Discard bad mags OR refurbish?
- Thread starter gunnutery
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Omaha-BeenGlockin
Member
What kind of mags----cheap AR mags or expensive Ruger mags.
If anything --you can save the springs---followers and floor plates.
If anything --you can save the springs---followers and floor plates.
Inebriated
Member
Refurbish, and label "RANGE USE ONLY".
The only mags I've ever had "go bad" were 1911s, and darn few of those. I seem to be a magnet for people who quit shooting or found them in Grampa's sock drawer after his funeral, and about 10% of those don't function 100% reliably. As (until recently) my CCW piece was a 1911, I had a standard response for unreliable mags - unload 'em and deposit in nearest trashcan.
It's not worth it to me to screw with them. I've tossed three or four in 30 years - and I have a pile of them left.
It's not worth it to me to screw with them. I've tossed three or four in 30 years - and I have a pile of them left.
chris in va
Member
I have a drawer half filled with bad CZ magazines.
bigfatdave
Member
refurb unless the body is damaged beyond repair
you can at least get a range-only mag out of them, most of the time
magazine-fed weapons without a spare magazine or seven are pretty pointless, refurb or at least save parts if it is a damaged body
you can at least get a range-only mag out of them, most of the time
magazine-fed weapons without a spare magazine or seven are pretty pointless, refurb or at least save parts if it is a damaged body
stumpers
Member
I must have thirty G19 mags, some from as far back as 2005. Springs are the only things I've ever had to replace...no reason to throw them away.
I don't consider springs wearing out as a magazine going bad. Mag springs are just like recoil springs and need to be periodically replaced.
However, a magazine going bad, like split lips, split welds, cracking baseplates, should be discarded. Especially 1911 magazines, or other single stacks, which should be treated as consumable items.
The only popular pistol where I have not seen their magazines fail is the H&K P-7. Their magazines are built like tanks
However, a magazine going bad, like split lips, split welds, cracking baseplates, should be discarded. Especially 1911 magazines, or other single stacks, which should be treated as consumable items.
The only popular pistol where I have not seen their magazines fail is the H&K P-7. Their magazines are built like tanks
Skylerbone
Member
I chose other. You can always mount them on a board or piece of wood an have a handy pistol stand. Even better with drawer slides mounted inside a safe, pull out storage. With 1911 magazines some follower/springs are propriety so saving innards may invite future failure.
el Godfather
Member
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- Feb 4, 2012
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- 1,847
Discard or sell off. Buy new.
WardenWolf
member
If the springs are shot, refurbish them. There's no sense trading a mag with known-good feed lips for one that may or may not work.
barnetmill
Member
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- Jun 6, 2006
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The choices on the poll are not sufficient. It really depends on what is wrong with the mag and how expensive a new mag is. If a new mag was made wrong relative to shape and does not work in your gun, then you may not readily be able to fix it. Some new magazines for my saiga 12 need to be fitted to the gun.
If it is feasible I would repair; if not feasible I would not repair.
If it is feasible I would repair; if not feasible I would not repair.
mgmorden
Member
If the feed lips or mag body are damaged then its junk. Otherwise though, every other part in a mag is dirt cheap. And if its not the mag body what went bad, why even relegate it to "range only" use? Its not as if the ghost of the broken spring is gonna come back and work its voodoo on the new one. 
wildehond
Member
Feed lips and body OK. New springs and followers. If they then still give you grief get rid of them.
Peter M. Eick
Member
It depends on the gun.
Sig 210 mag that runs $150 a pop? Refurbish.
Glock 20 mag that runs $18 a pop? Trash can.
Sig 210 mag that runs $150 a pop? Refurbish.
Glock 20 mag that runs $18 a pop? Trash can.
ny32182
Member
How exactly are you going to "refurbish" a bad mag?
Mags can only fail for about 3 reasons:
1) Dirty
2) Worn out spring
3) Body is damaged or manufactured to bad specs
Only case #3 really counts as a "bad mag" to me. I'd fix each as follows:
1) Clean
2) Replace springs (I do this all the time in magazines I use a lot, the mag spring is a wear item like any other spring, and in any pistol I have ever shot a lot, it is the FIRST thing to go if you took a pistol out of the box and started shooting it until it doesn't work)
3) Chuck it. If it is actually a bad mag I want it nowhere near me for any reason.
