Magazine repair tips?

[TheGriff]

Does anyone have tips for repairing a Tokerov magazine? I bought some surplus mags a while back and just got around to cleaning off all the cosmoline. One of the mags has a follower that sticks about halfway up. It slides smoothly once it is past the sticking point. I tried the followers from other mags and they did the same thing.

Looking inside the mag (with the follower in place, and a light source behind) I can see the spot where it is hanging up. It doesn't seem to be a burr, but that possibly the mag has been barely dented.

Sorry for the lousy pic.

Looking on the outside I think I can see a low spot where it might be dented in (it's really hard to see). The large circle is where the dent starts, and the small circle is the deepest spot.

I've filled the mag with bullets (no spring or follower) and they don't seem to get hung up at all like the follower does.

I feel like my only option is to file the follower to allow it to slip by the tight spot. (It doesn't look like a burr to be filed down. I'm not sure I can try to expand the mag from the inside, without bending it too far the other direction and having a mag stuck in the firearm).

Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Dave29461]

Several methods come to mind. Place mag between one piece of steel plate and one piece of wood in your vice and snug it up. Of course the steel is on the good side and the wood on the dented side. bend the end of a screwdriver to 60 - 90 degrees and pry the dent out.

If there are holes on the opposite side use a punch to tap the dent out from the opposite side.

Place steel/brass bar in mag insert wire through hole . Pull the bar against the dent gentle tap the perimeter of the dent to remove the center.

You never know, they just might work.

You could take it to an old Bodyman who still has tools for straightening metal and have him repair it. No Bondo allowed. :lol:

 

[RampDog]

Does the follower stick when the magazine is full?

 

[TheGriff]

Does the follower stick when the magazine is full?

It sticks just a little as ammo is added. Barely enough to notice. I'm not sure if I would notice if I didn't know there was a problem.

As ammo is removed, the follower sticks after the fourth round is removed (leaving four rounds left in the magazine).

As you can see below, the spring isn't able to make the follower push past the problem area.

 

[RampDog]

This trick might help. Find a socket of similar dimensions as the inside diameter of the magazine. Remove the baseplate, slide the socket into the magazine and using a hammer and wooden block tap the socket through the magazine to straighten out the dent. Depending on how thick the magazine metal is you may want to try applying a little heat from a torch to the dented area.

 

[Dave29461]

Griff, where are you located? I am an old Bodyman and still have my tools. Happy to help if I can.

 

[TheGriff]

I finally got around to working on this magazine...

The socket idea worked well, RampDog. I used the shanks of drill bits though. I found that a 13/32" bit would slide nicely into the front and back of the magazine, but not the middle.

I pushed the bit into the middle of the mag, then used a hammer and lightly tapped on it, but when I pushed the follower through the mag it still seized up.

I moved up to the next bit 27/64" and did some more tapping and success. The follower now moves through the mag properly. Also, the mag goes in the firearm and drops properly.

Now I just need to get some range time in to test it out.

Thanks to everyone that gave suggestions. I really appreciate it.

 

[Acecool]

I'd say take a piece of wood and get it to the exact dimensions and hammer it in from one side, use a screwdriver to back it out from the lip side and repeat until it all is the same.

Alternatively, you could try bending it out. The best and easiest way might be to get a few LARGE washers with SMALL holes, and put a bolt through it, with a nut already on with a washer on too, have a nut and washer waiting on the other side of the hole and screw the bolt until the end of the bolt is at the end of the nut. Now, tighten the nut that was already on the bolt on the outside of the magazine; use a small wrench to hold the one inside the mag to prevent it from spinning, and tighten it as much as you can. Loosen and see if its fixed. This would probably be your best bet.