Sti Mags Stopped Dropping Free

[nontactical]

I have 4 factory standard sti 140s that I only use for practice (I had 4 tuned, and those only get used for matches). When I got them, I polished the outsides, and other than that I left them alone. The have less than 1k rounds each through them and all of the sudden two of them dont want to drop free unless they have a lot of rounds left in them. I took them home and polished them again even though they really didnt need it, and sprayed them with mag slick. It didnt help at all. Any ideas?

[Thomas Moore]

i would use a micrometer and check the width of the mag that doesn't drop free vs the one that works. then possibly squeeze them in a vise about .001. i would also check inside the grip and make sure you don't have any plastic sticking out that would hinder the mag from dropping free.

[ipscbob]

I use a bench vise and a couple of pieces of wood and squeeze slowly until they drop free. I havent had to do this more than once on any of my mags over 5 years or so and SV are less problematice than STIs are in my experience.

[Flyin40]

Same thing happened to me. I took the gun apart and checked the trigger bow. I was using an SV trigger and insert, took the gun apart and adjusted the trigger bow so the mag would fit through. It was rubbing just enough to catch the mag.

Flyin40

[lynn jones]

1. check to see it your frame is cracked.

2. check to see if your grip screws are tight.

[sfinney]

1. check to see it your frame is cracked.

2. check to see if your grip screws are tight.

+1

Unless you have stepped on or worked on your mags recently, its more than likely a grip issue than a mag issue.

Edited September 22, 2006 by sfinney

[HSMITH]

I have the same problem occasionally, mine is usually plastic burrs in the grip from high speed misaligned mag changes. I whittle them out with a pocket knife and I am back in business.

[10ring]

Talked to a guy at a match a couple weeks ago that had a problem with his mags not dropping free. He had never had that trouble before. He ended up going home that day. I talked to him a week later at another match and he told me he figured out what had happened. On his 2011 type of frame, the sear spring locating tab, at the bottom of the spring, had popped out of the notch when he pushed the mainspring housing into position thereby causing the tab on the sear spring to push the plastic of the grip into the mag well area. This reduced the magwell opening enough to cause a binding of the magazines.

[nontactical]

Wow! Thanks for all of the suggestions. Checked frame and grip screws, they were fine. half an hour on a vise with a couple of peices of wood and everything is great.

[Flyin40]

Wow! Thanks for all of the suggestions. Checked frame and grip screws, they were fine. half an hour on a vise with a couple of peices of wood and everything is great.

Except your mag capacity

Flyin40