azgrw Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I have a Para SF-45-A, a special production of the P14 - it came with Hi-Cap magazines that are supposed to hold 14 rounds... The most I can load is 11 and that is with enough force to leave dings on round 10 when loading round 11. I am by no means new to the shooting world, but this is the first double stack 45 i have owned. I contacted PARA ( whom I believe has worst customer service in the industry - but thats another topic) they informed me i need to purchase their magazine loader in order to load the mags to capacity. I don't think i should have to use a mag loader, has anyone ran into similar issues with these mags? I tried leaving them loaded (11 rounds) to attempt to compress the new spring... 3 months latter no effect. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Could it be that you somehow have the 126 mm (Carry version) mags? Post a picture of the gun from a side view with a mag seated...... If you are leaving indents on brass when you get number 11 loaded I can't see you ever getting 3 more in the mag.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrw Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 I've loaded several different Glock mags Hi-Cap 22/17/32/33, Colt single stack 45s, Rifle mags AR/FAL/AK/G3/M1A and never once had issues loading any mag to capacity by hand. It Just surprised me that a new out out the box mag from PARA couldn't be loaded anywhere near the published capacity (without a loader); with a couple of the mags I could only load 10 rounds and that was with extreme force... From the factory 10 rounds in a 14 round magazine seems like poor design to me...I could see it being difficult maybe to load the last couple rounds, but 10/14 is approximately 71% of capacity! Thats ridiculous. When was the last time you picked up a 30 round PMAG that you could only load 22 rounds into? Or a new Kimber mag that only took 5 rounds? These are mass produced products that "should" perform out of the box with minimal tweaking... these are not Custom STI Open guns where the Mags are cleaned every time they are dropped in the dirt... I think in the end I've just been very disappointed with PARA and the Level of everything that comes from the company... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I have a number of Para P14 mags. Some are older and other newer versions and have never had any that wouldn't take 14 rounds from the get-go (except the factory and aftermarket 10 rounders which have something to limit them to 10 rounds). All could be loaded to cap. by hand but a loading tool is helpful because it saves cut fingers and split fingernails. FWIW Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrw Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yep. the end result is after spending the money on the pistol I'll have to spend the additional $7 for the Loader... I have to continue to use the mags and hope they "break in" Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soaringf22 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I use the maglula, it works for all mags and well worth the money. my p14-45 i use mecgar mags they get 14 rounds no problems at all and cheaper than factory para mags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wide45 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 these are not Custom STI Open guns where the Mags are cleaned every time they are dropped in the dirt... You should not need a loader if the followers fit properly and the springs are not too long. The last several rounds may be very difficult if you have strong mag springs. Para used to have good springs many years ago, but the word is not any more. Once you get them going, you will find Para .45 mags are very sensitive to dirt. The rounds roll/slide up the flat sides, and it takes little to give them hesitation. I ran a P-14 in competition for several years. I had good reliability when the mags were freshly cleaned, and trouble when not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrw Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 I just hate thinking that I need to hope the mags will "break in"...but I'm hoping ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Been a number of years since I had a Para but, as I recall.... with an STI or SVI the 140 mm mag is the mag that will hold 14 rounds of .45. The Para mag held one more than the S_I type mags - in factory configuration..... The mag you have in your gun is not a 140 mm. It looks like a 120 mm to me. In an S_I mag that length will hold 10 or maybe 11 rounds. Just a thought but what state did you buy the gun in....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) Sorry, the first picture does show that they are indeed 14 rounders. Richard Edited August 1, 2011 by chirpy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Just for the record, are you SURE that you actually have a 14 round mag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvoutdoorsman Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I've owned a Para P-14/45 since 1995 and always had issues with the mags. I know the stock mags can't be fully loaded with hard ball 230's but will take 200swc. For the extended mags that take 15 or 16 rds I use the 185swc for full capacity. When I used the gun for self defense it would only run Federal 230gr Hydra shocks. I now use a stock S&W M&P 45 for self defense. I've invested alot of money in the Para and strictly use it for competition. The FBI use to supply the Hostage Rescue Team with Modified P14/45s until they had problems with the mags. That's why I went with the 10rd S&W M&P. I may try the Glock 21 in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have a Para that used to be a P-14. The factory 14 round mags did hold 14 rounds. The last one was tight but not impossible. It was a good thing to have a loader for #14. I also have a factory 10 round .45 mag. It has a plastic block (about 0.75" tall) between the basepad and the tube to limit the capacity. I am thinking that you have something other than a factory 14 round mag... Later, Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrw Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) Thanks for all of the advice - the pistol was purchased and shipped to Arizona, and these are factory hi-cap 14 round magazines(according to PARA and all of my paper work)- they are a one piece body with base plate follower and spring... Bottom line I will be shooting the pistol and mags hoping they will eventually work right...or I will at least load and unload them repeatedly for the next month or two Atleast that would be the less expensive way to break the mags in... Thanks Edited August 1, 2011 by azgrw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBoyle Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Take the mags apart and make sure the former owner did not try to limit capacity on them. I have a boatload of p14 mags and have never had a problem loading them to 13 easy and using a loader or brute force for 14. Most I can load easy enough to 14. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrw Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 These mags are factory new...I think i just need to continue to work them... I'm now able to load 12 into one of the mags!! Nothing a little time and effort isn't going to fix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd B. Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I have a P14 and found that my mags had a welded seam down the back that was rough and needed to be smoothed out with some wet /dry sanding. I also polished the inside by wrapping some steel wool around a stick and then ran them through the tumbler. Since the 45 acp mags don't have a rib, the whole case in contacting the whole magazine surface so it's important to polish any point where the rounds contact the magazine. The more I used them, the smoother they got and now I don't have any issues loading to full capacity. Hope that helps. -todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave C Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 The following always worked for me with glock and STI double stack mags: Load the mag with as many rounds you can. Grasp the mag by wrapping your fingers around the mag body and placing your thumb on top of the exposed top round. Use you thumb to apply downward pressure and at the same time, strike the bottom of the mag base on something firm, but semi padded so you don't break the plastic base pad. Inertia will drive the rounds deeper inside the mag body allowing you to insert another round. After a few go-arounds, you should be able to insert 14 rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rishii Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 It's been years since I've owned a para, but those appear to be the stock 13 round mags, to get 14 in you'll need to get the extended base pads that para and others sell Also you may have to reduce the OAL on your rounds, with the double stack mags, rounds sometimes bind front to back as it gets to the bottom of the tube. A simple check is to load empty brass in the mag, if it takes 13, then that's your problem. It could also be the previous owner had installed extra power mag springs, and didn't cut them to the proper length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soaringf22 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 did you try factory ammo? my p14 didnt like my 200gr swc load because it was too long but factory 230gr RN ammo was fine so i started loading 230RN just to keep it same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) Just for reference, here is a picture of an old P-14 factory 10 round mag: The front of the plastic block is about 0.8" tall and the rear is ~ 1.0" (not counting the basepad) Later, Chuck Edited August 8, 2011 by ChuckS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Carter Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Para mags are sensitive to OAL of the ammo, some ball loaded to 1.265+ will jam up in the corners of the mag and make it difficult if not impossible to load all the way up. Try some shorter ammo and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgrw Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 Well I've been continuing to load and unload... Not much has changed. I'm going to check for snags and polish the mag tubes - I was so concerned with the followers, springs and base plates I neglected to really examine the inside of the tubes... Thanks to all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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