New magazine spring failure

[sako5021]

I just bought an Arredondo 10% replacement magazine spring 5 pack for STI. Installed the springs direct the night before a match today, and had FTF on nearly all of them. The springs twisted in the mag about halfway through, and I had to dissassemble the mag to get them out. It was stacked over each coil and came out looking like it was tied in a knot. A more experienced shooter pointed out that I should have run the springs up and down a piece of bar stock to train spring "memory" prior to initial installation, which never crossed my mind. I do not feel comfortable using them again. My question is can this be fixed after the fact, or do I toss them and get new springs?

[Pat Miles]

I sure wouldn't toss them. Dial up Arredondo, even if you didn't buy them from him, and ask what the drill is. You shouldn't have to do what the experienced shooter suggested.

CYa,

Pat

[ParaGunner]

Never heard of training your springs,I never had too. Definetly call Arredondo,I've always used ISMI springs.

[G-ManBart]

It sounds like the follower rolled when they were below the bottom of the reinforcing indents. When that happens they'll give you a few shots and then they bind up completely.

What length tube, what basepad, caliber, how many rounds will they hold etc?

A quick test is to load up a mag all the way, then, put your thumb on top of the top round and bump the basepad on something that will give a little (don't use your hands...it hurts and probably isn't good for you). Don't smack the heck out of it, but bump it hard enough that you feel the bullet stack move. Then simply start stripping rounds. My guess is that after you've stripped off 4-8 you'll find there is no upward pressure and the rounds will have stopped moving into position normally. That's classic follower roll. Arrendondo makes a nice insert for Grams basepads that prevents that, and I think you can tweak them for other basepads as well. R,

[wide45]

Installed the springs direct the night before a match...

Never change anything right before a match. Test first. Way fewer troubles on match day.

[sako5021]

It sounds like the follower rolled when they were below the bottom of the reinforcing indents. When that happens they'll give you a few shots and then they bind up completely.

What length tube, what basepad, caliber, how many rounds will they hold etc?

Sounds exactly right. Tube is 140mm .40. Holds 18. Baseplate is black with a star shaped insert that goes into a hole in the center of the baseplate, don't know if that is stock or what.

Wide45, I hear you on the change before the match, point well taken. I had changed the springs on half my mags, and left the rest with the old springs, just in case. Of course I did not find out until it was too late....

I looked at the Arredondo website and found some inserts however they were not for the .40. Anyone have a link or connection to the proper fix part? Thanks!