New learning experience... PARA mags

[mikeAZ]

I shoot open mostly. Just picked up a nice older Para in 40 S&W at a good price with the thought of shooting Limited. I've read all I can about the Para mags on this site?.... still have questions. I have 2 ea. SPS 19 round 40 mags, 6 ea. 16 round real 40 Para mags w/ Arridondo + extentions and 2ea. 15 round 40 Megar mags. After about inserting 10 rounds, the Para mags "swell" and are not drop free. (When empty all mags are drop free). Is there some secret Para info I don't have... One more item.. I tried a Dawson magwell and no matter what I did to the base of the Arridondo extentions lock up was difficult too the point that little was left on the top of the extention ( for retention to the base of the steel Para mag). Is this common?Does the S&A Para magwell have more room to let this happen? I've done a match bushing, fit a bevertail, relieved the trigger guard, 17# hammer spring, sear & hammer replaced, reblued, tightened frame to slide lockup etc.

[dawulf]

Hi Mike,

I have a .40 cal Para. I use the Para 16 rnd mags with Dawson extensions and Dawson magwell. Arrendondo basepads will not work with the Dawson magwell. My Para mags with Dawson base pads will hold 20 reloadable using factory followers and springs. I ran my tubes in the tumbler to polish them up and they drop free at all times now.

Good Luck

Tom

[mikeAZ]

I used the Dawson mag well that Brownells sells...even with the Dawson mag extention it's very easy to see were it's hitting the mag well... was your's the plain alum or the "ice" ? Mike

[Joe4d]

Get rid of the Mecgars, Mecgars make great mags for other guns but they missed the boat on these. They are too short and wont lock slide and will cause problems. If you switch to the S&A magwell It requires cutting the bottom of the frame. Good news is pretty much any factory magazine and factory or aftermarket pad will work. It also will fit in IDPA box. But if you are only shooting USPSA and allready have a Dawson keep what you have and order Dawson pads for the factory tubes. They are the only ones that will work. It is possible to modify others but it isnt really worth the hassel. Springs need to be either factory or wolff + 10% and use factory followers. Arrendondo followers will turn sideways and jam inside the tube on you. Polish up the mags and see where they are hitting. I have never had a problem with factory tubes not falling out. But then again I dont ever remember the need to drop a mag with 10 rounds in it. Especially when most of my experience is in L10. I know it is a confict of interest but I do happen to have three Dawson Pads for sale used in good shape. My Para only shoots IDPA now and I dont need them any more. In the classified section.

[ryan45kim]

I think the standard mag setup for Paras goes like this (at least it’s what I use)

Stock Para tube

Stock Para follower

Dawson base pad

There are three choices for springs

Old stock Para springs (the new ones have a one small coil in the spring and are not popular)

Wolf springs

ISMI springs

I’m running ISMI now but my next batch will be Wolf

I belive that the only mag / base pad combo you can run in the ice magwell are the para tube / dawson pad (the others need to be modified) Just get the dawsons they are great pads

If you switched over to S—tubes I have no idea what works I have far too many Para tubes to try

S&A magwells will not fit in the IDPA box (been there done that) they have to be narrowed to fit the box (I have one for sale if you’re interested)

The S&A magwells will take any mag I have ever tried TGO uses them on his guns but I have to admit those Ice magwells look nice and how could you miss a hole that big

[ParaGlocker]

Factory Para tubes and followers

Dawson pads

Wolff +10 springs.

For my P16, I usually load 20 in a mag (easier to seat during mag changes), but I'll put 21 in my 1st mag, plus a Barney bullet to start a stage. 21 is a tight fit and it will feed just fine, but you have to really SLAM the mags in in order to get them to properly seat. Drop one out and they seat easily.

I've never had any problem with a mag not dropping free, even when fully stuffed.