the shipping to and from their shop. However, that was some time back and some of the same issues have arisen. I just haven't sent them back in for tuning yet. I wish I had the dies or whatever is necessary to do this mag tuning myself.
You can remove spring and follower in Colt mags, there's a YouTube video on it, little aggravating but can be done, been awhile since I've done it
jharbert1965
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I use only Wilson Combat. Just my two cents
Tactical Rico
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I'll start out saying I use Tripp mags exclusively for carry and competition.......having said that, all mags can get bent or dented when used. If they get out of shape here's what I do. Find a mag that falls free from your pistol and measure the top front (spread of the lips) then right behind the lips. Use these numbers to check your mags that don't fall free. Usually the ones that don't fall are bigger/fatter. I use a nylon faced hammer on a flat surface and gently rap the mag bodies until they are the same width as the ones that work. This almost always cures the problem. If not...........
Some of the above mentioned problems may also exist but if the issue is with the pistol there are many places to check. Grip screws/bushings, mag release, dirt and grime in mag well, and don't forget to check inside edge of trigger bow.......Good luck.
TR
Some of the above mentioned problems may also exist but if the issue is with the pistol there are many places to check. Grip screws/bushings, mag release, dirt and grime in mag well, and don't forget to check inside edge of trigger bow.......Good luck.
TR
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
I agree with Tactical Rico.. you may be bending the lips of the mag with use.. Measure & tap/bend lips to same dimensions of a mag that falls free..
I believe that any in spec mag should fall free, if the pistols is working correctly. I use a lot of different brands of mags..they all work.( fall freely )
Even bought a few of the Wilson #47 mags..( @ about $ 45/mag ) can't tell a functional difference between them & other more generic ( & less costly) mags.
For my 9mm 1911's I like Mec-Gar mags..(the nickle plated ones) comparitively inexpensive, easy to load, drop free , never had a problem with them.
Mec Gar makes mags for many name brand pistols (that are stamped with a factory brand, instead of Mec Gar.
I believe that any in spec mag should fall free, if the pistols is working correctly. I use a lot of different brands of mags..they all work.( fall freely )
Even bought a few of the Wilson #47 mags..( @ about $ 45/mag ) can't tell a functional difference between them & other more generic ( & less costly) mags.
For my 9mm 1911's I like Mec-Gar mags..(the nickle plated ones) comparitively inexpensive, easy to load, drop free , never had a problem with them.
Mec Gar makes mags for many name brand pistols (that are stamped with a factory brand, instead of Mec Gar.
Many years ago, I had a very similar problem with my then, brand new S&W Pro Series 9mm 1911. It was after experiencing the same problem that I started looking at the mag release and figured out what was going on. Like you, I found that they wouldn't drop free at the most inopportune times...PPC match or other competition shooting. Never a problem on the range or during practice. Under the "stress" of competition, I has hitting the mag release with a much more pressure..."pinning", or locking the mag in the grip frame. (EDIT: The gun came with Wilson Elite Tactical mags) The inside curvature of the mag release button was a tad too "thick". Any less pressure, a normal depressing of the button, and the mags dropped free. I called S&W and the very kindly sent me two complete mag release assemblies. That way, they said, I could "machine one" and have another if I took too much off. A couple dozen light passes with a half round file was all it took. Now, even a gorilla grip on the mag release doesn't keep the mag from falling free. It is still fully secure in the frame whenever the mag release is in it's normal position and it has never fallen out on its own since the fix...10 years ago.
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Buying a DW isn't necessarily a fix. I have the same issue with a PM-9. The trigger bow is not in the way and I have changed mag releases & spring. It just intermittently fails to drop an empty mag. They drop about 2 inches and stop regardless of brand -- Wilson, Tripp, or Dawson. The same mags work flawlessly in guns from Smith, Springfield, and STI. The DW is now just an attractive sade queen.
I found my problem by slowly and deliberately pressing the mag release until the mag dropped free. There was always a fraction of an inch of "over travel" on the release. After a very small gap was closed, the release button would contact and pinch the left side of the mag tube. Again, this only happened with a deliberate but forceful press on the mag release. Maybe you have tried it, but try it again, going very slowly, as to not overshoot any gap between the release and the mag tube. When they did stick, my mags always fell out some, about a 1/4", before getting stuck, by me pinning it. Of course, they fell out as soon as I released the mag release...
I have put 45 mags between wood blocks in a vice and put some gentle pressure on then to move the feedlips back in. Just not too much pressure!
nicalaex
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- May 13, 2020
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Have Wilson and Tripp's--both equal in quality
I have all the mags numbered. It happens intermittently with them and no rhyme or reason which ones. Maybe, like someone earlier suggested, I'm pushing too hard during a match and something is getting hung up and causing them not to drop. I need to further investigate and see if I can find the culprit.
Tactical Rico
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- Aug 9, 2018
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taat2d:
There are a couple other things to worry about if you seat your 9mm mags too forcefully.
If you have a long ejector you can bend/break it by forcing the mags too far up into the magwell. This can also cause the rear of the mag to expand a little causing the mag to rub on the magwell and not fall free. Just my experience........
TR
There are a couple other things to worry about if you seat your 9mm mags too forcefully.
If you have a long ejector you can bend/break it by forcing the mags too far up into the magwell. This can also cause the rear of the mag to expand a little causing the mag to rub on the magwell and not fall free. Just my experience........
TR
cxm
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- Mar 11, 2020
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- 28
Try the Mec-Gar 1911 magazine. Like all Mec-Gar products the quality is excellent and the price reasonable.
I have used Mec-Gar mags on lots of different pistol brands and all work well... In fact Mec-Gar makes the OEM mags for a bunch of different manufacturers.
FWIW
Chuck
I have used Mec-Gar mags on lots of different pistol brands and all work well... In fact Mec-Gar makes the OEM mags for a bunch of different manufacturers.
FWIW
Chuck
