Author Topic: Gun Mags -- Fix or Toss? (Read 307 times)

Halo · « **on:** November 17, 2006, 04:56:56 PM »

What do you do with a gun magazine that is unreliable? From what I read on the Internet, the prevailing theory seems to be toss it and get a new one.

Some like the ones for my M1 Carbine were expected to be somewhat expandable since they would be used in combat. Other civilian magazines theoretically should last the life of the gun.

I recently bought a couple 30-cal Carbine magazines. One does fine, the other does not; fortunately, I can turn back the latter for another.

A bigger mystery is two extra magazines for my 10/22 Ruger Rifle. They are Ruger brand, transparent, and the original is black. The original does fine but the two transparent are erratic, usually failing to feed at least once in 10 shots.

The Ruger manual says don't try to repair those rotary magazines. Other sources suggest otherwise, but "repair" is mostly soaking and cleanup, and these are brand new.

So for whatever kind of gun you use magazines in, do you generally try to fix an erratic magazine or just toss it and get a new one?

Dago · « **Reply #1 on:** November 17, 2006, 05:07:17 PM »

My experience is a good magazine will work, a cheap or poorly made one won't.

Sometimes a magazine can be fixed, if the lips are deformed and can be straightened out, or bad parts replaced, but if you want a magazine you can count on when you really need it, toss out bad ones and only keep ones that feed reliable and consistant.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2006, 05:35:41 PM »

Toss em. I'd hate for it to malfunction at that precise moment where you really need it to function.

storch · « **Reply #3 on:** November 17, 2006, 05:53:31 PM »

I would toss them

Maverick · « **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2006, 06:41:40 PM »

If the mags are new Ruger, why don't you contact Ruger and see if they will look at them?

Ghosth · « **Reply #5 on:** November 17, 2006, 06:45:06 PM »

I've cleaned my ruger 10-22 mags several times over the years. But I've never seen a "clear" one. Mine were all solid black.

Combination of wax off the rounds & dirt does build up up inside but it shouldn't happen before you've run a brick through them. And half of those in & out of blue jeans pockets first. (picking up lint, & other goodies in the process)

Carefully unscrew the center paying close attention to how it all goes together.
A bit of Alcohol or solvent will help loosen the gunk up. Reassemble and away you go again. Its a bit of a pita getting the correct # of turns on the spring, but its doable with practise.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 17, 2006, 07:32:09 PM »

Toss em. Otherwise when you need it and it fails, all you'll have is an awkward club and not a gun.

eagl · « **Reply #7 on:** November 17, 2006, 09:45:38 PM »

Mis-feeding metal mags can sometimes be reshaped, but the feeding guide lips on ruger 10-22 mags are either solid plastic, cast, or machined metal blocks. It's tough to fix that. If it's just a weak spring then maybe you can fix that but if it's simply mis-feeding, it may be easier to just get new ones.

I have a few mini-14 mags that don't feed right. They're stamped sheet metal so I may be able to tweak them to work. Not sure what you can do with a 10-22 mag except clean and replace the inner spring, but I'm not even sure how to disassemble one without destroying it.

lazs2 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 18, 2006, 09:51:48 AM »

semi autos never fail... you must be doing something wrong or making it up... just ask dago.

I have probly thrown away 20 cheap mags over the years and maybe 10 factory ones. you can sometimes work em over with new springs and bending and such but they can never be trusted once they start jamming.

lazs

Dago · « **Reply #9 on:** November 18, 2006, 10:34:59 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
semi autos never fail... you must be doing something wrong or making it up... just ask dago.

I have probly thrown away 20 cheap mags over the years and maybe 10 factory ones. you can sometimes work em over with new springs and bending and such but they can never be trusted once they start jamming.

lazs

Never said semi-autos dont jam, but I have said that the majority of times you have that problem, it is the magazine.

You lazs on the other hand say that revolvers are perfect, but why was there this thread recently "Revolver Shell Ejection Problem"?

You said semis are inaccurate, but you never answered my challenge that 3/4 of the shooters at the Bianchi cup shot semis, and that you should go tell all of them including virtually all the winners (who shot semi's), that they were inaccurate and couldnt shoot straight.

Please, stop letting your bias effect your judgement.

Author Topic: Gun Mags -- Fix or Toss? (Read 307 times)

storch