The Art And Science Of Magazine Maintenance

Magazine maintenance is one of those concepts that most gun owners will agree should be done on a regular basis. In fact, I recommend that duty magazines carried by armed professionals be serviced every time the duty weapon is. In practice, it seems to be a different story. Every firearm produced leaves the factory with an owner’s manual. In this manual there is a section on care and cleaning or preventative maintenance.

Great effort is made to explain how to field strip, clean, inspect, lubricate and function test the firearm. Little attention is paid to the magazines associated with the firearm except for the cursory wipe down to remove rust, dirt or firing residue and perhaps disassembly. If your life depends on the uninterrupted operation of your firearm or if you area shooter that doesn’t want to experience a malfunction or a stoppage that is magazine related, read on.

What you will learn may not surprise you but it will enable you to get closer to a trouble free shooting experience with your magazine fed-firearm. Magazines come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they all have the same purpose. They carry ammunition and are spring powered to facilitate feeding of the ammunition into the host weapon as it works its way through the cycle of operation. A clip carries ammunition but has no spring. A clip and a magazine are not the same thing.

Generally speaking, a clip feeds a magazine and a magazine feeds a firearm. We will focus on the removable box-type magazine found in modern pistols and rifles. Both single column and double column magazines are maintained similarly. In fact, many of the maintenance features mentioned in this article apply universally to all magazine fed-firearms. A magazine usually consists of up to five separate components. All magazines have a body, spring and follower.

Most have a removable base plate and some of those have a separate insert to hold the base plate onto the magazine body. By understanding what each component of the magazine is designed to do we can cover the science aspect of magazine maintenance. The body of the magazine contains the ammunition in a nice neat package. There are two parallel surfaces called feed lips at the top of the magazine where the top round sits.

The feed lips guide the top round of ammunition out of the magazine in line with the feed ramp of the firearm. This facilitates the smooth transition of around from the magazine into the chamber of the barrel. The forward edge of each lip is called the release point. This is where the cartridge is released from under the feed lips to align with the chamber of the barrel.

The magazine body may have openings in its sides which will allow the ingress and egress of fluids and small solids, provide a visual verification of round count and provide an interface for the magazine catch to hold the magazine in place when inserted into the magazine well of the host firearm. Some magazine bodies have a specific type of firearm that they are designed for as well as the caliber of ammunition that it will accommodate.

More often than not, the caliber designation is marked on the magazine for brands with models that are produced in multiple calibers. This is because of feed lip tolerances that vary to accommodate different diameters of ammunition, such as 9mm and .40 S&W. The magazine follower is a complex part of the magazine assembly in that it performs multiple tasks.

The most obvious is that it transfers energy from the magazine spring to the ammunition stack in order to facilitate feeding by keeping a cartridge in the feed lips until the last round is fired. The contour of the follower keeps the ammunition from binding within the double column magazine body as the cartridge stack moves toward the feed lips during firing.

Depending on the firearm type, there is a seat located near the top of the follower that engages the slide stop or bolt catch to lock the action open after the last round is fired. This of course is a tell tale sign that the gun is without ammunition. In rare cases, the follower itself holds the action open after the last round is fired. The follower also aids in ejection of the last round fired in some guns as well. The magazine spring provides the energy to keep the ammunition

stack against the feed lips. This energy also acts to provide a means of keeping the magazine components together as a unit. Magazine springs are often attached to either the follower or the insert or both. Some magazine springs are direction specific making it important to reassemble the magazine in the same configuration that it came apart to ensure proper function. The floor plate, if removable, provides access to the interior of the magazine body and its parts.

It can be padded to protect the magazine when dropped, act as an extension to accommodate extra ammunition or have an external contour to provide an improved gripping surface for ease of removal. The insert is found in some designs of box magazines. Its purpose is to lock the floor plate in place on the magazine body and support the compressed spring and follower when the magazine is loaded. Maintenance Cleaning is the first step to maintaining a magazine.

A simple definition of cleaning is to remove any substance or material attached to any part of the magazine that wasn’t attached to the magazine when it was new from the factory. This is a relatively easy process started by disassembling the magazine, done by removing the base of the magazine from the magazine body and removing the follower, spring and insert.

