How many people have 9mm or .40 front spacer mags

[Nealio]

I'm prototyping a rear spacer "conversion kit" for the front spacer 9mm and .40 mags. At first I was going to do it to convert my worthless front spacer mags into something useful AND allow and extension to be added (the spacer goes all the way to the bottom, so you could run a magazine extension with the stock follower).

But I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in buying one of these, or do people either toss their front spacer mags, just load them up with 10 rounds..?

- Nealio

[Sal1950]

Guess I just must be lucky. I have a front spacer 40 mag I got with my 40 Match and it works flawlessly in my gun???

Sal

[Nealio]

Don't know if anyone cares, but I got my prototype spacer done and installed in a (formerly) front spacer mag. Problem is the mag still sucks (still nosediving), so I started measuring with my calipers to see if there was any difference between the front spacer mag and the rear spacer mag; in particular the stamped channel that forces the rounds from double to single stack. Well the front spacer mag has a wider gap than the rear spacer mags I have (which makes no sense) so even though its now a rear spacer, this wider funneling groove is still causing the nosedives.. I don't have the exact numbers but I think it was measuring .050-.080 wider on the front spacer mag.

So I tried to squeeze these impressions in more, but I mostly just squeezed the whole mag body narrower. The magazine still sucks.

So I've decided to bail on that option and go for the external spacer on the small frame mags since they seem to be better.

- Nealio

[JJH]

I'm amazed to see all the problems with the EAA mags. I recently purchased a new Witness steel 40S&W and got 3 new mags from EAA. All four mags are front spacer. I used a stone to bevel the mag spacer @45deg, bent the mag spring back and around the follower post, cleaned the flash off the followers, and stoned the inside of the mags (45 minute job for all 4). I have had only one FTF since doing this and that has only been from dropping the slide from the release. It has not happened at all while shooting and never when I slingshot the slide. I have shot Fed HST's, FMJ's, SP's and the FTF was on an FMJ.

Also when I bent the magspring around the follower center post I increased the angle/tension on the front of the follower and like I said have had really no problems. The build quality on the mags is less than super high quality, but at 10-15 minutes of work per mag, it seems to be easily overcome.

[Big Nick]

I have 8 mags for my .40 Witness Steel and .40 Limited Pro and haven't had a problem with them in either gun. I have shot both factory and home brew ammo with no jams of any kind. I load 14 rounds per magazine because 15 rounds is a little on the tight side. Both guns have a total of 2500 rounds shot thru them.

Edited July 1, 2010 by Big Nick

[MrVvrroomm]

I bought a used .40 Match last year with 5 mags. I had a couple of very minor, yet annoying feed problems with the front spacer-equipped oem mags. I removed the spacers and have not had a single feeding issue, even using my standard OAL .40 reloads.

[sid]

I have a 9mm Witness Match which I bought earlier this year. I have 2 magazines with the front spacers. So far I have shot a couple of thousand handloads through it without any feeding problems. I do not load more than 10 rounds at a time and am careful about checking the OAL.

[Nealio]

I do not load more than 10 rounds at a time

Yeah that's the problem. Can't compete in USPSA with 10 round mags against people using 23 rounders..

[Nealio]

I did my long spacer conversion with the Henning USPSA H-141 extension and I can get 21 rounds in my factory rear spacer mag with the stock plastic wedge follower. It seems to be fairly reliable, but I've had it misfeed twice when the rounds transition from the full width of the mag to the indents on the sides (so usually on the 2nd or 3rd round out of the mag). But after that it has fed 100% so far in the 200 rounds I've shot in the last 2 days.

Talked to Henning again today and he was going to inquire with Tanfoglio again about the ETA of the supposed MecGar mags...

- Nealio

[shooterbenedetto]

I did my long spacer conversion with the Henning USPSA H-141 extension and I can get 21 rounds in my factory rear spacer mag with the stock plastic wedge follower. It seems to be fairly reliable, but I've had it misfeed twice when the rounds transition from the full width of the mag to the indents on the sides (so usually on the 2nd or 3rd round out of the mag). But after that it has fed 100% so far in the 200 rounds I've shot in the last 2 days.

Talked to Henning again today and he was going to inquire with Tanfoglio again about the ETA of the supposed MecGar mags...

- Nealio

if Mecgar makes the large frame mags, Problem will be solved!

I told that to Henning months ago.

[grywlfbg]

I'm a current 9mm CZ TS shooter (3-gun) and am looking to move into Open. I'd like to keep the CZ ergonomics so have had my eye on a Tanfo open gun but need 9mm hi-cap mags that work. Wish they could get this solved - money is burning a hole in my pocket

[Nealio]

I'm a current 9mm CZ TS shooter (3-gun) and am looking to move into Open. I'd like to keep the CZ ergonomics so have had my eye on a Tanfo open gun but need 9mm hi-cap mags that work. Wish they could get this solved - money is burning a hole in my pocket

I'm looking at getting a MecGar 16 round mag to add external spacers to so it fits in my large frame 9mm Limited. If that works, it is an option.

Also I find the CZ's to feel a lot different than the Tanfoglios (mostly due to the larger frame of the Tanfoglio pistols). I was actually set on getting that CZ TS that you have, but after fondling them I went with the Tanfoglio because the grip fits my big hands better.

