Truegent2004 Posted October 30, 2005 Share Posted October 30, 2005 I'm considering buying some mag tubes from the DawsonPrecision sale. Is tuning worth the extra money? It seems that everythiing tuning is advertised to do should be done when the mag tube is manufactured? How much better is a tuned tube over a non-tuned one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted October 30, 2005 Share Posted October 30, 2005 I'd save the money and have Beven Grams really tune them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted October 30, 2005 Share Posted October 30, 2005 It seems that everythiing tuning is advertised to do should be done when the mag tube is manufactured? you said it all there bubba. If these two companies didn't have such a cartel on our sport, you'd see better QC, and pricing from both. As it is, most folks buy and tune, not just tubes but entire guns, or have things custom built. Hell, I think the SV tubes I just got were about $60 per TUBE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 As if they heard me..... Just took my newly minted SV tubed mags to the range and four of six will not drop out of a stock grip. Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 I have never had a 140mm tube - either STI or SV that did not work right out of the wrapper. Used them in a half dozen different guns with both Grams and Dawson basepads. Color me lucky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric nielsen Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Dan Bedell told me that the latest SV mags are out-of-shape somehow and they frequently don't drop out of the gun. Also said the new SV mags require more tuning to function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 The factory is working on a price-performance ratio. Getting them tuned increases both sides of the equation; price and performance. Tuning them means making sure the dimensions of the tube and feedlips are what the tuner believes is best for ultimate reliability. Dawson and probably Grams also polish the inside of the tube and may or may not do extra tweaks as well. Do you need that? What's a jam in a match worth? Is your blaster a 'feeder' that works with everything, or is it finicky about mags and ammo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Greaaaaaaaaat. So now I have $700 worth of brand new mags and every reload is IDPA legal. Yeah, color me thrilled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 When I shot limited and open..I had mags of both manufacture..had one instance where SV mags worked in my STI framed gun and STI mags worked the SV framed gun..go figure... I would try them first..to see if they run...feed, drop from the gun..etc.. FWIW..the only mags I ended ever having tuned were my 170s .. mainly to try and get the 28 or 29th round in.. good luck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Greaaaaaaaaat. So now I have $700 worth of brand new mags and every reload is IDPA legal. Yeah, color me thrilled. A new grip frame is only $100. Grab some sandpaper, a magic marker and get to it. Usually the tight spot is down near the magwell anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Dan Bedell told me that the latest SV mags are out-of-shape somehow and they frequently don't drop out of the gun. Also said the new SV mags require more tuning to function. Man, that is So Wrong... Meaning that mags are shipped and sold that will not function as they are supposed to. Were I Eric I am sure that the offending mags would damn sure be MORE than a little "out-of-shape somehow" after my hissy fit! I have always heard that the SV mags are generally though of as the best of the best - as the high dollar mags go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Shred and Merlin , you are both right. I am working the sand and mark thing, but the "hissy timer" is on count down to Monday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intel6 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 I have never had a 140mm tube - either STI or SV that did not work right out of the wrapper. Used them in a half dozen different guns with both Grams and Dawson basepads. Color me lucky? When I got my Edge 6 months ago I bought 5 new complete STI mags for it and they have all run perfectly since day one without a problem. Two of them I have put Grams followers/springs and Dawson pads on and they still have been running perfectly. I got two mags with the gun from the dealer and the others from Brownell's so I am assuming that these were all new current production. Neal in AZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rush Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Greaaaaaaaaat. So now I have $700 worth of brand new mags and every reload is IDPA legal. Yeah, color me thrilled. do they do this when they are fully loaded? I got a SV mag that won't drop when its full, but when you've shot half the mag away... it drops just right. Just the same, i don't use it for re-loads. makes it harder to shove in... I shoot ipsc.. got two 120mm 40cal SPS mags that load to 18. At leat the extra capacity now makes long course more friendly. