Steve in Allentown
Member
This is a follow-up to my original post with the same name.
The magazine has to push the catch sideways. For this to happen the catch must be shaped appropriately. It is not unusual for a magazine catch to have geometry that doesn't allow a magazine to be pushed past it.
In the left picture of the two below the red arrow is pointing at the area where repeated magazine contact has created a rough surface. If you look closely, you can also see the wear at the bottom of the catch caused by repeated magazine contact. No magazine from any manufacturer could be seated in this pistol even using a firm palm smack unless the catch was pushed inward.
To solve this problem the first thing to do was to coat the entire area where magazine contact was possible with Dykem as shown in the right hand pic below. This is followed by repeatedly seating a magazine to scratch away the blue Dykem so you can see exactly where the modification needs to happen.
Once I identified the problem areas, I roughed in a bevel where magazine contact was occurring as shown in the pic on the left below. I used a #2 cut file for this operation. This was followed by a #4 cut file, 320 grit sandpaper, 400 grit sandpaper, and a felt wheel in a dreaded Dremel tool. The result is shown in the right hand pic. The white arrow is pointing out the poor machining of the part.
The end result of my efforts was the ability to seat the magazine with the use of a single thumb. It should be pointed out that each magazine catch may require a different degree of modification depending on how it was machined and which magazines are to be used. For example, the Wilson, Tripp, and McCormick mags that I have on hand do not have the same relieved area on the right side of the magazine tube like CheckMate mags have to allow for easier insertion past the mag catch.
Below is another mag catch that was modified. This one only required the edge of catch to be rounded. Note that the shelf that engages with the magazine slot is rounded at the extreme rear edge of the catch. This can also been seen in the pics above.
In some instances a lighter than standard magazine catch spring will be needed to optimize magazine seating. Wolff Gunsprings offers a 5 spring assortment pak of these springs each of a different weight so you can use the one most appropriate for your circumstances. I've generally used the #2 spring. Be advised, using too light of a magazine catch spring will allow the magazine catch to move enough to allow the magazine to drop out of the pistol during live fire especially when firing hot loads.
It's time to stop ignoring the magazine catch as a potential factor for difficult magazine seating. Once again we're looking to be able to fully seat a magazine using no more than the strength of single thumb.Steve in Allentown said:
The magazine has to push the catch sideways. For this to happen the catch must be shaped appropriately. It is not unusual for a magazine catch to have geometry that doesn't allow a magazine to be pushed past it.
In the left picture of the two below the red arrow is pointing at the area where repeated magazine contact has created a rough surface. If you look closely, you can also see the wear at the bottom of the catch caused by repeated magazine contact. No magazine from any manufacturer could be seated in this pistol even using a firm palm smack unless the catch was pushed inward.
To solve this problem the first thing to do was to coat the entire area where magazine contact was possible with Dykem as shown in the right hand pic below. This is followed by repeatedly seating a magazine to scratch away the blue Dykem so you can see exactly where the modification needs to happen.
Once I identified the problem areas, I roughed in a bevel where magazine contact was occurring as shown in the pic on the left below. I used a #2 cut file for this operation. This was followed by a #4 cut file, 320 grit sandpaper, 400 grit sandpaper, and a felt wheel in a dreaded Dremel tool. The result is shown in the right hand pic. The white arrow is pointing out the poor machining of the part.
The end result of my efforts was the ability to seat the magazine with the use of a single thumb. It should be pointed out that each magazine catch may require a different degree of modification depending on how it was machined and which magazines are to be used. For example, the Wilson, Tripp, and McCormick mags that I have on hand do not have the same relieved area on the right side of the magazine tube like CheckMate mags have to allow for easier insertion past the mag catch.
Below is another mag catch that was modified. This one only required the edge of catch to be rounded. Note that the shelf that engages with the magazine slot is rounded at the extreme rear edge of the catch. This can also been seen in the pics above.
In some instances a lighter than standard magazine catch spring will be needed to optimize magazine seating. Wolff Gunsprings offers a 5 spring assortment pak of these springs each of a different weight so you can use the one most appropriate for your circumstances. I've generally used the #2 spring. Be advised, using too light of a magazine catch spring will allow the magazine catch to move enough to allow the magazine to drop out of the pistol during live fire especially when firing hot loads.
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