Dawson Base Pads

[TBeazlie]

Ok! I pulled the open gun out this year. A STI and I shot my first match this year with it. Now I remember all the reasons I put it up about three years ago. I got 22 rounds in the 140 mags, but one round in each mag rolled under the follower and jamed up the follower with the rasults that I had an expensive rattle with all 4 mags. I just receiced a new 170 mag and Dawson basepd as well as 5 Arredondo inserts allegedly altered to fit the DP pads for the STI. GD it I could not get them in the bottom of the pads. Then I looked at the new pad I purchased with the 170 mag body. They look entirely different and the inserts fit the new pad for the 170 but not the old pads on the 140s, WTF is up with that? In addition I can't get the new pad on the 170. It came with directions saying that I have to modify the flange on the bottom of the 170 mag tube, but I did not have to do that with with the 140s and the old basepads.

Ok I'll pull out the dremel and fix the 170 and put an insert in it and be good to go with the big stick, but what can I do about the shorter mags? Or do I just accept putting only 20 rounds in them?

[steel1212]

40 cal?

[BrianATL]

I just go with the twenty

[TBeazlie]

I guess I should has said this is in 38 SC.

[HSMITH]

You don't say what follower you are using in the 140's but I had the same problem with STI followers and Grams followers. The problem isn't necessarily the follower, the mag body is too wide. Squeeze it in a smoothjaw vise, bring it down UNDER .940" wide and the rattle problems will go away. Then make sure the front to back length of the tube stayed under about 1.375" or so. Make sure they still fit in the grip of your gun and drop free both loaded and unloaded.

Guys tell me they get 24 rounds in a 140 with a Dawson +1 pad and a +1 follower from Anycompany. I don't. I get 21 reloadable out of all of them, some will do 22 and ONE will do 23 but it is tight enough I worry about cracking my grip. A 40 tube will hold 24, haven't shot them though, and doubt it would be reliable.

[wide45]

HSMITH, are you using 9mm?

[HSMITH]

Wide, yes I am, but I have also tried it with Super with the same results.

[Carl]

Ok! I pulled the open gun out this year. A STI and I shot my first match this year with it. Now I remember all the reasons I put it up about three years ago. I got 22 rounds in the 140 mags, but one round in each mag rolled under the follower and jamed up the follower with the rasults that I had an expensive rattle with all 4 mags. I just receiced a new 170 mag and Dawson basepd as well as 5 Arredondo inserts allegedly altered to fit the DP pads for the STI. GD it I could not get them in the bottom of the pads. Then I looked at the new pad I purchased with the 170 mag body. They look entirely different and the inserts fit the new pad for the 170 but not the old pads on the 140s, WTF is up with that? In addition I can't get the new pad on the 170. It came with directions saying that I have to modify the flange on the bottom of the 170 mag tube, but I did not have to do that with with the 140s and the old basepads.

Ok I'll pull out the dremel and fix the 170 and put an insert in it and be good to go with the big stick, but what can I do about the shorter mags? Or do I just accept putting only 20 rounds in them?

Could the "different Look" be a a +2 rather than a +1? The +2 cannot be used on 170mm tubes because they will not fit the gauge. I have had the experience that SOME tubes fit right in, and SOME tubes needed modification. It's just a little dremmel job as you mentioned, and now they are fine.

Now on the 140 Mags, you CAN use the +2. I can get 23 rounds in mine. I do have SV tubes , and some people report getting in more rounds with SV rather than STI tubes.

Now I actually only load my tubes up to 20 or 21, (for ease of reloads) depending on the situation, and depend on my "big stick" if I need more. If you DO want to have more rounds in each mag, why not have 2 "big sticks"?

Also, I HIGHLY suggest using the Grams Springs/followers. Once I started using them MANY problems disappeared.

The mag thing can be sort of frustrating, but I can tell you that in open it's not going to be the MOST frustrating!

Hope this helps

Carl

Edited April 7, 2007 by Carl

[lcs]

Ok! I pulled the open gun out this year. A STI and I shot my first match this year with it. Now I remember all the reasons I put it up about three years ago. I got 22 rounds in the 140 mags, but one round in each mag rolled under the follower and jamed up the follower with the rasults that I had an expensive rattle with all 4 mags. I just receiced a new 170 mag and Dawson basepd as well as 5 Arredondo inserts allegedly altered to fit the DP pads for the STI. GD it I could not get them in the bottom of the pads. Then I looked at the new pad I purchased with the 170 mag body. They look entirely different and the inserts fit the new pad for the 170 but not the old pads on the 140s, WTF is up with that? In addition I can't get the new pad on the 170. It came with directions saying that I have to modify the flange on the bottom of the 170 mag tube, but I did not have to do that with with the 140s and the old basepads.

Ok I'll pull out the dremel and fix the 170 and put an insert in it and be good to go with the big stick, but what can I do about the shorter mags? Or do I just accept putting only 20 rounds in them?

I shoot 9 Major. I have four new 140 SV mag tubes (direct from SV) grams followers, 11 coil grams springs, +2 Dawson (be sure they are +2 as Dawson does not make them anymore) and I get 24 9s in each mag. A GM I know gets 24 38s also. They run 100%. I have two SV big sticks configured the same except 13 coil and grams base pads. Again, no spacers and they run 100%.

NOTE: You do NOT need spacers in SV mags if running grams followers. Bevan even writes that on the package.

I have one STI big stick built by Beven holds 29 and has spacer. The STI runs 100%. Beven is great, but I'd rather run SV tubes and Beven's guts with NO TUNING required. Saves $$$ for more rounds down range.

Hope this helps.

[vernbo]

as no one has yet. I will try to answer about Arredondo inserts & the dawson

basepads which. I believe was the question. you do need the inserts with sti mags and dawson plus two basepads IMHO.

the inserts need to be trimmed A LOT so they

go all the way down into the bottom of the dawson basepads.

it might help to see what they need to look like, so compare the one's

you have to my trimmed inserts.

this has stopped any rounds from getting past the follower.

[Singlestack]

I would strongly suggest that you don't load anymore than 21 in a 140mm mag. The spring can catch on the edge of the mag at the base pad interface and turn your mag into a salt shaker. Then you have the problem of removing a base pad with the entire spring compressed in it. It won't happen on every mag all the time but it can happen to any mag at any time. I quit loading more than 20 in 140 mags the last time it happened to me a few years ago. It happened to a STI 140mm 38 super mag with a Dawson +2 pad. The funny thing was I was shooting a Steel Challenge match. I was so used to shooting IPSC and coming to the line with about 3 times as many rounds as I was gonna need I loaded up a 140mm to the max to shoot a 5 round array.

If you are gonna need more than 20 rounds before you hit a good spot to reload, use a 170mm.

[TBeazlie]

Great pics vernbo. That is just what I needed as those are the base pads I have.