HSMITH Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I am doing a little research on STI 40 cal magazines. I would like to know how many rounds you get in an STI 40 cal magazine using Dawson basepads. Lately there has been a lot of talk about magazine capacity and I would like to get an idea of what is out there. I am limiting the poll to Dawson pads simply because they are so nice to use and tough as nails. Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 First poll and yes I screwed it up If you get less than 19 rounds please list what the capacity is and what the follower is. ALL questions pertain to 140mm magazines. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I have to tune the body dimensions of my STI tubes to both make them feed without turning into salt shakers and to get full capacity (20 +1). It's more than just dumping the parts in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I'm getting 20 (reloadable) out of all mine with Grams springs/followers and either Dawson or Grams pads. The ones I've got with Grams pads have a little extra room, are easier to load and take less force to seat when reloading. I do have one that works 100% but I can't even get 19 in it easily no matter what combination I try on it....since it runs I'm not messing with it (as we talked about once). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZ Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Dawson Follower, ISMI springs, Dawson basepads and stock STI tubes. I can get 19 in all of them. Personally I don't worry about the fact that I can't get 20. I've never been faced with a situation where I wished I had just one more round in the gun.....unless I screwed up a stage royally...but thats a different subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splashdown Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 With Dawson +1 Pad I get 19 with Gram's spring/follower. This holds true for both a new tuned Gram's tube and for what I believe to be a really old STI mag (2 deep grooves on one side, one shallow groove on the other). I've got another STI mag with standard basepad that I only get 17 or 18 in it. I too was satisfied for a while that I was only getting 19, but then I found a combination that allows me to get 20 in a tube that doesn't want to function and I'm dying to get it to work. (SV tube, see another thread for details.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 19 rounds with grams springs and followers. Dawson +1 base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I can fit 20, but they're usually not reloadable. Grams pads give a bit of extra room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 21+1 bitches. Uncut Grams spring/follower, Dawson +1 pad. We are putting in a tube order by the end of June. Any takers? PM me, don't jack this guy's thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 21+1 bitches. Geez Eric, now everyone is gonna have 21+1's You just can't keep a secret!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 yeah, my bad. I'll edit this out in a few. Um, I only get 17+1, how do you guys get more??? (See that way I am two TARGETS ahead, yeah I like that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 That's better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 21+1 rocks! Hell that's a few away from what I have in my open with 170s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenTX Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 (edited) Mags are combination of Black Magic, Voodoo and luck. I don't see how, with modern manufacturing there can be so much variation. However, when you start looking at the pieces and parts, there is a lot of room for stack plus or minus. Here is a run down on my experiences with the mags and the EGW gauge. I don't think you can say "get this tube, this spring, this follower and basepad and it will hold a reloadable 20 and fit the gauge. I don't know if even the mag tuners are able to get 20 on every tube, the easiest way to guarantee 20 is to just buy new "tuned 20 round mags" from one of the mag tuners. I own 18 STI/SVI 40 tubes and there are at least three different types of 140 tubes. SV and Pre & Post ban STI. The preban STI 140 will fit the gauge with most, but not all +2 pads. The post ban 140 will fit the tube with a +1. My extended basepads include +1 & +2 Dawson, +1 & +2 Limcat and two different length Grams. I also have the Dawson +1 Internationa wedge pads, but only use them with 126 tubes for IPSC Box matches. These different basepads have different lengths in the gauge and apparently different usable lengths inside, but I this internal difference is very small Springs and followers, all sorts of variations here. Dawson, Grams, Arredondo, SV, STI and some unknown followers and Grams, Dawson, STI, IMSI, Wolf and unknown springs. I like the Grams springs and followers best comes in 11 and 13 coil, but like the Dawsons as well. The Grams spring and followers have a very positive attachment that will keep the follower from coming off in the mag. Some people not using Grams, attach the spring to a very short follower with JB Weld to insure they don't come off. I don't think the Dawson follower will work with SV mags and I don't think they hold the slide open on the last round (doing this from memory). For out of the package reliabilty I think Grams or Dawson is the best choice for followers. To confuse things capacity may increase as the springs age, parts take a set or you pray to the right shooting god. My "start" mag (Grams tuned post ban 140 tube, grams 11 coil spring and follower with Limcat +1 basepad) would only hold 19 when I set it up, now it holds an easily reloadable 20. One of my SV tubes holds 20 with the Grams pad and one of my STI tubes hold 20 with the Dawson pad. Reliability is more important than round count, I can reload faster than I can clear a jam and reloads are much easier to plan than jams. YRMV Edited June 15, 2007 by CenTX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I would much rather have 19 useable than 20 laying in the dirt behind me. Been there, done that, no more.---------------Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I hear that. When I found a combo I could trust I quit putzing around with it and bought it 10x.... No labels, no voodoo, no "this one's special". All hold, look, run and are marked the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 Thanks for the info guys. Just about what I expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfinney Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 I clicked on 20 with Grams follower..... but I have 8 .40 mags, 5 SV tubes, 3 STI tubes, all with Dawson base pads and Grams guts, but only 2 hold 20 with the this combo - 1 of the SV, and 1 of the STI. Strangely the 1 STI that holds 20 holds is a loose, reloadable 20, while the SV tube that will holds 20 does it very tightly, stage starting mag only. The rest only hold 19. I haven't "tuned" any of the mag bodies as to dimensions though, only polished feed lips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Dawson comp follower, ISMI and Dawson + 1. Will hold 19. I very seldom load over 18. Why postpone a reload for getting one more target down the array - I can reload in two steps and it is seldom you don't have that much movement with a high round count stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don45cal Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Have any of you seen or tried these? http://www.docterusa.com/_mgxroot/page_10787.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 Don, yes. I have some, have used them and am not very impressed with the 40 tubes. The hold one more round than my SV tubes IF you have the right ones and one or two more than my STI tubes, but the quality isn't there in my opinion. There are several lengths of tubes out there, they have wandered around pretty badly and you have to measure them to know what pad to use. Grams stopped making (from what I hear) the 6mm pad, so there are a lot of the 170's out there that will never get over about 168 and will be one round down on a real 170 mag. They are thin, soft, and the welds aren't very strong from what I have seen. Where they make SOME sense is in 9mm, a good bit cheaper than SV tubes and seem to work OK once tuned. I am still working with the 170mm tubes in 9mm. I have moved on from them in 40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisa006 Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 I get 20 with the Grams pad and springs but try to never reload to more than 19. If I need 20+1 after the reload I have one mag with a Grams base pad that seem to have a little more room/ give to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 (edited) Have any of you seen or tried these?[/url] Those are the guys who tried to swoop in and half ass the thing. That's what I got for helping both the local and international ends of that deal instead of keeping my mouth shut. Obviously, I won't deal with them. They are making unhappy customers faster than I could ever hope to create demand, and going around me / screwing me seems more important than doing honest business. Before this turns into a gripe thread, I'll sign off. You want any more info lemmee know in a pmp or email. Happy to help, there ain't no secret to this. Back to topic.... Cheers. Edited June 17, 2007 by dirtypool40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don45cal Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Thanks for the info! PM sent dirtypool! I will delete the link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Dawson comp follower, ISMI and Dawson + 1. Will hold 19. I very seldom load over 18.Why postpone a reload for getting one more target down the array - I can reload in two steps and it is seldom you don't have that much movement with a high round count stage. Loading down definitely makes for an easier reload and prevents grip cracks. I've noted that lately I've been running into a bunch of stages where it is an advantage to have 20 in the mag for a reload. I think that's because we've got a fair number of Open shooters setting up stages! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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