Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Anybody want a 9mm open gun? I'm about ready to throw this one off a bridge. Okay, now that I got that out of my system, this is going to be rather long and I apologize for that. I am just at my wits end trying to make this gun just work so I can shoot a match without having to clear malfunctions every single stage. I am currently running TTI 7G2 base pads with TTI 9mm followers, no spacers (STI tubes). I don't know the first thing about feed lip tuning, and no these mags aren't tuned (well one was Dawson tuned at SOME point, it is is engraved on the back, but that's the only one to my knowledge). I have Arredondo basepad inserts in my mags. This is going to come off as more than a little bit complain-y, but what is the point in using the 7mm basepads, other than giving yourself a major PITA? I can fit 24 in the mags, semi-kinda reloadable ( I would download them to 23 to be safe), but if you do that then the follower will get jammed up with a round next to it when it reaches the magazine ribs, approximately 95% of the time. So I bought the Arredondo inserts under advice of this forum. It was a serious pain to cut them to work with the TTI pads (since the insert goes down inside of the basepad, so you have to trim them quite a lot to make your magazines possible to disassemble). This reduced my capacity to 23 tight, but it did make my magazines more reliable, in that the follower no longer will get stuck at the bottom of the magazine. However, I am still getting lots of nose dives. I tried putting spacers in the magazines (thinking that would help them stay tip up and hit the feed ramp higher up), but that further reduced my capacity to 22. I can get 22 rounds with a factory basepad and the TTI guts, and not have to mess around with spacers or inserts or any of that crap. So what is the point in the longer basepads? I can get 23 reloadable with the 4mm basepads, but I still have to have the inserts or it will salt shaker. What am I doing wrong? What do you guys use for magazines? Do I just cut my losses and sell these and get MBX? I am loading plated round nose bullets at 1.160, they hit the feed ramp (I checked with sharpie) between 1/2 and 2/3rds of the way up, I have polished my feed ramp to a mirror finish, and I am using a 10 pound recoil spring. There was an aluminum shock buff in the gun when I bought it, and I just took it out. I think that helped a bit, but I am not sure. Please help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 I forgot to mention, my big stick runs 100%, all the time no questions asked. It holds 29, and it is an STI tube, TTI guts, TTI 4mm basepad, no spacer. I just don't understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishsticks Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I know less than 0 about this. But--a couple weeks ago I bought some grams guts to refresh some used STI tubes for my limited gun. He was very helpful making sure I had all my questions answered. Maybe give him a call (I'd purchase some of his spring/followers). Alternatively, TTI has always been very helpful too. Since you already have their stuff id get them on the phone. Dawson and Brazos tune mags--as a last resort you could send them in. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limited shtr Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I run all my 9mm mags no spacers svi or sti and load longer solved all my feeding issues but the feed lips have got to be correct. I bought some mbx mags 6000 rounds later not a problem in any of my guns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 I will probably give tti a call tomorrow, but for now could this have anything to do with it? The big stick appears to be chopped off flat, versus the other three magazines that are angled up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 I run all my 9mm mags no spacers svi or sti and load longer solved all my feeding issues but the feed lips have got to be correct. I bought some mbx mags 6000 rounds later not a problem in any of my guns What is "correct"? Do you know the front and back widths that they should be? I can check mine with my calipers and see what they are at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Loading that short you may need a spacer, your at the borderline length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairmckenzie1 Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I run STI tubes, grams guts, hardy SS spacers and TTI pads. Absolutely no tuning. The only time I have ever had problems is when springs get weak. A couple of thoughts for you: It was my understanding that TTI 9mm followers were made to be run with a spacer. I would lose the Arredondo thing. I've never had anything but problems with Arredondo stuff. Compare how high your 170 sits in the gun to the 140 and see if there is a major difference. I would load as long as possible. TTI is extremely responsive on here and Facebook as well as offering tuning services. Super Bowl evening may cause a slight delay... Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 Magazine 1: .350 rear .3505 front Magazine 2: .363 rear .366 front Magazine 3: .353 rear .360 front Big stick: .363 rear, .365 front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRush Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Anybody want a 9mm open gun? I'm about ready to throw this one off a bridge. I am currently running TTI 7G2 base pads with TTI 9mm followers, no spacers (STI tubes). I don't know the first thing about feed lip tuning, and no these mags aren't tuned (well one was Dawson tuned at SOME point, it is is engraved on the back, but that's the only one to my knowledge). My understanding is the 9mm followers are not meant to be run without a spacer. This could be contributing to your issue. In my experience STI tubes that havent been messed with are fine with stock basepads and a decent spring/follower. If you want more it typically takes a bit more work. I would start by tuning one tube. A key area is, as you have identified, where the follower makes the transition from being below the mag tube ribs to the ribs. Some people lengthen the ribs, some people smooth that transition with a dremel and sanding drum. Next, take some calipers to the feedlips and measure the width at the back, middle, and front. Adjust them to spec, and slightly wider at the front than the rear. Then, polish the interior of the feed lips, and interior of the tube. Finally, if you are going spacerless use the appropriate spring/follower combo. Go slowly, and do one tube first. If that doesn't work let me know which bridge that you will be throwing it off of. For some reason the 7mms don't seem to be as popular with the guys using STI tubes. The area where the follower makes the transition in an SV 140 is better suited for a follower making the jump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRobson Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 (edited) If you aren't going to use spacers then you need to be using the 38 super follower not the 9mm follower. I will never understand why people are so against spacers in 9mm sti mags. I've put together 8-10 reliable 9mm mags with spacers and zero tuning other than putting parts together. Edited February 8, 2016 by DRobson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echotango Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 (edited) Magazine 1: .350 rear .3505 front Magazine 2: .363 rear .366 front Magazine 3: .353 rear .360 front Big stick: .363 rear, .365 front That big stick and #2 are way off. #3 also needs help. They should be .350 rear to .355 front. Edited February 8, 2016 by echotango Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 Magazine 1: .350 rear .3505 front Magazine 2: .363 rear .366 front Magazine 3: .353 rear .360 front Big stick: .363 rear, .365 front That big stick and #2 are way off. #3 also needs help. They should be .350 rear to .355 front. But the big stick is the only one that works haha! I have a friend that knows a thing or three about tuning mags. Maybe I can get him to help me out next match. The bullets I'm using can be loaded way longer, what should I be doing? 