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What Mags do you use.


djbb98

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I have a STI Eagle in 9mm, I currently use standard STI mags for Practice and the MBX Magazines for matches. I'm having a 40 S&W top end built for it and am wondering what magazines I'd be best off getting for it. I know old style STI magazines were a pain in the ass but I know they came out with a new design and am wondering if those are any good or if they still require tuning. I don't have any experience with the SV tubes and I know the new style have to be modified. Or would I just be better off with going with MBX again

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I would probably go with MBX for complete mags or SV if you want to build your own.  The new STI 40 tubes are very nice.  They even come with round count holes drilled and stamped with numbers.  Unfortunately, out of a dozen or more magazines and tubes I checked, none of the holes/numbers were in the proper location, meaning they weren't even close to matching up with rounds or centered on the primers.  Maybe not a big deal, but I'd rather do it myself and have done correctly.  If that's not important to you, the STI tubes are a good deal for the money.  I wouldn't buy complete STI mags because the followers and base pads are still crap, so you'll end up replacing those anyway.

Edited by ltdmstr
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Hello: I don't know the old STI mags in 40 work just fine for me. I don't need round count holes since it is just another place for dirt to get in. I would build your own with Grams,TTI or Dawson followers. Same goes for base pads. I don't own any MBX mags but have seen some around here. I do own old SVI ones and they work well also. Thanks, Eric

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I'm still debating, I looked at the 40 STI tubs, tti base pads, grams springs and followers and it's approaching the price of the MBX, granted it's still cheaper, but then you have to wait for all the parts to come in. I'm kinda debating on getting 2 MBX and build 2. We do a lot of Practice indoors and I don't like to scuff up my nice MBX base pads, so that may be what I end up trying

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I like being able to use STI's rubber-like base pads for range practice, dry fire at home, and indoor matches, so I don't feel so bad dropping them on hard surfaces.  I get 21 reloadable in my STI 140s with Gram internals and the STI base pad.  I use MBX for matches, although I have to say my two STI 140s run fine with both 38sc and 9 major and I use them in matches, as needed.  My STI 170 occasionally stumbled while feeding the last two rounds it's running fine right now, used it for practice today.  

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On 2/5/2017 at 9:12 PM, anbrumm said:

I have put together 4 of my own. All are STI tubes, grams guts, and Dawson basepads. My most recent one was the new style tube. I do like it, but have had 0 reliability issues with any of my other ones.

I run the same combo. 

 

Depending on your gun you might have to tune the feed lip dimension on the STIs, but that is it.  We have, and ran into, some early design MBX and they weren't cut low enough in the front.  They actually ran into the feed ramp.  I have heard the new tubes are good to go.

Edited by sitw
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I must be the luckiest SOB in the world at STI mags. Since 1995, at least 3 dozen STI/SV mags have gone thru my hands in 6 different guns. I've never had to tweek anything. Slapped components on them & went to the range. Anyone that has shot with me knows my guns run. Sure, newer & better components come along, like when Grams kits came out. I switched to them & the added capacity. I'm glad I never did all the obsessing over mags that seems so popular. 

 

My suggestion, get the new style STI tubes, Grams spring kits & Dawson base pads. Done.

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I have zero malfunctions with my STI tubes, grams spring /followers and Dawson pads... zero!

I did buy one MBX to test and so far I've had four nose dives in about the last 600 rounds. That was with MBX follower and spring.
I did some reading and saw this was not uncommon and some found TTI spring and follower to fix it. It didn't for me.
I'll still use it for practice only and I'll try other combinations till I find it to be reliable but for now it's STI tubes for me.
I may call MBX and see what they can do for me.
I see earlier post about early mag issues but this one is only two months old from MBX so it should be the newer model.




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STI tubes for the 40sw. I went MBX for my new open gun in 38 super.  Every mag lip had to be tuned as they were way to narrow to even function with 38super.  9mm they seemed just fine by hand cycling. 

I chose MBX as I hoped it would run out of the box and they aesthetically looked better than STI tube ribbing.  

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50 minutes ago, Scott Steele said:

I have zero malfunctions with my STI tubes, grams spring /followers and Dawson pads... zero!

I did buy one MBX to test and so far I've had four nose dives in about the last 600 rounds. That was with MBX follower and spring.
I did some reading and saw this was not uncommon and some found TTI spring and follower to fix it. It didn't for me.
I'll still use it for practice only and I'll try other combinations till I find it to be reliable but for now it's STI tubes for me.
I may call MBX and see what they can do for me.
I see earlier post about early mag issues but this one is only two months old from MBX so it should be the newer model.

1

 

Try bending your follower up a smidge.  I bent mine at the recommendation of others on the 2nd coil below the follower and this fixed some of my issues.  The best fix I found, was running Grams guts. 

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OK, so I'm thinking about going with STI tubes with Taran base pads. I got the grams and Taran springs and followers early on when I first got my STI to try to increase capacity and both the Taran and grams followers locked back with one in the magazine, but this is also 9mm. Is there a way to get around this without having to screw around with them

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Try bending your follower up a smidge.  I bent mine at the recommendation of others on the 2nd coil below the follower and this fixed some of my issues.  The best fix I found, was running Grams guts. 


Trying Grams spring and follower was my next test... thanks.



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OK, so I'm thinking about going with STI tubes with Taran base pads. I got the grams and Taran springs and followers early on when I first got my STI to try to increase capacity and both the Taran and grams followers locked back with one in the magazine, but this is also 9mm. Is there a way to get around this without having to screw around with them

 

Did you get 9mm followers? Do you have spacers?

 

To keep it from locking back there are a couple of ways to do that or you can do both modifications.

Trim the follower and to shave down the slide stop.

Others will chime in as well on their preferred ways. It'll be good to hear them all and make your decision.

I'll try to find links for you later.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Scott Steele said:

Did you get 9mm followers? Do you have spacers?

 

To keep it from locking back there are a couple of ways to do that or you can do both modifications.

Trim the follower and to shave down the slide stop.

Others will chime in as well on their preferred ways. It'll be good to hear them all and make your decision.

I'll try to find links for you later.

 

 

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I can't modify my slide stop because I have certain mags that need to lock back for IDPA. And yes I have spacers for my 9mm

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