10mm/.40 SS mags for Major OR Minor

[Bird_Dog0347]

So I plan to start shooting SS later this summer and since I already have the gun with some 8 round mags (CMC .40 mags as well as Wilson 47D .45 mags) that work perfectly I wanted to get the opinions of people who may have already gone down this path. Some matches/stages just setup better for 8 rounds vs. 10 rounds so I was thinking of getting the Tripp System Mags with the Flex follower for 10 rds and bringing major and minor ammo to the match and deciding when I get there, or just declaring minor and getting 10rds if need be. I already know I love .40 minor as it's super soft, and with those mags holding 10 rounds I think it's the perfect balance.

 

I searched but most threads on them are 1+ years old, so I'm hoping for some specific advice before I start buying them at $50 a pop.

 

My gun is a SVI .40 Single Stack with the large competition style magwell (no front relief), and currently has no problem eating factory length or long loaded .40 ammo in either minor or major out of any of the mags I currently have... I'm thinking I'll buy 1 mag to begin with and add a Corey follower that only gives it 9rd capacity with the aluminum base pad and test with that first. That minimizes my initial investment risk and gives me time to play and make sure it fits in the box and makes weight, but most importantly runs 100% before I go full retard.

 

What say the experts?

[jcc7x7]

My guns feed perfect out of 8 or 9 round mags 

Wilson, CMC, tripp old Delta elite mags basically anything

But

They don't seem to like the 10 rounders

Virgil said during a phone call to send the gun to him and he'd make them work!

Haven't taken him up on it yet, cause I bring a 9mm that is ready to go if the match favors 10 rounds that much!

FWIW

[Joe4d]

Same experience and same offer... But figured the problem was his mags, not my gun as gun ran fine with  metalform 9 round 10mm's  with long loaded and the extended length (also metalform)  10 rounder 40's I used for factory ammo   in Hi.
After returning to VA, I figured I would only be using that gun in IDPA and was better off with 9 round mags anyways so returned the Trip mags. Havent tried any other 10 round setups... I am assumign you cant use any type of extended mag in SS ?

[Bird_Dog0347]

18 hours ago, Joe4d said:

Same experience and same offer... But figured the problem was his mags, not my gun as gun ran fine with  metalform 9 round 10mm's  with long loaded and the extended length (also metalform)  10 rounder 40's I used for factory ammo   in Hi.
After returning to VA, I figured I would only be using that gun in IDPA and was better off with 9 round mags anyways so returned the Trip mags. Havent tried any other 10 round setups... I am assumign you cant use any type of extended mag in SS ?

It's gotta make weight and fit in the box... I don't know that I care that much about 10rd vs. 9, but would prefer 9 over 8 just so I don't have to barney load on the first one. I may just buy 1 and test it to see, it's not that much money in the big scheme if it doesn't work.

[Joe4d]

Well USPSA is a different game, you will definitely want to go 10+1 if you are shooting SS minor. Lots of folks seem to think highly of Tripp mags so it's worth a shot. Might be fine.  Like I said for me it wasnt worth the hassle to see what the issue was. As mentioned I could use the extended 10 rounders for USPSA (shooting limited in a 10 round only state) and was better off with 9 rounders for IDPA ( at least back then) Probably could have been fixed with different bullet profile or OAL,  Or maybe the springs were just too tight and needed broken in. Who knows,, but worth it to figure out in your case.

[Bird_Dog0347]

I went ahead and ordered a single 10rd 10mm mag from Tripp to give it a shot, I'll report back after I've tested it.

[Joe4d]

keep us posted,,  also note your bullet brand and OAL.

[Bird_Dog0347]

Well, I got the mag in the mail today, and it's very well made and looks fantastic. I wasn't a huge fan of the lack of communication from Tripp about shipping, but I could be spoiled by large companies automating all of that where smaller businesses don't have that kind of budget or staff. I never got a tracking number but I did receive it in the mail today (same state, but holiday week) 7 days after the order. 

 

So, the basics out of the way, the mag does not fit my gun with the SVI large magwell (yet) and it appears the clearance issue is on the front. Instead of modifying the mags first I plan to remove the magwell and retest the fit. If that works and it cycles ammo I will likely remove a bit of material from the magwell underneath the front strap to make it fit. I will take some pics this weekend to let you guys know how it goes, but based on the marks on the front of the extended (vertically) portion of the basepad (aluminum) the problem currently is the pad hitting the magwell.

Edited February 22, 2019 by Bird_Dog0347

[Bird_Dog0347]

 

It looks to me like the very front where the base-pad has the 45 degree cut is hitting the rounded corner of the magwell, and the marks on the base-pad also indicate that's where it's hitting... It will not seat fully in the frame as is. My initial plan is to remove a tiny bit of material a little at a time from the relief cut in the magwell (it's AL) until it fits so as to not modify the base-pad. Thoughts or ideas are welcome before I take action. Worst case I was planning to get a new SVI magwell anyway in blue so I don't care if I modify the under-side of this one as it's already well used anyhow. Thus the reason I didn't/don't-plan-to start with the mag...

 

[Bird_Dog0347]

So I just used a file to round the edges of the top of the basepad as it was easier than modifying the magwell. It didn't take much and the mag fits fine now.

 

I loaded 10 rounds of my 180 gr Blue Bullets (long load) and tried to hand feed it and with 10 in the mag the first one will not load and nose dives every time. I tried 9 rounds and it was about 50/50 but 8 rounds seems to work every time. I then tried some hollow point 180gr bullets I had and they will feed with all 10, so I'm gonna have to test a few different bullet types but I REALLY want the coated bullets to work as that's what I already have a ton of.

[Bird_Dog0347]

So when the gun/feed-ramp is clean (before the first shot) it was like 50/50 on the 10th round. The more you shoot the less it works with even 9 rounds. 8 rounds always works, no issues ever with 8 rounds in the mag. I got a corey-hybrid follower from Tripp and even dirty it feeds the 9th round so in this gun I've abandoned the idea of major/minor and will just go major as it's more points too. I went ahead and ordered 4 more mags at 9rd each with aluminum basepads, so should be good to go. I really wish it was more reliable with 10rds but whatever...