max oal for 9mm sti mags w/spacer

[tk4]

What is the max oal I could load in 9mm sti 2011 mags with spacers and still be reliable?

Thanks.

[JThompson]

What is the max oal I could load in 9mm sti 2011 mags with spacers and still be reliable?

Thanks.

HSmith runs his very long, but he doesn't run spacers.

I like mine around 1.160-1.170. That's not to say you could go a bit more. Load a few in the mags and put some pressure on the front of the round to bring it level. Look and see how much clearance you have before the nose of the round hits the front of the tube. Different bullets will have a different max OAL.

[HSMITH]

1.165" MAX.

[SLM]

1.165" MAX.

That's what Bevin Grams himself told me also as I have one of his tuned STI mags with spacers.

As 1.165" is the agreed upon max length I will not post what I length I use.

[Rptstoy1]

1.155 to 1.160 using MG 124 gr. CMJ, Brazos custom mags , Hardy steel spacers, Grams internals and Dawson basepads.

[JThompson]

1.165" MAX.

That's what Bevin Grams himself told me also as I have one of his tuned STI mags with spacers.

As 1.165" is the agreed upon max length I will not post what I length I use.

I had a die come loose and loaded some to 1.175 and they ran fine in my STI. How long do you load yours?

[Hi-Power Jack]

I'm new at this, but I have run a few thousand at

1.195" OAL and they seem to run fine, except that

every once in a while, I get a stove pipe.

What happens if you run over 1.165"?

[lcs]

I'm new at this, but I have run a few thousand at

1.195" OAL and they seem to run fine, except that

every once in a while, I get a stove pipe.

What happens if you run over 1.165"?

I used Bevan's tuned 170 with steel spacers (welded in) for a long time. I have now gone to SVI without spaces to be able to load longer.

To answer your question "What happens if you run over 1.165" ---You risk a nose down jam in the mag and other feed issues. Yes, you may get by a few times without incident, but STI mags without spacers and loading incorrectly with spacers will bite you.

Like JThompson I have had the die come loose and run some about 1.172-1.175 without incident.

If you are running spacers heed Bevan's advice. There is also a problem with feed lip design on STI mags running 9s. That is the main reason for spacers if I remember Bevan's advice correctly.

Edited for "memory fade"

Whoops see Bevan's answer below. Was not the feed lips, but the "forward spacing control groves". My bad!

I can tell you his mag ran 100% and held 29.

Edited August 18, 2008 by FullRace

[TeamGE]

I just have to chime in here and set some quotes and info straight.

First off, I have always recommended a max over-all-length for 9x19 of 1.175", for a STI mag with spacer plate installed. You can have a variance of +or- .005" on this measurement. This measurement is allowing for the variance in manufacturing tolerances of the tubes themselves. This is in no way meant to say it is the best for your gun, it is just the max that will fit inside the mag without having problems. Any particular gun can be tuned to run on much shorter factory length ammo for that matter, but in the most part, the longer the better for powder volume and making major power factor. Running an OAL between 1.160" and 1.175 usually works for everyone, in the average off the self mag tube with spacer plate installed.

The reason for spacer plates in the STI mag for 9x19 has been covered many times before, but I will cover it again. The forward spacing control grooves of the STI .38 mag tube are too far forward for the 9x19, and will not make contact with the case mouth of the 9x19 case, thus not controlling the double stack column of ammo correctly. This condition allows the double stack to splay outward, causing nose dives and extra friction. A spacer plate installed in the tube will push the ammo forward, enough to make the case mouth touch the forward spacing control grooves, thus the ammo stacks and feeds correctly.

If anyone has anymore questions, please do not hesitate to call.

[JThompson]

I just have to chime in here and set some quotes and info straight.

First off, I have always recommended a max over-all-length for 9x19 of 1.175", for a STI mag with spacer plate installed. You can have a variance of +or- .005" on this measurement. This measurement is allowing for the variance in manufacturing tolerances of the tubes themselves. This is in no way meant to say it is the best for your gun, it is just the max that will fit inside the mag without having problems. Any particular gun can be tuned to run on much shorter factory length ammo for that matter, but in the most part, the longer the better for powder volume and making major power factor. Running an OAL between 1.160" and 1.175 usually works for everyone, in the average off the self mag tube with spacer plate installed.

The reason for spacer plates in the STI mag for 9x19 has been covered many times before, but I will cover it again. The forward spacing control grooves of the STI .38 mag tube are too far forward for the 9x19, and will not make contact with the case mouth of the 9x19 case, thus not controlling the double stack column of ammo correctly. This condition allows the double stack to splay outward, causing nose dives and extra friction. A spacer plate installed in the tube will push the ammo forward, enough to make the case mouth touch the forward spacing control grooves, thus the ammo stacks and feeds correctly.

If anyone has anymore questions, please do not hesitate to call.

What Mr. Grams said...