Caspian 40 S&W mags

[Bill J]

Can anyone tell me what the max reloadable capacity is when using a caspian mag with the EGW pads?

Thanks,

Bill

[HSMITH]

The new mags with the new pads from Caspian can be made to hold 21 rounds. Not sure what the EGW pad is....

[Alan Meek]

Can anyone tell me what the max reloadable capacity is when using a caspian mag with the EGW pads?

Thanks,

Bill

The Caspian 40 S&W mags come from the factory holding 18 rds.

To increase capacity you need to get the Grams spring and follower kit for the EAA Tanfoglio 40 S&W mags from Henning or Beven. The Grams Sprong and follower will increase the capacity to 20 rds and that is a reloadable 20.

You can tweak the springs and get 21rds.

Alan

[HSMITH]

Or put a Bolen kit in it and have an easy 21. The mags are a pain to load but 21 reloadable is doable. The mags need the tap tap on the basepad, load one, tap tap, load one, from 18-19 rounds to capacity.

EDIT: They are a pain to load no matter what spring and follower you use, there isn't any difference there, just in final capacity.

Edited August 3, 2008 by HSMITH

[Alan Meek]

Hmmmm, maybe I need to get a Bolen kit and try it.

Alan

[Scout454]

I have a couple Alan.

Call me.

Mike

[Bill J]

Thank you for the information, so it's best to buy the tubes from Caspian and then but the Bolen kits? How do you know what to buy for the Caspian mags or are they all interchangable?

Bill

[Alan Meek]

If you are going to assemble the mags, buy the tubes and basepads from Caspian, then you can get either the Bolen or the Grams kits.

Caspian Tube and follower = $64.17

Caspian 18 rd 40 S&W mag complete $64.85

Alan

[Bill Schwab]

Are you guys running the 11 or 13 coil Bolen spring in the Caspian 40 mags?

[TeamGE]

The Caspian .40cal mag is made for Caspian by Tanfoglio. It is the same design used in the Tanfoglio/EAA Witness .40cal guns, with changes made to the mag catch hole and slide lock operation. If you use a follower designed for a STI/SV mag, you will have problems with the follower popping out of the top of the mag past the feed lips when the mag is empty. The dimensions for STI/SV followers are too narrow for the .40cal Tanfoglio/EAA/Caspian mag tubes. Thus the reason for the Grams part # FKS-11 Follower Kit, made specifically for this situation. Capacity will be 21, in the mag, if the combined length of the mag and base pad is 141.25mm long.

Now, lets look at the typical capacity and reliability problems that the Tanfoglio/EAA/Caspian mags have. They don't load easy, won't get near the 21 round capacity, and the rounds nose dive.

The #1 problem to all of this is the over all diameter of the cartridge is too big for the mag. The typical mag coming out of Tanfoglio has a internal width made for "factory loaded" ammo. Most factory ammo I have measured is .420" to .422" in diameter, at the rim and web. Most reloaded ammo is larger than that. It may only be .002 or .003" larger, but that is enough to make a huge difference in space. That is how tight the dimensions are in these tubes. If you don't believe this, just try it. Go buy some factory loaded ammo, (Blazer, WWB, Eagle, ect...) and try loading your mag. You will see. I wish we could tune the tube to be a little wider, but this will usually cause the outside of the tube to be too big to fit inside the frame of the gun. So what can one do to change their reloaded ammo size? Use this Gizmo. Also check out this Thread. I am not a fan of roll sizing, it works the brass too much, and have had problems with rim deformation beyond what will fit into the shell plate of my reloaders. Now, I know that a lot of you use "undersized" dies, and that is fine, if you can resize the "entire" length of the cartridge (most dies won't). You have to remember the rim too, and you would be surprised what they measure after being reloaded several times.

I know this is an extra step in the reloading process. There is just no other easy fix, at least that has a reasonable cost. The mag tubes are what they are. And I see a growing trend in a lot of new gun designs coming out, that the mags are very sensitive to ammo diameter. This is one reason the typical gun manufacture response to gun malfunctions is "Use Factory Loaded Ammo Only".

[jjanglin]

IF YA ALL USE MAGS FROM eaa DO NOT MOVE THE MAG CATCH HOLE UP OR DOWN

YOU HAVE TO REMOVE METAL FROM THE TOP OF THE MAG TO MATCH THE CUT ON THE CASPIAN MAG

MESSING WITH THE MAG CATCH HOLE WILL JUST DRIVE YA NUTS CAUSE MOVING IT UP OR DOWN

DOESTN GET THE MAG WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE FRAME.

YOU HAVE TO GET THE SECOND ROUND OVER UNDER THE FIRST (TOP) ROUND SO THE TOP ROUND

HAS SUPPORT TO KEEP IT FROM NOSE DIVEING, THIS APPLIES TO MOST NOSE DIVING PROBLEMS

ON HI CAP STUFF.

THIS MAY REQUIRE YOU TO NARROW THE MAG IN THE AREA OF THE V NOTCH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE

MAG. THIS IS A TRAIL AND ERROR TYPE OPERATION AND YOU MAY RUIN A MAG OR 2 OR 3 GETTING IT JUST

RIGHT.