Take note that some magazines have different methods of disassembly and it might be prudent to consult the owner’s manual, or the manufacturer’s customer service department if the process isn’t readily obvious. Once the magazine is reduced to its individual components, brush or wipe away any debris or residue from each part with a cleaning brush or clean cloth. Inspect the follower and the magazine body for pockets of residue that may have collected as a blend of lubricant and dirt can form a mud-like paste.

Anything that isn’t part of the magazine should be removed to be considered clean. If rust or corrosion is present, it has to go. Depending on the severity of the problem, some light scrubbing all the way up to a total refinish of the magazine might be in order. Inspection of each of the component parts is next on the list. Suspect parts should be replaced to help ensure functionality of the magazine in its designated firearm.

The magazine body itself has three areas that deserve particular scrutiny aside from the overall body itself. They are the feed lips, the magazine catch slot and the rails for mounting the base plate. The feed lips need to be smooth and, if not parallel, at identical angles for the smooth and even release of the cartridge as it is pushed forward by the bottom of the slide or bolt. Check the back of the magazine where the feed lips originate for cracks in the lips or the seam where the two sides join.

If cracks exist in either place, it is time to replace the magazine as the problem will only get worse. Eventually the feed lips will spread to the point of releasing the ammunition too early and causing a stoppage, or the magazine will spread to a point where it won’t fall free of the magazine well without a little help. Either case is unsatisfactory if the gun is to be used for serious business. The magazine catch slot is often neglected but is an integral part to the proper function of a magazine in a firearm.

If it enlarges or develops a burr, it could cause a stoppage due to its altered position in the magazine well or could prevent proper release of the magazine when performing a reload or clearing the gun. The slot should be sharp and clean without the appearance of burrs or deformation. The rails on the bottom of the magazine body rarely receive damage but should be inspected to ensure that the base plate slides off and on smoothly.

The base plate takes a lot of abuse mostly because of being the first thing to contact the ground when involved in one of the many types of reloads that shooters perform on a regular basis. The problem is exacerbated when the magazine contains ammunition, therefore increasing its weight and amount of force rendered to the base plate on

impact. The majority of base plates are either metal or synthetic. Over time the metal ones usually bend and the synthetics have a tendency to crack or break. When inspecting, look for obvious damage and test the ease in which they slide on and off the magazine body. Also, once installed on a complete magazine make sure that it is interlocked in place and cannot be pulled out of position with simple hand strength. The magazine insert is present on some types and brands of magazines and not on others.

As an example, early Sauer-made P-220 or P-230 magazines used the tip of the magazine spring to secure the base plate on the magazine body. Early generations of Glock magazines had a simple interlock similar to a child proof medicine bottle to secure the base plate on the magazine body. The newer ones are similar mechanically to other popular brands, such as Beretta, Ruger and Sig, and have an insert that interfaces with and between the base plate and magazine body to hold the two together.

There is not much to inspect except for obvious visual anomalies and to see if it is doing its job when the magazine is assembled by pulling on the base plate to see if it is locked via the insert to the magazine body. The magazine spring has two primary jobs in that it applies pressure to both ends of the magazine body. It has to keep the insert interlocked with the floor plate at all times or the magazine will fall apart.

It also applies pressure to the ammunition via the follower to keep the ammunition against the feed lips during the cycling of the firearm when chambering around. Much has been said about magazine springs taking a set or wearing out. I have not seen this in springs that were manufactured correctly that were manufactured in the last 50 years. I have seen failures due to improper heat treatment of the base material among a few other things but cases like this are rare.

Without expensive equipment there is no way to tell what the material is and what the heat treat was so we have to test the function to a standard to verify whether the spring is working properly or not. I have found that as long as the empty magazine will lock the action open after the last shot has been fired and the gun is empty, the spring is fine.

This is an arguable point in some people’s minds so my suggestion is to replace the springs when you think you need to, erring on the side of caution, and enjoy piece of mind. Do keep in mind that if the inside of the magazine is rough or dirty, it is not the spring’s fault that the magazine doesn’t perform as expected. Another possibility to consider is that some magazine springs are installation sensitive.

That is to say that if the spring isn’t installed in the magazine body in a specific manner, you may have a magazine that won’t work at all. The general guideline is that if the spring has multiple coil diameters, the smaller diameters should be positioned clos- Far est to the ammunition. In addition, when held vertical with the follower resting atop the spring, the bearing surfaces of the follower and the coils of the spring should be in line with one another.

