Base-pads Ipsc, 140mm And 170mm Mag Capacity

[sinnsyk]

Question asked by Ramiro Reyes:

Whats the status on the extended base pad for the 170mm?

I know mag capacity and "what works" has been on every Tanfoglio shooters mind so here's the scope:

IPSC legal length magazines / pads

Tanfoglio makes two kinds of aluminum pads, one fits all guns (made for magwells) and the other is esthetically pleasing for non-mag wells like Elite Stock and Match. They both add a little bit of capacity and is the only pad you can use if you're going to shoot IPSC competitions where your gun has to fit in a box!

• With Grams follower & spring kit I can fit 18 + 1 in my 40s&w IPSC mags.
  
• I run stock springs & followers in 38 super. What I do is cut the legs on the followers and if I carve out the follower underneath I can get 19 or 20 + 1 in the mags w/ alupad.
  

USPSA legal length magazines / pads - 140mm

CPMI makes a wanna-be 140mm magpad. It's slightly too bit, actually you'll need to shave off 0.040" to make it legal.

• With Grams you'll get 20 + 1 in 40s&w (new straight cases) and once the springs take a little set they'll start accepting 21 + 1.
  
• If you run stock springs & followers with CPMI pad, the spring is used beyond it's design. It will work, but expect the spring to get weak quickly. I haven't used Grams kit for 38 super, but I've heard it works. The good thing is the spring is the correct length and you should be able to get 23 + 1.
  

IPSC/USPSA Open Class 170mm magazines / pads

• 170mm Mag Status Currently there are no mags available. Tanfoglio is working on a new design. I think they've been trying to make the mags work with regular 38 super which is where they've been beating heads on the wall. For 38 super I recommend ONLY rimless. For some reason regular rim doesn't seem to work all that great in the mags and personally I made the switch over 10 years ago. Rimless is better not just for feeding, but also it's easier to get that extra round in the mags. I'm hoping to get some of the current 170mm mags (only avail in Europe at the moment) to test them. They may be okay with rimless, I don't know yet.
  
• Build Your Own 170mm Mag It's possible. I made my own back in '95 by taking two Mec-Gar 38 super mags, a CPMI pad an a 170mm Tanfoglio factory spring. It holds 28 + 1 and has - worked - since '95.. I have all the parts if anyone wants to take on the task to build the mags for themselves. Just contact me.
  
• 170mm Mag Pads A Company here in the US is going to make 170mm pads that will convert a regular mag to 170mm. It should hold 27 - 29 rounds. Expect to have some this spring.
  

Note

The same company is going to make IPSC, 140mm and 170mm mag pads. Based on what I've heard they're going to be the cat's meow.

Edited February 25, 2007 by sinnsyk

[sinnsyk]

A neat trick to maintaining your magazine springs

Never, ever stretch your magazine springs with your hands when they have been taken a too short of a set. It will only shorten the spring's life even more. Don't expect this quick fix to last more than a stage or two.

Instead, do this:

1. Make a device out of aluminum to stretch and hold your magspring(s) at the original [factory] length.

2. Pre-heat your kitchen oven to 550 Fahrenheit.

3. Put the device holding your spring(s) in the oven for 1.5 hours.

4. Let them air-cool back to room temperature.

The springs are now reset to the length to stretched them to. I typically do this to my 170mm spring once or twice a year. It of course depends on how much you shoot.

This was a tip from my engineering-buddy Mats in Canada. I've followed this recipe for a couple of years now.

I recommend Grams Engineering springs for after market magsprings. Beven [Grams] claims that his springs are equal to or better than any other springs on the market. He says his magsprings will hold their correct set for 200 cycles (200 reloads of 20 round mags = 4,000 rounds per magazine!) Now that's a lot. If you have 5 mags this means you should replace or re-tune your magsprings every 20,000 rounds!

I have definitely had magsprings bite me before I started listening to Mats and Beven. If you've got a 170mm 38 super mag or have modified your 40 s&w mags to hold 21 + 1, please listen to these advices.

On the cool side, my factory Tanfoglio 38 super magazine that hold anywhere from 18 - 20 rounds depending on how much I've tweaked them, I've used the same springs for at least 5 years without doing anything other than cleaning them. For some reason, my factory 38 mags with 38 super rimless brass never, ever seem to get tired.

[ReyesR]

Wow, I am honored. Thank you for the time to explain this Henning.

Ramiro

[eerw]

great info..thanks for sharing Henning..

[vous]

Hi Henning

I am new to the Forum so apologies if this is in the wrong place.

For over a year I have been using the Arredondo follower and spring to get 17 +1 rnds in my Limited Custom mags.

I note with interest you can get 18+1 with the Grams follower and spring, but when I look at the few pisctures of the Grams unit it seems to be very similar to the Arredondo unit.

Do you have any experience of the Arredondo product and if so how different are they and do you know why they load different numbers of rounds?

[sinnsyk]

Some people use the Arredondo followers with great success. I struggled with nose-dives from them which was completely eliminated with the Grams kit. If you compare the two they are definitely different. Differences in spring and follower design can make up that 1 round difference, yes.

