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Old May 19, 2000, 08:08 AM   #1
Icopy
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I just retrofitted my Wilson 8-round mags with Metalform stainless steel round followers and Wolff Xtra Power mag springs to create 7-round magazines. When fully loaded, two of the four mags lock in the pistol with ease. The other two won't lock in at all. What's wrong?
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Old May 19, 2000, 02:06 PM   #2
Bud Helms
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First thing I'd do is make some measurements to determine the location of the locking "cuts" in the magazine body and compare the measurement of the ones that work against the ones that don't. It's possible the locking slots on the mags are not located at the same point on all of them, or better stated maybe they are not all the same dimension, as in width and depth.

[This message has been edited by sensop (edited May 19, 2000).]
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Old May 20, 2000, 07:06 PM   #3
Bud Helms
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Icopy,

'Found out the problem yet?
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Old May 22, 2000, 09:11 AM   #4
Icopy
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Sensop --

I kinda found out the problem. I took all the mags apart and mix and matched the springs. Then three of the mags worked. So I took the "old" Wolff spring and installed it in the fourth mag. It worked but a new problem happened. Now the spring doesn't didn't have enough power to push up the follower and activate the slide stop. So I pulled the spring from my Shooting Star mag and it seems to have corrected the problem. I won't know for sure until I go to the range again next month and fire test them.
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Old May 22, 2000, 11:18 AM   #5
Bud Helms
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Check the locking slots in the mags that originally malfunctioned and make sure the edges of the slots aren't bent inward and catching the spring. Look on the inside of the mags and see if you can see any areas which are rubbing on the follower or spring. Something is catching/limiting the spring's free travel inside the mag body. Check the followers from the malfunctioning mags against the followers in the good mags for clean adges and proper shape and anghles. Something simple but not obvious is usually at work on this kind of niggling problem.




[This message has been edited by sensop (edited May 22, 2000).]
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Old May 22, 2000, 02:14 PM   #6
James K
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When a fully loaded magazine will not lock in place with the slide closed but will with the slide open or the magazine empty, the problem is either too long a follower, a magazine spring that is compressing too soon, or improper assembly of the spring and follower. The top round in the magazine has to be able to be pressed down by the bottom of the slide to allow the magazine to lock in place.

Jim
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