This facilitates a linear push to the ammunition on top of the follower. Still another issue that many gun owners don’t realize is that some manufacturers use multiple vendors to make their magazines, which often means that parts are not interchangeable from one magazine to another. This is a serious caveat simply because the wrong parts in a magazine could cause the magazine and/or the gun not to work properly when the call comes to perform.

Magazine followers are made from metal, synthetic or a composite of the two. When inspecting, ensure that the front, rear and side bearing surfaces are smooth so they move freely from one end of the magazine body to the other. The action catch step is the part of the follower that engages the bolt catch/ slide stop to hold the action open after the last shot is fired. Inspect it for wear, becoming rounded or being bent from its original shape, all of which will allow bypass and failure of the action to lock open.

In rare cases, if bypass takes place, it may lock the magazine in the gun requiring partial disassembly of the gun to repair. Lubrication and surface preservation of the metal parts is important to prevent corrosion or oxidation. This must be done without contaminating the ammunition in the magazine. Dry lubricant and preservatives work best in this application although conventional lubes can be used if applied properly. Once conventional lubricants are applied over the metal surfaces, use a clean

Far It should be replaced. cloth to remove everything that has not embedded itself into the pores of the metal. This will ensure that there is no transfer of lubricant or preservative material to the ammunition in the magazine. Synthetic parts are self lubricating and only need cleaning and inspection. Once the magazine has been cleaned, inspected and protected, it should be function checked prior to being put into service.

This will increase the likelihood that the magazine will perform as expected when it is asked to do so. The order of these steps aren’t necessarily important but it is important that each step be done as it applies to the specific magazine being function tested. Use a cleaning rod or similar object to depress the follower fully to the bottom of the magazine and slowly release it to its original position.

The objective is to determine if there is any binding, dragging or roughness felt on the follower as it traveled through its full range of movement. The movement of the follower should feel smooth and unrestricted in both directions. Slowly insert the magazine into the magazine well of an unloaded firearm with the action closed. Slight resistance should be felt as the magazine bypasses the magazine catch until the two interlock. Tug on the base plate to ensure that the magazine is locked in place.

Retract the slide or bolt fully and it should automatically lock to the Far open position without touching the slide stop. Finish by depressing the magazine catch, allowing the magazine to fall free of the pistol from its own weight. If any of these steps fail, the magazine should be considered unsatisfactory for general use until the problem is solved. Note, some brands of pistols are designed to retain the magazine so they don’t drop free of their own weight.

Early model Glocks are an example, although later models feature magazines that will drop free and correspond to the function check above. Rifles with magazine catches similar to the M14, AK-47 and SIG 550 are not intended to drop free, making it unnecessary to perform the last step. Load the magazine with metal dummy rounds to maximum capacity.

Ensure that there is approximately 1/8-inch of compression space in the ammunition stack so the magazine can be inserted and seated fully in the magazine well with the action closed. In addition, some magazines expand when fully loaded with ammunition and will not enter or exit the magazine well without dragging on the sides. The test for function is to insert the magazine slowly into the magazine well with the action closed until the magazine interlocks with the magazine catch.

This should be accomplished with little more than normal hand pressure. There should be no need to slap, slam or beat the magazine to seat it completely. Once seated, tug on the base plate to make sure that it is securely in place. Finally, depress the magazine catch and the magazine should release and fall free of the firearm of its own weight. Once the magazine has been function checked successfully, it is reasonable to expect it to perform as necessary and is ready for service.

There is a little art in performing the mechanical aspects of main-

taining a firearm magazine. The physical tests and inspections, not to mention the specifics of metallic surface preservation, all fall under the category of things necessary to do in order to validate the magazine’s function. The knowledge of why these actions are necessary, what materials are to be used and how they are to be performed ad- Below right, Clockwise: All of these magazines were range pickups after alive fire movement exercise.

None are serviceable for future use. dresses the scientific side of magazine maintenance. Added together, they create a greater understanding of how important a magazine is to the overall function of the firearm. By performing maintenance on the magazines used every time the firearm is maintained, we can virtually eliminate malfunctions, stoppages and other unforeseen conditions often caused by or blamed on the magazine. AG