[vous]

Some people use the Arredondo followers with great success. I struggled with nose-dives from them which was completely eliminated with the Grams kit. If you compare the two they are definitely different. Differences in spring and follower design can make up that 1 round difference, yes.

Thanks for the reply. I have not had any problems with nose-dives to date and have had total reliability. However, that extra round is appealing so will order some and see how they go. Many thanks.

[jmark308]

Well I have the classic "good news, bad news" situation. Got the Grams follower and spring kit along with the CMPI bases (that apparently Henning has stopped carrying). This is for my 9mm Match. A little judicious fileing and the bases went on just fine. Loaded them up, WOW! 23 rounds no problem. Had my smith mill down the bases to fit the 140mm requirement and I was all set - Not! Nose-dives! Tried different ammo besides my reloads, WW white box, American Eagle 147 gr, etc. etc. Still nose-dives. Searched the forum (BE's), only real information I found said that the new springs might be too strong? Never heard of that before. People are always putting in stronger springs aren't they? BE had suggested in response to an earlier post that polishing the feed ramp might help. So I polished the feed ramp and have been leaving the fully loaded magazines (23 rounds) sit on the bench. So far doesn't seem to help. The nose-dives are intermittent, but seem to occur most frequently with the round feeding from the left side of the magazine.

Does any of this make sense? Am I on the right track? Stock mags feed reliablely, so it is the Grams set up, at least that's what my logic tells me.

Edited June 14, 2007 by jmark308

[sinnsyk]

I've given up on the 9mm w/ Grams & 23 rnd in 140's for now. Beven's working on it, he's got mags. Apparently it is possible to make them work, I know one shooter who's using Beven's springs and got the 9mm to work with 23 rnds. Email me and I'll pass on his info and you guys can talk.

For 9mm it seems as the factory spring/follower is the only 100% way to go for now.

[sinnsyk]

IPSC Box legal aluminum pads following the same design as the H-140 pad is in production. They will be slightly bigger than the factory aluminum pad and make it easy to load to 18 rounds in 40 S&W. The Europeans is coming up so I'm making these to be ready. They will be $20/pc as opposed to $30 for the factory alu pad. This will also drop the price of all IPSC mags in my store by $10!

Expect to have them available by 22nd - 23rd of August.

Is also a pad to consider for any caliber/division/gun model for a better, more solid pad than the plastic floor plate the factory mags come with. Factory mags will be offered as is for $30 and with alu pad for $50.

[vous]

IPSC Box legal aluminum pads following the same design as the H-140 pad is in production. They will be slightly bigger than the factory aluminum pad and make it easy to load to 18 rounds in 40 S&W. The Europeans is coming up so I'm making these to be ready. They will be $20/pc as opposed to $30 for the factory alu pad. This will also drop the price of all IPSC mags in my store by $10!

Expect to have them available by 22nd - 23rd of August.

Is also a pad to consider for any caliber/division/gun model for a better, more solid pad than the plastic floor plate the factory mags come with. Factory mags will be offered as is for $30 and with alu pad for $50.

Would you have any pictures of a working example to have a look at and are you expecting to have them available on your store on 22-23 August??

[sinnsyk]

I don't have any pictures yet. I'm going to see the machine shop tomorrow and will know more then.

[Coolduckboy]

Now those .38 super mags will work with 9mm round right?

[sinnsyk]

H-520 IPSC BOX 19 Round

H-400 RELOAD

H-170 IPSC OPEN

Pads as well as Pad/Follower/Spring kits are now available in my store. Also have complete magazines.

Get Them Here!

[Dave Gundry]

I've given up on the 9mm w/ Grams & 23 rnd in 140's for now. Beven's working on it, he's got mags. Apparently it is possible to make them work, I know one shooter who's using Beven's springs and got the 9mm to work with 23 rnds. Email me and I'll pass on his info and you guys can talk.

For 9mm it seems as the factory spring/follower is the only 100% way to go for now.

Any updates on the 9mm setups? Considering tinkering around in Limited with my 9mm Match and looking at upping the capacity a bit... Are the problems due to the grams springs and followers only or can the factory parts work with the H140 pads?

[sinnsyk]

Have complete kits to upgrade your magazines:

USPSA Limited H-141 pad + Grams follower/springs will give you instant 21 + 1 rounds in the 40 S&W magazines. For USPSA legality you have to shave the back of the magbody's feedlips just slightly. Kit $50.00.

IPSC Standard H-520 pad + spring kits gives you either 18 + 1 or 19 + 1. Both kits available in the store at $55.00.

IPSC Open H-170 pad + spring kits gives you 29 + 1 in 38 super rimless. Kit $55.00.

Complete magazines available in the magazine section.

Also have some few H-171 pads which are 0.050" longer than the H-170. You can fit this to a 170mm mag tube, shave the back of the lips and it'll be slightly easier to load and reload to 29 rounds. But for IPSC you'll need the H-170 and it is legal without modifying the magbody. Both gets 29 rounds, just the H-171 pad gives little more room.

Have a great weekend