Tungsten Magwells

[ORCA]

I'm getting ready to order the parts for a STI limited gun I'm building myself and I was wondering if anyone had experience with tungsten magwells. I  would like to know if the forum users think they are worthwhile or would I be better off with a steel one and saving the money? I was also wondering the same thing about tungsten main spring housings, however I have been unable to locate a source for them. I could machine the main spring housing myself, it's pretty strait forward, but the magwells look like a pain.

[tightloop]

go with aluminum, it puts the weight where you don't need it.

[DBChaffin]

I have Gram's 6 oz. tungsten magwell on my SV and I like it a lot.  I know there are a couple of other forum users that have the tungsten wells also.  Adds weight to the frame, down low, and really softens the gun up.  I think it makes it feel more like a steel framed gun.  I had a steel magwell, and it weighed a bit over 2 oz. in comparison.   As far as the mainspring housing, its a smaller part so the difference with tungsten over steel will be less.  However, ZM is no longer making the steel ones, and I don't know of anyone that makes or made a tungsten one.  If you want a flat, I have a very slightly used ZM stainless flat that I would be willing to sell.  Email me at chaffdb@atnmail.com if you're interested.  If you can make one yourself though, go for it.  Hope that helped...

(Edited by DBChaffin at 11:07 am on Aug. 20, 2002)

[Ron Ankeny]

I use a 9 ounce well from Beven Gramms. If you look at the cover on the last issue of Front Sight you will see one of Beven's tungsten magwells on Bennie Cooley's pistol. I believe our host, Brian Enos uses the 6 ounce well.  I can relate to your question. It's a lot of money to pay for an experiment.

[ORCA]

DB, yes, it helps. Opinions and observations are exactly what I'm looking for. I'm one of those insatiably curious people who loves to tinker with things, but it helps to have a direction to go in. I will in all likely hood  try several different weight magwells with a couple of different weight slides ( normal full profile and one cut similar to a HK USP Expert) to see what effect the changes in weight distribution has on the gun.

Reading the posts in the forum has inspired me to try new things and investigate new possibilities in my shooting, my loads, and my guns.  All of the input is greatly appreciated.

As a slight drift how come none of the regulars in the forum warned us "newbies" how tricky this awarness thing was. I use to never notice the slide now I'm going to lighter loads and guns with lightened slides, the slide on my SVI seems like it takes forever to close, brass floats through the air... I feel like I should have brought Brians book with me to read while the slide closes.

I'll let you know about the mainspring housiing.

[Ron Ankeny]

ORCA:

...and here's the rest of the story.

I took a class from Ron Avery and he told me to discard my tungsten mag well. Apparantly Mr. Avery used a 6 ounce well at one time and he got rid of it because he felt it wasn't contributing anything other than weight where it isn't needed. Ron Avery is a world class shooter and his opinion is worth listening to.

I took Avery's advice and I shot my Limited gun without the mag well for a couple of weeks. I put it back on and that's where it's going to stay.

Considering the expense involved, why don't you just call Beven and talk to him about his tungsten mag wells? He will give you the straight dope, both pro and con. Best of all, he won't hit you with a bunch of high pressure salesmanship. The cost of the material and tooling is so high that he doesn't make much on the product anyway.

[chi]

Barnhart doesnt use one.  Buy bullets and practice!

[ipscman]

According to Brian Robbie used one to win Limited Nationals last year:

cf:  http://www.brianenos.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard//topic.cgi?forum=3&topic=142

Bottomline - you have to experiment and find what works FOR YOU. Rob, Brian, Todd, Travis, Jerry - different ideas about guns, different builds, different eyes, different personalities. One guy swears by one product - another disses it. They're ALL right...for them. They're ALL wrong for the other guys.

You want to get better? Practice, experiment and enjoy the process of exploration. You will never arrive but the ride is worth it all and you find what works for YOU. No one else can tell you you're wrong, or right. You have to figure it out taking into account the ADVICE from those who know more and testing it in your own experience.

:-)

P.S.

Unclassified to A in 6 weeks, now have only 18 matches under my belt, know I know very very little, but love what I'm learning about shooting, my weaknesses and strengths, etc.

What's working for me: plain ramped sight [.100] for me much more accurate than fiber - a drawer full of different widths tried and rejected), Bevans magwell, tungsten guide rod and plug, 18oz trigger pull, flat trigger, stippled grips (hot nails work wonders), Dremeled under trigger guard, on side of frame to relieve trigger finger, 18,000 rounds this year of practice with hours daily of dry and live fire.

I've also got a number of drawers of holsters, guide rod systems, triggers, hammers, rear sights, etc. Actually more money in the drawer than in the gun. I really should return more of this stuff to Brownells!

Enjoy the trip!

TY41880

(Edited by ipscman at 2:16 pm on Aug. 21, 2002)

[Jerome Poiret]

ipscman,

Why don't you list your extra parts in the classified section ?

[ORCA]

Ron,

I'm planning on sending some mags to Gram's and was going to talk to him then. I think Gram's magwells are more aesthetically pleasing that some of the aluminum mega wells. I know I just need to experiment to find out what works on a particular gun with a particular load for me. Besides modifying your guns is fun!! I have discovered I don't like the beating the aluminum wells get, not to mention the burrs. I was digging around in the pile of metal drops in the shop and found some naval brass... might make a cool looking well.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with a parts drawer. No wife, no kids, guns and bullets, no problem.

[ipscman]

Thanks Jerome,

I never thought of that.

:-)

[Dowter]

I just got my 9oz Grams Tungsten mag well and I am in love with it.

First Plus - Wow, so that's what a balanced STI Edge feels like!

Second Plus - Wow, the gun actually feels good in my gorilla size hands.  I wasn't expecting that.  I'm use to my hand being jammed between the beaver tail safety and the angled mag well.  With the grams flat mag well extending down my hand is now comfortable.  Just for this feature, I would recomend this mag well even even if it was light aluminum.

Third Plus - Yup, less felt recoil.

If I owned STI, I would sell the grams tungsten mag well with the Edge.

There is a small negative though.  The hole of a grams mag well isn't as large as some of the monster mag wells out there.  It's a very small negative though.

[Kevin Kline]

I have both a 6 oz and 9 oz. I love them, I wouldn't do without them. I think it makes a definite difference and feel for the better to me. Then again, I like heavy guns.

I'm not too worried about the opening though, it is opened up enough. Although not as big as others, if you are still missing that hole, you need to get some more dry fire practice in. Your fastest reloads you'll ever do are ones that never touch the magwell. It is just a device that sometimes let's you make a mistake and get away with it. But it won't let you do it everytime.

Just cause the Burner or Todd doesn't use one, doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. Todd likes his guns light, Rob heavy and Jerry in the middle and light side. All three are the best there are. You have to see what you like.