1.175? 1.18? I just loaded a dummy round at 1.18, and it doesn't seem unreasonably long to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 Anybody want a 9mm open gun? I'm about ready to throw this one off a bridge. I am currently running TTI 7G2 base pads with TTI 9mm followers, no spacers (STI tubes). I don't know the first thing about feed lip tuning, and no these mags aren't tuned (well one was Dawson tuned at SOME point, it is is engraved on the back, but that's the only one to my knowledge). My understanding is the 9mm followers are not meant to be run without a spacer. This could be contributing to your issue. In my experience STI tubes that havent been messed with are fine with stock basepads and a decent spring/follower. If you want more it typically takes a bit more work. I would start by tuning one tube. A key area is, as you have identified, where the follower makes the transition from being below the mag tube ribs to the ribs. Some people lengthen the ribs, some people smooth that transition with a dremel and sanding drum. Next, take some calipers to the feedlips and measure the width at the back, middle, and front. Adjust them to spec, and slightly wider at the front than the rear. Then, polish the interior of the feed lips, and interior of the tube. Finally, if you are going spacerless use the appropriate spring/follower combo. Go slowly, and do one tube first. If that doesn't work let me know which bridge that you will be throwing it off of. For some reason the 7mms don't seem to be as popular with the guys using STI tubes. The area where the follower makes the transition in an SV 140 is better suited for a follower making the jump. So I just polished the transition at the bottom of the ribs until they are shiny, and it still immediately locked up when I tried to load it without the Arredondo inserts. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limited shtr Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I load out to 1.175 as a mininum there's nothing wrong with spacers all 1911 style guns were designed to be loaded longer that's why 38 supercomp is used in most open guns to help feeding issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 I load out to 1.175 as a mininum there's nothing wrong with spacers all 1911 style guns were designed to be loaded longer that's why 38 supercomp is used in most open guns to help feeding issues Gotcha. Well I might just stick with this 1.18 for now and see what it does. I'm not anti-spacer per-say, I just know that I had a metal spacer in my big stick when I first got it and it was woefully unreliable. I removed the spacer just for funsies and magic, it works 100%. So I don't have a whole lot of faith in them I guess. Just for kicks I threw some factory STI guts in with the 7mm pads and no arredondo insert and got 22 easily reloadable. Same as factory basepad and TTI guts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 So I just polished the transition at the bottom of the ribs until they are shiny, and it still immediately locked up when I tried to load it without the Arredondo inserts. Any thoughts? Ditch the arredondo spacers and don't load the mag past 21 rounds. If you need more than that, get the MBX or old style SV mags or use a big stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 So I just polished the transition at the bottom of the ribs until they are shiny, and it still immediately locked up when I tried to load it without the Arredondo inserts. Any thoughts? Ditch the arredondo spacers and don't load the mag past 21 rounds. If you need more than that, get the MBX or old style SV mags or use a big stick. I'm currently leaning towards using the factory guts and ditching the spacers, cause with the front leg on the STI followers they can't go far enough down to get jammed up on the ribs but I can get 22 easily reloadable, and that's as many as I can fit in so I won't ever be able to accidentally put in too many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRush Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Polishing the transtion can help, but it is mainly a function of the shape. If you see a truly "tuned" STI tube typically the tuner will either sand the ribs into a ramp from the inside, or physically extend the ribs down to the bottom of the tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wblacksh Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 On my first open gun I ended up doing Grams guts and gluing the spacer in. That in combination with loading 1.165 made the mags run flawless. I had 1 big stick and 3 140s. My second open gun I went with MBX only because the gun didn't come with any mags. I still load to 1.165 . My MBX also get 1-2 more rounds in them reliably. Forgive me if I missed it, but what kind of gun do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I run 1.175 but quit trying STI mags and have now bought all SVI mags. No fuss, no muss. I've yet to buy an MBX, but want to try one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcc7x7 Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Probably been said: Get 38 super,sc followers or put spacers in your 9 followers Load 1.175 or longer Use TTI guts and pads 30 in big stick 23 reloadable 140 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limited shtr Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 see if some one you shoot with local has a svi or mbx mag you can try or maybe even a sti 38 super mag that has been tuned every gun is a little different Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Hello: Set the feed lips 0.357" front to back. Use Dawson 38 follower with ISMI spring. Use a 4mm base pad of your choice, I like Dawson or Grams since they remove easily. This is a setup I am using for 140mm STI mags and it has worked 100% for over 1000 rounds so far. They hold 23 rounds reloadable. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 So I tested the mags with the factory guts in them today. I was getting 22 reloadable, and try as I might I didn't get a single nosedive. I will probably go to the range later this week and test some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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