Mags can only fail for about 3 reasons:
1) Dirty
2) Worn out spring
3) Body is damaged or manufactured to bad specs
Only case #3 really counts as a "bad mag" to me. I'd fix each as follows:
1) Clean
2) Replace springs (I do this all the time in magazines I use a lot, the mag spring is a wear item like any other spring, and in any pistol I have ever shot a lot, it is the FIRST thing to go if you took a pistol out of the box and started shooting it until it doesn't work)
3) Chuck it. If it is actually a bad mag I want it nowhere near me for any reason.
Assuming the magazines can be successfully refurbed, it depands on the price of new magazines. When refurbishing gets to be, oh, 60% of the price of a new magazine, trash it and buy new.
Magazines that have demostrated flaws are a good candidate for the trash can regardless of cost.
Magazines that have demostrated flaws are a good candidate for the trash can regardless of cost.
bannockburn
Member
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- Apr 24, 2007
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- 26,307
I'm with ny32182, especially in regards to the mag body being damaged or out of spec. I don't think I could repair it to any extent were it would be back in spec, and quite honestly I don't have any use for a non-functioning mag.
So I'd never really thought about this until last summer during a firearms instructor course. To make it into the course we had three chances to post a 90% score. I was having a bad day to begin with, but on top of that, my mags were jamming. Mind you the jammed mags on a timed course was the least of my worries (seriosly I was doing that badly). One of the instructors suggested that once a mag goes bad he just pitches them.
I kept one mag as it was and labled it well for a jam inducing practice tool. The rest I replaced all the springs and they worked great afterwards. So I'm thus pro refurbishment as long as the body isn't bad.
I kept one mag as it was and labled it well for a jam inducing practice tool. The rest I replaced all the springs and they worked great afterwards. So I'm thus pro refurbishment as long as the body isn't bad.
Like everyone else it would depend on if the magazine is actually bad, which to me means irreparable structural faults, or just needs new springs and maybe a wipe of the insides.
Since springs cost a buck or two and mag bodies last far longer than the springs, and complete new mags run anywhere from $15-20 all the way up to $50 or even more for obscure or H&K mags, I'm pretty unlikely to spend that much money over a few dollar part that is expected to wear out before the magazine itself does.
Since springs cost a buck or two and mag bodies last far longer than the springs, and complete new mags run anywhere from $15-20 all the way up to $50 or even more for obscure or H&K mags, I'm pretty unlikely to spend that much money over a few dollar part that is expected to wear out before the magazine itself does.
Fishslayer
Member
Most of the time a new spring will fix 'em. Maybe a follower.
BCRider
Member
A mag is a servicable item just as is any other mechanical part. If we are using them in action events where we drop them onto gravel or hard floors then obviously SOME will hit lips first and might require some lip tweaking to restore to fully functional. Springs? An easily replaced item again.
THe ONLY reason to ditch a mag that was working at one time but has stopped is if the welds have split or some other non-tweakable damage has occured. Anything else is fixable.
The key is to take careful measurements of how a known good mag holds and feeds the rounds. It's best to do this in a field stripped frame. Insert the loaded mag and measure the presentation height at the head and mouth of the casing. Then tweak the lips of the bad mags to replicate that. If the mags still don't feed well then it's likely that the spring is not providing the same pressure at the proper location to the follower as found in the good ones. In that case the spring can be replaced or tweaked THEN replaced so you better understand the issue.
Toss an otherwise good mag? Not on a bet! ! ! !
THe ONLY reason to ditch a mag that was working at one time but has stopped is if the welds have split or some other non-tweakable damage has occured. Anything else is fixable.
The key is to take careful measurements of how a known good mag holds and feeds the rounds. It's best to do this in a field stripped frame. Insert the loaded mag and measure the presentation height at the head and mouth of the casing. Then tweak the lips of the bad mags to replicate that. If the mags still don't feed well then it's likely that the spring is not providing the same pressure at the proper location to the follower as found in the good ones. In that case the spring can be replaced or tweaked THEN replaced so you better understand the issue.
Toss an otherwise good mag? Not on a bet! ! ! !
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