acp45230 Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 useing sti .40 140mm mag tubes ,gram springs and follower, and dawson plus 1 base pads i can still only get 18 rounds and its tight and the mag. body swells out to .970 and will not drop from the gun .how in world are grams and brasos getting 20 in there tuned mags ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Hi there, This is my first post, because I actually feel I have a legitimate reply. Call Beven Grams, period. He built 8 STI .40 mags for me and they are perfect. Granted he is a busy man, but when you do reach him, he will gladly talk you through anything and spend time with you. He supports the sport, builds great products, and helps his clients. Top-notch guy, just give him a call at 949/548-3745. Leave a message, and be patient, he will respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srf Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 +1 on Beven. You get what you pay for. I've got six mags done by him and friends have sent him over a dozen more. Everybody's totally satisfied. Awesome service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCK Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I have 2 STI mags that I stuck Grams springs and followers in, still using factory basepads and I get 19 rounds. I have 4 Dawson tuned mags that I can squeeze 20 into but they are not reloadable because there is no room left to compress when inserted into the gun. Is it possible that you can squeeze another round into your mags to get 19? New springs are pretty stiff when loaded up and may take a bit of use to get broken in. While I am on the subject, does anyone know if I can add the Grams 2mm or 4mm pads onto my mags to get 20 reloadable? And still be legal length? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 STI mags, 4mm pad, totally legal, easy to reload with, and will lock back depending on your slide stop. I could not be happier, you get what you pay for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckbradley Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 useing sti .40 140mm mag tubes ,gram springs and follower, and dawson plus 1 base pads i can still only get 18 rounds and its tight and the mag. body swells out to .970 and will not drop from the gun .how in world are grams and brasos getting 20 in there tuned mags ? Doesnt seem like STI mags if they swell. Soemthing has got to be wrong. Are you using the grams 11 coil s/f kit? Is it possible you got 38 super mags? The new STi mags will hold 20 with the grams s/f and a plus 1 Dawson or 2.5 or 4mm Grams. STI mags, 4mm pad, totally legal, easy to reload with, and will lock back depending on your slide stop. I could not be happier, you get what you pay for... Cant say the 4mm pads are totally legal. Even Bevin qualifies the legality of those pads by saying you have to measure each indiviual mag since there can be variance in the dimensions of the mags. Since the 4mm pad takes up all the extra room alloted by the new measurement there is no leeway for a mag a littel long. So be sure to measure each mag with a 4mm pad to make sure it fits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 The gauges are available, I forget who has them, but I've seen them in use. The worst I've heard is to just slightly remove a bit from the bottom of a pad with sandpaper and they fit fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckbradley Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 The gauges are available, I forget who has them, but I've seen them in use. The worst I've heard is to just slightly remove a bit from the bottom of a pad with sandpaper and they fit fine. Yea, I heard this place called Shooters Connection has the official USPSA gauge made by EGW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Then that should be a good place to get one. Will try to call tomorrow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acp45230 Posted February 21, 2006 Author Share Posted February 21, 2006 (edited) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[qucheote name=chuckbradley' date='Feb 20 2006, 10:36 PM' post='375908] useing sti .40 140mm mag tubes ,gram springs and follower, and dawson plus 1 base pads i can still only get 18 rounds and its tight and the mag. body swells out to .970 and will not drop from the gun .how in world are grams and brasos getting 20 in there tuned mags ? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doesnt seem like STI mags if they swell. Soemthing has got to be wrong. Are you using the grams 11 coil s/f kit? Is it possible you got 38 super mags? The new STi mags will hold 20 with the grams s/f and a plus 1 Dawson or 2.5 or 4mm Grams. STI mags, 4mm pad, totally legal, easy to reload with, and will lock back depending on your slide stop. I could not be happier, you get what you pay for... Cant say the 4mm pads are totally legal. Even Bevin qualifies the legality of those pads by saying you have to measure each indiviual mag since there can be variance in the dimensions of the mags. Since the 4mm pad takes up all the extra room alloted by the new measurement there is no leeway for a mag a littel long. So be sure to measure each mag with a 4mm pad to make sure it fits. Edited February 21, 2006 by acp45230 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I'm really not sure about that swelling issue. It maybe possible that those mags are out of spec in the external dimensions. It sounds like the easiest thing would be to send them off for tuning to somebody, or buy a few more from somebody else already tuned up and ready to roll. I know that costs a few nickels, but it may be worth it in the long run... Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acp45230 Posted February 21, 2006 Author Share Posted February 21, 2006 (edited) pretty sure there .40 mags( checked the feed lips and i have a set of .38 mags )i left one loaded overnight and got 1 more round in , but its not something i would like to do at a match !! seems like if you work the lower rounds down with something threw the lower hole in the mag.the last few rounds will go in..maybe they need more polishing on the lower ribs ??? as for Beven Grams you are 100% right! had talk with him one time a while back ( ordering something) and he is a great guy !!! and a very busy man,i would not want to call and bug him on me trying to tune a mag... Edited February 21, 2006 by acp45230 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nm3gnr Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 (edited) Hello, All of my STI .40 mags have the Grams basepads, and Grams spring and follower kits in them. Bevin tuned one mag for me and it will hold 20 on the fly reload. All of my springs are 13 coil, someone mentioned 11 coils and I have not tried that yet. ( correction 11 coils ) I have one tube purchased from Brazos, that I installed Grams stuff and trimmed the follower and now it will hold 20 on the fly reload. All other factory tubes I have will hold 20 to start but will only do 19 on the fly reload. ( I also trimmed the follwers ) All tubes I polish inside and out myself. Bevin does top notch work and Brazos does as well. Good Luck ! Edited February 23, 2006 by nm3gnr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Doesnt seem like STI mags if they swell. Soemthing has got to be wrong. I have 6 STI mags and all of the swell when fully loaded. They all still drop free but they do swell. I wouldn't worry about a full mag dropping free as long as it drops free with 12 or so rounds left in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acp45230 Posted February 21, 2006 Author Share Posted February 21, 2006 GREAT POINT !badaboom, dont really want to run around dropping full mags !!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Biondi Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 (edited) Hey guys!!!!!!! I have 8 STI mag 126 mm. but nobody holds more than 18 rounds... hug! I use SVI followers and original spring 13 coins and Dawson basepad.... Do you know that there are a Brazil guy that produce mag 126 mm. that holds 20 rounds and are easy to use into reloading? I have see it at last W.S. ok please tell me how do you tuned the mag and if possible show me some pics.... thanks to all Edited February 22, 2006 by Josh Biondi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamGE Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 (edited) I know that this question has come up before, but it probably is buried too deep in the search engine for anyone to find, so I will explain what I do to tune mags and why it needs to be done. The big give-a-way to ACP45230 problems is he sees his mag tubes swelling when he loads them up. This means the inside dimensions are too narrow (side to side)(btw, a .40cal cartridge will not fit into the top of a .38 tube, so I don't think this is the problem). The double stack of ammo is not stacking right and wedging into the sides of the tube causing it to swell, adding friction to the mess, and reducing round count. I fix this by reshaping the tube to the correct internal dimensions. The round count goes up, and the friction goes away. Along with reshaping the tube, I put round count holes in the back, trim the top (mouth/feed lip area), adjust feed lips, trim the bottom for base pad fit, blend the ends of the spacing grooves, and polish the entire tube. I use my 4mm base pad to achieve the 141mm and 171mm marks for Limited and Open class mags (measured by the USPSA Mag Length Gauge), and adjust the mag tube length when needed to make sure every mag is legal. As Chuck pointed out, if you are using a 4mm pad, you will have to check you OAL mag length, to be sure it is legal. Otherwise you can use my 2.5mm base pad, and you will have no questions about legal length. Now, what is maximum round count for a Grams tuned 141mm STI/SV .40cal mag? 20 rounds, easy, speed reloadable. Peroid. If you are using my 2.5mm base pad (or a Dawson +1 pad), 20 rounds is possible, but tighter. This is of coarse using my 11 coil Follower Kit. The rule of thumb after all of this. If your .40cal mag does not hold 20 rounds, using the parts I discribed above, then your mag tube needs to be tuned, some how, some way. Edited February 22, 2006 by TeamGE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenTX Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I know that this question has come up before, but it probably is buried too deep in the search engine for anyone to find, so I will explain what I do to tune mags and why it needs to be done.The big give-a-way to ACP45230 problems is he sees his mag tubes swelling when he loads them up. This means the inside dimensions are too narrow (side to side)(btw, a .40cal cartridge will not fit into the top of a .38 tube, so I don't think this is the problem). The double stack of ammo is not stacking right and wedging into the sides of the tube causing it to swell, adding friction to mess, and reducing round count. I fix this by reshaping the tube to the correct internal dimensions. The round count goes up, and the friction goes away. Along with reshaping the tube, I put round count holes in the back, trim the top (mouth/feedlip area), adjust feedlips, trim the bottom for base pad fit, blend the ends of the spacing grooves, and polish the entire tube. I use my 4mm base pad to achieve the 141mm and 171mm marks for Limited and Open class mags (measured by the USPSA Mag Lenght Gauge), and adjust the mag tube length when needed to make sure every mag is legal. As Chuck pointed out, if you are using a 4mm pad, you will have to check you OAL mag length, to be sure it is legal. Otherwise you can use my 2.5mm base pad, and you will have no questions about legal length. Now, what is maximum round count for a Grams tuned 141mm STI/SV .40cal mag? 20 rounds, easy, speed reloadable. Peroid. If you are using my 2.5mm base pad (or a Dawson +1 pad), 20 rounds is possible, but tighter. This is of coarse using my 11 coil Follower Kit. The rule of thumb after all of this. If your .40cal mag does not hold 20 rounds, using the parts I discribed above, then your mag tube needs to be tuned, some how, some way. I guess that's about all that needs to be said on this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acp45230 Posted February 22, 2006 Author Share Posted February 22, 2006 ok, i will send them off !!!!! thanks for the advice guys . