Ruger PCC conversion loose?

[Throwbackguy]

So, I have a Ruger PCC in 9mm. And love it. LOVE it. Shoots surprisingly small groups, and a heckuva lot of fun at the range (and popular, too, with the crowd!). I switched over the magwell to Glock, for the availability/variety... but the mags! They wiggle all around, seeming like they're gonna just fall out sometimes. [They haven't.]

What I'm wondering is: Does anyone else have this problem? Or, are they just kinda loose to begin with? I'm starting to look around for an aftermarket magwell as well (like Midwest, or some such) for this very reason...

 

[zaitcev]

Observe that the magwell of Ruger PCC is significantly shorter than even Glock 26. And, if you assume the same gap around a magazine, you will be able to wiggle it more in Ruger.

Now, consider this. Because pistol makers operate with longer grips, they can afford to make them larger than needed. But, as soon as they do that, makers of aftermarket magazines will use up the slack. And then, Ruger cannot make their magazine well tighter without compromising the compatibility.

Something like this happened with the SIG P320 magwells for Ruger PCC. Initially, I made them to match the milspec magazines, with just a little overhead. SIG's subcontractors such as MecGar and Checkmate more or less follow the specification given to them by the U.S. Army (it's a little more complicated in real life, but bear with it). However, very soon customers found that they cannot use not only plastic ETS magazines, but also Promag's long stick. The latter are significantly oversized despite being made of steel. I had to revise the design to allow for magazines of larger dimensions. Of course, that increased the wobble.

I'm pretty sure Ruger would've made the opening smaller if they could.

 

[Throwbackguy]

(Palm smacking forehead) Thank you for the sobering reply. Of course, that makes sense.

Now, this makes me wonder: If I stick to only one company (for instance, Glock brand-name only, plastic), could I use some sort of shim in the magwell only? It'd have to be flame/heat-resistant at least. Makes me wonder if Talon grip tape around the edge of the magwell would help... or just hinder.

Thanks again!

 

[jak67429]

I have a ruger 9mm pcc and the Glock mags are not tight but I have not had any issues with feeding, in 3 years of shooting steel challenge with it.

 

[zaitcev]

If I stick to only one company (for instance, Glock brand-name only, plastic), could I use some sort of shim in the magwell only?

The thickness of the walls of the shim is a problem for most common manufacturing methods. You can glue strips of plastic using the tape that is used to hang Christmas lights (it's removable). Strips have to slick, like the material used for folder dividers, and it's best to have them stick down and out a little, so a magazine cannot catch them on reload.

Another option is to make a whole magwell anew, copying Ruger's own magwell, but narrower and possibly longer.

It all can be done. I just don't think it's worth the effort, considering that Ruger PCC generally feeds okay despite the wobble.