THE WAY I DO THIS IS I GET A ROUND PIECE OF METAL THE EXact SHAPE AS THE INSIDE OF THE MAG

LIP TO SIMULATE A ROUND BEING IN PLACE. I TAKE TWO ROUND PIECES OF NYLON AND TAPE THESE IN THE V NOTCH ON BOTH SIDE OF THE MAG THESE ARE ABOUT 1/4" DIAMETER

I THEN PUT TENSION ON THE SIDES OF THE MAG AGAINST THE TWO TAPED ROUND NYLON PIECES AND NOW I TAKE A "C "CLAMP AND CLAMP TWO PIECES OF

METEL = CLAMP THESE ON THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE MAG just enough to keep the mag from bulging

and force the mag to narrow with tension on the vise, DO ALITTLE AT A TIME TILL YOU CAN PUT 14 15 ROUNDS IN THE

MAG AND SEE THAT THE SECOND ROUND IS OVER UNDER THE FIRST ROUND.

WHAT YA ARE TRYING TO GET IS A MAG THAT LOOKS SORTA LIKE AN STI THEY HAVE AN OBVIOUS

CREASE FROM THE OUTSIDE ABOUT 3/8" DOWN ON BOTH SIDES.JUST TAKE YOUR TIME. AND JUsT SLIGHTLY

NARROW THE BOTTOM OF THE "V" notches.

Jim/PA

Sailors

Edited January 23, 2009 by jjanglin

[hdgun]

IF YA ALL USE MAGS FROM eaa DO NOT MOVE THE MAG CATCH HOLE UP OR DOWN

YOU HAVE TO REMOVE METAL FROM THE TOP OF THE MAG TO MATCH THE CUT ON THE CASPIAN MAG

MESSING WITH THE MAG CATCH HOLE WILL JUST DRIVE YA NUTS CAUSE MOVING IT UP OR DOWN

DOESTN GET THE MAG WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE FRAME.

YOU HAVE TO GET THE SECOND ROUND OVER UNDER THE FIRST (TOP) ROUND SO THE TOP ROUND

HAS SUPPORT TO KEEP IT FROM NOSE DIVEING, THIS APPLIES TO MOST NOSE DIVING PROBLEMS

ON HI CAP STUFF.

THIS MAY REQUIRE YOU TO NARROW THE MAG IN THE AREA OF THE V NOTCH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE

MAG. THIS IS A TRAIL AND ERROR TYPE OPERATION AND YOU MAY RUIN A MAG OR 2 OR 3 GETTING IT JUST

RIGHT.

THE WAY I DO THIS IS I GET A ROUND PIECE OF METAL THE EXact SHAPE AS THE INSIDE OF THE MAG

LIP TO SIMULATE A ROUND BEING IN PLACE. I TAKE TWO ROUND PIECES OF NYLON AND TAPE THESE IN THE V NOTCH ON BOTH SIDE OF THE MAG THESE ARE ABOUT 1/4" DIAMETER

I THEN PUT TENSION ON THE SIDES OF THE MAG AGAINST THE TWO TAPED ROUND NYLON PIECES AND NOW I TAKE A "C "CLAMP AND CLAMP TWO PIECES OF

METEL = CLAMP THESE ON THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE MAG just enough to keep the mag from bulging

and force the mag to narrow with tension on the vise, DO ALITTLE AT A TIME TILL YOU CAN PUT 14 15 ROUNDS IN THE

MAG AND SEE THAT THE SECOND ROUND IS OVER UNDER THE FIRST ROUND.

WHAT YA ARE TRYING TO GET IS A MAG THAT LOOKS SORTA LIKE AN STI THEY HAVE AN OBVIOUS

CREASE FROM THE OUTSIDE ABOUT 3/8" DOWN ON BOTH SIDES.JUST TAKE YOUR TIME. AND JUsT SLIGHTLY

NARROW THE BOTTOM OF THE "V" notches.

Jim/PA

Sailors

Wish I saw this before I screwed up a mag!!!

Thanks for the great info Jim.

[rz317]

I have a Caspian Hi-Cap Limited gun in both 9mm and .40.

For 9mm, I use OEM Caspian 9mm/.38 Super magazines, springs and followers, and add an EGW +2 basepad. By cutting out the dimples on either side of the mag and modifying the follower, I achieve 22+1. That's easily 21 rounds reloadable, and on some of them, 22 reloadable.

For .40, the new factory Caspian .40 mags/basepads + Grams STI springs/followers I'm able to achieve 21+1 (20 rounds reloadable). I had to bend the Grams spring a tad so that the follower sits on an angle and doesn't pop out of the lips. I haven't tried the Grams followers designed for EAA yet.

Before the Caspian tubes were available, I had my best luck with Tanfoglio tubes which I had to fit in the gun with CPMI basepads, shaved down to fit the gauge. This combo + Grams I can achieve 21+1 (21 rounds reloadable). The CPMI must offer just a hair more internal volume, with a tweaked spring, it seems like a 21.5 round mag, but I've never been able to get 22 to function. I'd like to experiment with a Bolen spring/follower with this mag to see if I can get 22 in the mag.

I use an EGW undersized die, on all my reloads, and find it an absolute must. Without it, the rounds will start to nosedive, regardless.

Another mod that has increased my reliability with my .40 mags is to shorten the front of the mag, closest to the feedramp with a Dremel cut-off disk. I take it down about the width of a disk. This gives an extra little bit of clearance, in case of a nosedive. I also bevel the inner side of this cut to encourage a ramping up.

Hope this helps,

Ryan