- Nealio

[grywlfbg]

I'm looking at getting a MecGar 16 round mag to add external spacers to so it fits in my large frame 9mm Limited. If that works, it is an option.

Also I find the CZ's to feel a lot different than the Tanfoglios (mostly due to the larger frame of the Tanfoglio pistols). I was actually set on getting that CZ TS that you have, but after fondling them I went with the Tanfoglio because the grip fits my big hands better.

- Nealio

Keep us posted on your mag adventures.

I find your grip comment interesting. The TS is what I would consider a large frame gun (as opposed to my CZ SP-01). WIth the stock wood grips I could barely hold it - I had to get the thinner grips. But yeah I'm definitely planning to find one to fondle before I take the leap.

Thanks!

[gerritm]

I have a Limited Pro 9mm and took out all of the spacers on my mags and replaced the springs and followers with what Henning recommended and have had no problems. The funny thing is when you look at them or unload a full mag the shells look like they have nose dived in the mag, but never fail to feed correctly.

[Nealio]

I find your grip comment interesting. The TS is what I would consider a large frame gun (as opposed to my CZ SP-01). WIth the stock wood grips I could barely hold it - I had to get the thinner grips. But yeah I'm definitely planning to find one to fondle before I take the leap.

I'm pretty sure the TS (and all CZ's except for the 97) are small frame. The frame size is the depth of the grip and large frame guns normally are only required for .38 Super, 10mm, and .45 ACP. So since all CZ's except the 97 are 9mm or .40 guns they are small frame guns (side note this is one of the reasons the .40 S&W round was invented: it fits in a small frame gun). The Tanfoglios that are being imported right now are all large frame guns, so you have to have the spacers in the magazines for the short rounds. Both large and small frame guns used to be imported by EAA, but only large frames are imported now.

[JLaScala]

9mm anything over 10 rounds jams like a sob. I have the front spacer mags. This is frustrating. If you have a 40 with 4 mags that wotks flawelessly, its not applicable to the 9mm. Who makes a replacement mag in 9mm that works?

[gerritm]

9mm anything over 10 rounds jams like a sob. I have the front spacer mags. This is frustrating. If you have a 40 with 4 mags that wotks flawelessly, its not applicable to the 9mm. Who makes a replacement mag in 9mm that works?

Mine are factory mags and I regularly load 13 in them for 3-gun and have no problems. Knock on wood I have not had a FTF, yet after several thousand rounds. I probably just jinxed myself. I did have a problem when I changed gun oils, don't know if that had anything to do with it, but they started to FTF with this particular oil. I went back to my normal oil and no problems since. The oil was Birchwood Casey.

Edited July 15, 2010 by gerritm

[Duke Nukem]

TS is a large frame. Much bigger than the Sp-01 frame.

I'm pretty sure the TS (and all CZ's except for the 97) are small frame.

[JLaScala]

If you can do a conversion that works I am totally interested and willing to pay.

[Nealio]

So the conversion of the 9mm front spacer mags to a rear spacer (and small frame follower) is a bust. The mags don't have a tight enough transition from double stack to single stack. I tried to squeeze my formerly front spacer mag and tighten the transition, but I pretty much ruined it. I tried to squeeze the indent to force the transition in more, but I just ended up squeezing the whole magazine narrower and now all the angles and distances are all wrong.

I also tried (didn't spend much time) on getting a small frame mag to fit in the large frame by adding external spacers. I taped some spacers on, but the issue is the magazine lock slot ends up being too far in if you space the mag properly. I though about either welding some material on to build out the mag catch slot, or using JB Weld (I know kind of ghetto) but after inspection I realized they don't have a tight enough transition to single stack either. I see why the front spacer mags feed so bad: they just copied the small frame design, which was flawed to begin with. The Meg-Gar mags look to have a much tighter transition, so they may still be an option for trying to convert a small frame mag to fit in a large frame.

The first part of the good news is that my (originally) rear spacer mags that I put a full length rear spacer in work great. I installed my full length spacer (using 3-m VHB double sided tape), the Henning H-141 extension, the Grams 11-coil heavy duty replacement spring, and used the stock follower. I can load 20 rounds in and they seem to feed reliably. I've shot 3 Steel Challenge matches and 2 USPSA matches with no issues. I can squeeze 21 rounds in there but I'm afraid that may be asking too much. Also this setup will lock the slide when its empty (the Grams follower does not do this).

The other (possibly) good news is that Mec-Gar makes a .38 super magazine that (from the pictures) seems to have larger indents for the transition. Henning said the Mec-Gar mags work much better than the Tanfoglio factory mags, so I ordered one from MidwayUSA to see if putting a full length spacer (or just running it without one) will prove to be a good option. I will report on that when the magazine comes in next week.

Stay tuned for more in the Tanfoglio 9mm Large Frame Magazine Saga......

Edited July 22, 2010 by Nealio

[kurtb]

Any Updates?

[Nealio]

The .38 Super mag seems to work better than the front spacer Tanfoglio mags, but not much better.

I ordered a MecGar CZ75B magazine and am going to try the external spacers on that next. The good news is that you can get MecGar CZ75B mags for $20.