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 (edited) I don't know if you meant .45 won't fit in a .38 mag or if you were speaking strickly about STI mags but I can easily load .40 rounds in my SV .38/9mm mags. Edited February 22, 2006 by Bigbadaboom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I don't know if you meant .45 won't fit in a .38 mag or if you were speaking strickly about STI mags but I can easily load .40 rounds in my SV .38/9mm mags. I've loaded .40's in my 9/super mags accidently and they ran fine. I wouldn't trust it in a match, but they seem to work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intel6 Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 (edited) This works in different guns and seems to be normal. During the ban I found out that the mags for the HK P7 M10 (.40 cal) were the same as for the 9mm version, they were just marked different. I have shot .45 ACP out of 10mm mags in my Glock and 40 out of my 9mm mags in my Witness. Neal in AZ Edited February 23, 2006 by Intel6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinity Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 I know that this question has come up before, but it probably is buried too deep in the search engine for anyone to find, so I will explain what I do to tune mags and why it needs to be done.The big give-a-way to ACP45230 problems is he sees his mag tubes swelling when he loads them up. This means the inside dimensions are too narrow (side to side)(btw, a .40cal cartridge will not fit into the top of a .38 tube, so I don't think this is the problem). The double stack of ammo is not stacking right and wedging into the sides of the tube causing it to swell, adding friction to the mess, and reducing round count. I fix this by reshaping the tube to the correct internal dimensions. The round count goes up, and the friction goes away. Along with reshaping the tube, I put round count holes in the back, trim the top (mouth/feed lip area), adjust feed lips, trim the bottom for base pad fit, blend the ends of the spacing grooves, and polish the entire tube. I use my 4mm base pad to achieve the 141mm and 171mm marks for Limited and Open class mags (measured by the USPSA Mag Length Gauge), and adjust the mag tube length when needed to make sure every mag is legal. As Chuck pointed out, if you are using a 4mm pad, you will have to check you OAL mag length, to be sure it is legal. Otherwise you can use my 2.5mm base pad, and you will have no questions about legal length. Now, what is maximum round count for a Grams tuned 141mm STI/SV .40cal mag? 20 rounds, easy, speed reloadable. Peroid. If you are using my 2.5mm base pad (or a Dawson +1 pad), 20 rounds is possible, but tighter. This is of coarse using my 11 coil Follower Kit. The rule of thumb after all of this. If your .40cal mag does not hold 20 rounds, using the parts I discribed above, then your mag tube needs to be tuned, some how, some way. I know it is your trade secret...but for us who doesn't have any access to u since i am from asia and sendin u the mags would cost more than 20 mag tubes...and most of the 'smiths here in my country have no knowledge of mag tuning. is there a way i (and my fellow shooters here) can tune my mags by my self? if yes, may i ask how? Thank you so much Beven!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrazilianShooter Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Hey guys, I have 3 SPS 140mm, and my gunsmith cut them to fix the box here in Brazil we use the BOX in Standard Division. So i buy this mags in Worl Shoot last year in Ecuador, they have this new follower, very good by the way, and after cut this mags, i can load 19 rounds, when i get them they load 21 rounds, i also have a sti 140mm mag, but after cut they load only 18 rounds. My suggestion, buy SPS mags for 45 ACP and ask to your gunsmith to work on them and transform to .40S&W, they will load easely 21 rounds with 14mm leght, and if u cut to fix the box, it will load 19 rounds. Bye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonub Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hey guys,I have 3 SPS 140mm, and my gunsmith cut them to fix the box here in Brazil we use the BOX in Standard Division. So i buy this mags in Worl Shoot last year in Ecuador, they have this new follower, very good by the way, and after cut this mags, i can load 19 rounds, when i get them they load 21 rounds, i also have a sti 140mm mag, but after cut they load only 18 rounds. My suggestion, buy SPS mags for 45 ACP and ask to your gunsmith to work on them and transform to .40S&W, they will load easely 21 rounds with 14mm leght, and if u cut to fix the box, it will load 19 rounds. Bye Is this reloadable 19 or you have to press real hard to load it? thanks also with the cut you mean no basepads right? just a flat steel basepad? thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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