Clean Magazines

[BigDave]

If you can take them apart, do it. In one stage this last weekend, a dirty mag stalled on me causing me almost 15 seconds on one stage. If I had been smart, I should have just dumped the failed mag immediately, reloaded and continued. However, if I would have cleaned the mag, it likely wouldn't have happened at all.

SV mags with SV bases and spring retainers are easy to take apart. Simply run a clean cloth (in my case, an old silicone cloth I keep in my range bag) through the tube, wipe the follower and reassemble. It takes only about a minute. Those 60 seconds would have saved me 15 and a load of stage and match points.

[SRT Driver]

Does anyone make REMOVABLE baspads for Caspian Hicaps? I'm looking for something that does not take three hours and an untold number of flowery adjectives to disassemble.

[Steve Anderson]

hmmmm, the egw basebads on my caspian mags are too removable. They slide right off, hence the electrical tape on all mine.

Most caspian mags I see are similarly taped...

SA

[BDH]

If you can take them apart, do it.  In one stage this last weekend, a dirty mag stalled on me causing me almost 15 seconds on one stage.  If I had been smart, I should have just dumped the failed mag immediately, reloaded and continued.  However, if I would have cleaned the mag, it likely wouldn't have happened at all.

I remember an Ohio Sectional a few years back at the NOCPC facility (sand in many of the pits). You could easily tell those that dropped a mag, and later used it without first cleaning it. My EQUIPMENT never fails (I just wish I could say the same for the 'operator')....

[eric nielsen]

SRT

Getting a Caspian HiCap to come apart easily takes 2 pairs of pliers to bend the bottom of the spring. Every time after that just takes a punch (1/8") to get it apart almost instantly.

First you bend the whole last section (on the bottom by the base pad) up and parallel to the 2nd-to-last straight section.

Then you put a bend in the last (straight) section of the spring, about 1/4 inch from the end is a good place. First you bend that little end up (toward the follower) about 20-30 degrees, then you bend it in (from the sides of the mag body) about 20-30 degrees.

Now that end of the spring will never catch on the base pad. You just poke the spring from the back with your punch & slide the pad off.

dvc - eric - a28026

[SRT Driver]

Thanks Eric,

I had hoped that someone made a removable basepad, like the Dawson design, that just came apart.

Your method sounds like it works pretty well. Looks like I'll be bending springs this weekend!!!

[Rufus The Bum]

I learned years ago that it's better to have more mags than just enough. I was shooting a single stack in a sectional and launched the whole bottom end of the mag somewhere in the grass, I had to borrow a mag to be able to finish the match. Anymore, I take all my magazines and if need be, I can easily swap out dirty mags for clean ones. I HATE cleaning magazines in a rush.

[Guest Larry Cazes]

Amen......My P14 mags will only run 100% if I disassemble and clean about halfway through a match. Love these Dawson basepads!

Larry