[whitebear]

I just picked up a stainless SA Champion loaded - great gun! Put 50 rounds thru it at the range using the two 7-rounders that came with it, just for a function check before I went home. Flawless!

Got home, and began trying my old mags with the new toy - a mix of Mecgar and McCormick Shooting Star 8-rounders - and NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD LOCK THE SLIDE!!!

Anyone have any idea why this would be? Inquiring minds want to know...

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Eagles may soar, but weasles don't get sucked into jet engines...

 

[MDH]

Whitebear
Try bending the bottom lip of the shooting star magazines up just a little. Try a little at a time until the slide locks back. I had the same problem with all of my Chip Mc magazines.
Mike

 

[Iron Mike]

This problem is almost always due to the follower not pushing up or contacting the slide stop. You could try two things. First, replace the magazines springs if they are old and compressed. Second, check the front,lower left portion of the follower and make sure it comes up far enough to contact and push up on the slide stop. Chip's mags are designed primarily to hold one extra round and locking the slide back is of secondary concern.

 

[Frontsight!]

This seems to be a common problem with Chip McCormic mags. The follower has no support and can "dive". Therefore, when you're out of ammo, instead of the follower pushing the slidelock up, the follower just dives. Get mags that the front of the follower won't dive, and forget about your problems.

 

[whitebear]

Thanks for all the info, gentlemen!

I remedied the problem with the McCormicks by bending the lower lips up, as the two Mikes suggested.

The Mecgars worked after removing, stretching, and replacing the springs, letting me know that I need to get new springs for them ASAP.

Frontsight, I ASSUME you are talking about Wilson mags... Am I correct?

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Eagles may soar, but weasles don't get sucked into jet engines...

 

[Frontsight!]

Not necessarily. I have about 12 of the "Springfield Armory NM" mags (they look suspiciously like Mec-Gars) that work great in every 1911 I've tried them in. The followers do happen to be designed like the Wilsons, except that they're polished metal, not plastic. I would be surprised if those McCormick mags continue to work reliably over the long haul. I'm no expert, but it just makes sense to me about making sure the follower can't dive.

 

[whitebear]

Bringing this back to the top after a long time, but...

I got a solution.

Iron Mike hit it on the head - the springs in the MecGar and McCormick Shooting Star Mags had lost their oomph. I replaced them with Wolff +5% springs, and now they all lock back the slide pretty as you please.

I'll be testing them in live fire conditions in the next couple of days, and will update how they perform.

Thanks for all the help!

Tony


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Eagles may soar, but weasles don't get sucked into jet engines...

 

[jaydee]

Funny thing... I recently replaced the springs in my oldest Wilsons. They had been kept loaded for many years, cycled through, and had never failed me in any of the guns they have been used in.

Since they were almost 15 years, I decided to do some "maintenance" and change springs, while also upgrading from 7 to 8 round followers.

I know Wilson uses Wolff springs for their mags, but I was surprised that the springs I pulled out hadn't lost any noticable length. They looked almost new, slight signs of corrosion from many years of service, but very servicable. I have kept them for spares, in case I break one (figure the odds).

Well, you should not have any more problems for many years to come with the Wolff springs. Enjoy!

 

[Mute]

I'm gonna guess here that it's the slide stop. I have the same problem with my Champion, but when I swap the slide stop with the one from my milspec, no problem with the lock back at all. It's probably a combination of both the lip and the followers in the mags as I have no problem with any of the 7 round factory mags.

[This message has been edited by Mute (edited 04-11-2001).]

 

[gyp_c]

Same here...It's the use of the mags that causes wear...you can leave 'em loaded as long as you want...It's the stretching and relaxing over and over that wears them out...
I thinkI'm gonna' get a new slide stop to go with my other stuff too...Just makes sense...New ejector,new extractor, new springs,new slide stop!

Why not...

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>>>>>>>>>>g2<<<<<<<<<<

MWLWN LABE!

 

[eddienyr]

whitebear which wolff springs did you use to rebuild your mec gars?

Eddie

 

[whitebear]

Wow, Eddie - talk about raising the dead! I replied to this conversation thread in December of 2000. Truth be told, I can't, at this late date, recall exactly which Wolff springs I used in the MecGar mags, except that they were 5% stronger than stock.

Looking at Wolff's website, I'm pretty sure they were part #71461.

Hope this helps!

 

[eddienyr]

I like raising the dead I will give wolffs web site a look. I contacted them but they wouldn't give me any suggestions for a replacement. (liability) I have two 8 rounders that the mag springs are wasted. I never had a problem with them till now.

Thanks for the info

Eddie