TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 After reading several post on the ideal 2011 setup for 9 major, I bought the following: • SVI tubes old style (10 140's) & (4 170's) • Gram followers & springs • Bolen base pads I now need help in fitting the base pads. What is the preferred method to make them fit? Do you squeeze the bottom of the mag or file the tabs? TIA Manny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Hello: You will have to file the tabs on both sides to fit the Bolen base pads. Go slow and check the fit often. Depending on what length of base pad you have you will have to check the gauge to make sure they fit. 3mm should be OK but 4mm may not be legal on the 170mm mag tubes. You may want to look at the Grams base pads also since they are easier to remove. The Dawson's also work well. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 You may have to file the tabs in both the width and the height. Sometimes the tabs are not completely straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I use a safe sided file to do the squaring up part so that I am on removing material from the upper part of the lip and not the mag body. Take your time Manny and check fit often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 I use a safe sided file to do the squaring up part so that I am on removing material from the upper part of the lip and not the mag body. Take your time Manny and check fit often. I've gotten 2 to slide on fairly ez, but i'm having trouble with the last 1/32" of both thus not allowing me to push the locking pin up. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 A couple more minor points. One - file the bottom of the mag flat... some are not. And two - when filing, make sure to round the leading corners, otherwise it will bite and not go all the way in. But be it as it may, and I like them myself... they are the hardest ones to remove. Nothing beats the Dawsons in that regard. Grams are kinda nice, but need a tool. I use them on my 140mm mags, the 11mm kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoNsTeR Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Here's my technique: 1. put the stuff in a box 2. give that box to Glenn Higdon along with a bunch of money 3. never worry about magazines again except for changing springs Also how did you even find FOUR old-style SV 170's?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I use a safe sided file to do the squaring up part so that I am on removing material from the upper part of the lip and not the mag body. Take your time Manny and check fit often. I've gotten 2 to slide on fairly ez, but i'm having trouble with the last 1/32" of both thus not allowing me to push the locking pin up. Any ideas? Look at the width (not how far they stick out from the body) of the tabs at the rear of the tube. Mine were too thick. I took a safe sided file and took down the width slightly. That did the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I will never stop being amazed how it is all working... you buy a $5K gun, invest several hundred bucks into mag tubes, followers, springs, pads... and... nothing works! I usually can work around it, filing, cutting, fitting, hammering... but still, it pisses me off to no end. I own many, many guns, and their magazines work without any super-tweeting. You buy a $25 Glock magazine and you know full well it will work in your pistol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Here's my technique: 1. put the stuff in a box 2. give that box to Glenn Higdon along with a bunch of money 3. never worry about magazines again except for changing springs Also how did you even find FOUR old-style SV 170's?! I got 2 from my gun builder, the other I got from members from my gun club! Do you have Glenn's contact info? I'm a shooter not a Gun Smith! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 I will never stop being amazed how it is all working... you buy a $5K gun, invest several hundred bucks into mag tubes, followers, springs, pads... and... nothing works! I usually can work around it, filing, cutting, fitting, hammering... but still, it pisses me off to no end. I own many, many guns, and their magazines work without any super-tweeting. You buy a $25 Glock magazine and you know full well it will work in your pistol. I know, I'm going from a Glock to a 2011 format! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Hello: If you take your time you can do it. I started doing my own mags to make things work 100%. I have seen some of the so called trick mags and there is no secrets there. If look at what you are doing and don't do things that can't be corrected easily then go ahead and work on the mags. It is up to you if you want to pay the big bucks for tuned mags. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Well, the fact is, when I buy even the cheapest car, I know full well all spare parts will fit without filing or cutting. There is simply no excuse for the unfortunately very common "May require fitting" in a product consisting of just fifty parts. The industry simply gets away with it because the consumers don't revolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Well, the fact is, when I buy even the cheapest car, I know full well all spare parts will fit without filing or cutting. There is simply no excuse for the unfortunately very common "May require fitting" in a product consisting of just fifty parts. The industry simply gets away with it because the consumers don't revolt. For what I paid for these mags there should be a guarantee of 2 alphas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 (edited) Well, the fact is, when I buy even the cheapest car, I know full well all spare parts will fit without filing or cutting. There is simply no excuse for the unfortunately very common "May require fitting" in a product consisting of just fifty parts. The industry simply gets away with it because the consumers don't revolt. For what I paid for these mags there should be a guarantee of 2 alphas There are 2 alphas guaranteed per mag. Pat Edited May 27, 2011 by Pat Miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 There are 2 alphas guaranteed per mag. Pat LOL! Plus two jams at no extra charge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Take a good look at the bottom of your tubes and see if they are square or cockeyed. Tweak them in a vise to square them up. This helps in a couple of ways. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Take a good look at the bottom of your tubes and see if they are square or cockeyed. Tweak them in a vise to square them up. This helps in a couple of ways. Pat Thanks, will give that a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 (edited) Thanks, for all the tips. I have hammered, filed & pinched & have 5 of my pads fitted I hope I squeezed all the Mikes out of these mags Edited May 28, 2011 by TruStreet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Scientist Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Thanks, for all the tips. I have hammered, filed & pinched & have 5 of my pads fitted I hope I squeezed all the Mikes out of these mags will we see on wed??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruStreet Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 Thanks, for all the tips. I have hammered, filed & pinched & have 5 of my pads fitted I hope I squeezed all the Mikes out of these mags will we see on wed??? At this point all I have are Mags! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Thanks, for all the tips. I have hammered, filed & pinched & have 5 of my pads fitted I hope I squeezed all the Mikes out of these mags will we see on wed??? At this point all I have are Mags! Always some excuse! Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Scientist Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 I tried hammering out all the mikes but that hurt my head to much LOLLLL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Could someone please explain to me the attractiveness of Bolen pads? I used to own several, still have a few, and I honestly don't see any advantage to them. They are the hardest to take off, and in 170mm mags do not increase the capacity over the Dawson, or Grams. In 140mm they give more capacity than Dawsons, but Grams 11m beat them all. What's the deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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