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 (edited) My IPSC Standard mags drop free loaded or empty. SV tubes. My 140mm USPSA mags 4 of 6 won't drop full or empty. SV Tubes Edited November 1, 2005 by dirtypool40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old john Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 most new mags won't run 100%. I was also having problems with my ST- mags which were tuned by a local gunsmith?? Beven had them back to me in two weeks and I feel the price was more than fair and he delivered more than I expected. They run great and I plan to have him look all my mags over every off season. old john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 6 STI Mag tubes purchased about 5 years ago. Arrendondo springs and followers w/ Dawson base pads.All hold 20 rnds. and 2 are reloadable w/ 20. I just changed the springs and followers for the first time in 5 years because "one" of them "Down nosed" the rounds and caused a slight fail to feed (Changing springs fixed it). This is just my experience but I bought them, threw them together and started shooting. No tuning necessary for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newguy Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I suppose a tuned mag tube is better than an untuned one. The question is the price. I've got 5 140mm and 6 170mm mags. All are STI except one. None have been tuned and they all work fine. Try the mags out and see if they work. If not, get the problematic ones tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRT Driver Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I've always thought "tuning" meant setting up a mag for a specific pistol. Setting the release point, mag catch etc. The difference between the two is (was) a mag that works and one that feeds like butter! Something is really wrong when you have to spend extra $$$ for a 'smith to "tune" a mag to get it within factory specs. That's not tuning..that's fixing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 Something is really wrong when you have to spend extra $$$ for a 'smith to "tune" a mag to get it within factory specs. That's not tuning..that's fixing. It's not quite that bad.. more like an off-the-shelf $350 1911 is 'within factory specs' and will probably work most of the time, but a 'tuned' custom 1911 is a whole lot tighter. Pretty much the same deal for mags.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I've always thought "tuning" meant setting up a mag for a specific pistol. Setting the release point, mag catch etc. The difference between the two is (was) a mag that works and one that feeds like butter! It's not quite that bad.. more like an off-the-shelf $350 1911 is 'within factory specs' and will probably work most of the time, but a 'tuned' custom 1911 is a whole lot tighter. Pretty much the same deal for mags.. Here's the thing, making a gun run isn't voodoo, it's science/technology/engineering. Have the mags set up as they should be for a system that is properly set up (i.e. the way Beven sets up/tunes the mags) and you know that they're not the issue. If you have problems with Beven's mags running in your gun, it's your gun. Get the gun set up right so that any correctly setup mag will run in the gun. Mags are core to the functionality of an autoloader. Don't skimp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I guess I'm lucky too. 1 STI Open gun with STI mags assembled by me, runs 100%. One SVI Limited gun with SVI mags assembled by me, runs 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galt11 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 I'm considering buying some mag tubes from the DawsonPrecision sale. Is tuning worth the extra money? It seems that everythiing tuning is advertised to do should be done when the mag tube is manufactured? How much better is a tuned tube over a non-tuned one? I bought a bunch of tubes from Dawson when they were running this program before, where the tuning is free. I never had a mag problem in my sti. I can't say the tuning is what solved any possible problems, but it seemed worth the money to possible prevent or remove any possible problem before it got started. Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ38super Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 When I purchased my new to me 38 Super open gun it came with 2 new STI big mags (older ones not quite the 170's) and one used 140 SV mag. Then I purchased a new tuned 140 and 170 and shortly after another 140 tuned tube to go with the grams pad and spring I already had. The thing is they all work but the tuned ones hold more rounds, seem to perform better and if nothing else look better with the polishing. But when I want it to count I use the tuned mags first. When they "tune" them they work the dimensions top to bottom and front to back, round edges around the feed lips and set the feed lip dimensions as well. I believe most also polish inside and out. Is it spendy? YES Is it worth every penny? I think so... Just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuildSF4 Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 I have 3 tuned mags, and 8 untuned mags. (Almost all of the untuned mags are older mags.) I prefer the tuned mags in limited .40 since they hold a extra round, in open I really do not have a preference yet, except for Grams springs and followers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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