Taylor Freelance HK P30 mag extensions [Archive]

klewis

10-30-2013, 10:57 PM

Chris Rhines

10-31-2013, 08:36 AM

Man, I did not need to see this right now...

YVK

10-31-2013, 08:43 AM

http://shop.taylorfreelance.com/shopping/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=61

Figured there might be some interest, as I know how popular the P30 is around here. Apparently, these were designed for the Border Patrol, so they should be build for hard use. You now know what I know, anyone have more information?

I pre-ordered one a couple of weeks ago. They sent an email recently that the release was being delayed, by a couple of weeks so far, due to some surface finish logistic issues.
They also solicited a feedback whether there would be any interest in a magwell for a P30.

John Ralston

10-31-2013, 10:13 AM

Wish it was black...

Vinh

10-31-2013, 11:28 AM

Definitely interested, hope they have some actual product soon.

TAZ

10-31-2013, 02:35 PM

Definitely interested, hope they have some actual product soon.

Cool. I'd love to see these. Although at this time I'd take some mags as well.

YVK

10-31-2013, 08:35 PM

1884Good timing for a thread, this update from TF came in today

. Just a quick note to bring you up to speed on our HKP30 basepad project.

Since you last heard from me, we've created a hollow ground locking plate (making the magazine drop free more easily), and wrestled with some unexpected problems finding a reasonable facsimile of "Coyote tan".

Surface color is our last barrier, and once we have that solved, we'll be delivering to you. (See sample parts in attached photo.)

Skullybones

10-31-2013, 10:10 PM

I would agree that black anodize would be way less hassle to produce. Probably sell a few more too.

YVK

11-12-2013, 09:50 PM

18931894

Came in today, prelim observations:

It is black. Thank you, TF!
I only got +4, not +5. I don't really care.The accompanying instruction says that filing the follower is sometimes needed and some folks can only get +2 without filing.
Same instruction fails to mention that one needs an Allen wrench to remove locking plate and reinstall it after sliding the extension on.
Said locking plate extends between the mag tube and magwell. One might need a slight bevel on the back of magwell to allow for this. My P30L didnt need it as is, and I already had this area beveled on my P30. Incidentally, this minimal mod makes your gun ineligible for SSP or Production at least in the letter, for those who care.
All 19 rounds cycled normally manually and locked back on empty.
Live fire function report will follow, one day.

1slow

11-12-2013, 11:21 PM

Is the +4 on a 9 mm or a 40?

YVK

11-12-2013, 11:45 PM

9.
As I said, they included an explanation why in some mags the advertised 5 rounds may not happen without filing. After reading it twice, I still didn't understand it.

reilly8282

11-13-2013, 06:53 AM

9.
As I said, they included an explanation why in some mags the advertised 5 rounds may not happen without filing. After reading it twice, I still didn't understand it.

I don't have one of my mags in front of me but, could it possible be the bottom of the follower needs to be filed a little to get more downward travel for the extra round? I would hate to think there is that much discrepancy in all the followers since I would imagine the are a injection molded product.

reilly8282

11-16-2013, 07:27 AM

YVK here is a video just posted last night about the extensions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4rowdWzpzQ

YVK

11-16-2013, 10:15 PM

Thanks, I saw it off of hkpro.
I wouldve thought that making a video why some cant get a +5 wouldve been more relevant than showing how his mag takes all 5, but what do I know...

That said, if it takes that much effort to squeeze all 5 in, I'd stick with 4. I dont often reload with slide in battery but when I do, I dont want to fight it.

Dr. No

11-17-2013, 08:45 AM

I think most folks are going to run into the +2 problem. I talked with Robin a little bit and he sent me the M&P video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cKh_Mqj1rb0

It shows exactly where he modifies the follower, and the same holds true for the P30. It took me about 5 minutes with a hand file and both of mine load easily to 20. I can get 21 in one of them, but that's definitely a tight tight fit and not reloadable.

1slow

11-17-2013, 12:23 PM

Put 10 of the TF +5 HK P30 9mm together last night. All 10 took20 rounds with no modification. In 2 cases I had to lightly tap the mag extension to get it to slide all the way on.
I did this by placing the back of the mag with +5 installed, but with the plate and screws removed, on a flat surface and lightly tapping the front of the extension with a rubber hammer until it was fully seated.

YVK

11-17-2013, 03:01 PM

Dr. No, what you posted explains well what TF meant in an enclosed instruction that came with a P30 extension.

1slow

11-17-2013, 07:14 PM

Shot them today with 115gr FMJ no issues. Loaded chamber from another mag and inserted fully loaded 20 round mags.

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12-19-2013, 04:27 PM

Anyone got an update on these? Been thinking about getting two or three of 'em.

JodyH

12-19-2013, 10:34 PM

Ordered one today to try out on a P2000 9mm magazine.

jehj

12-20-2013, 12:00 AM

I have run them in .40 on P2000 and P30 magazines as reloads for my P2000SK - I did no modifications at all and am getting extra four rounds without issues loading or feeding.

For grins was even able to mate them to an SK magazine and use the P2000 spring to getting a working 13 rd frankenmag. It looked "cool", but I did not like the transition from grip to the extension and moved them back to P30's again.

JodyH

12-20-2013, 12:12 PM

I have run them in .40 on P2000 and P30 magazines as reloads for my P2000SK - I did no modifications at all and am getting extra four rounds without issues loading or feeding.
I'm curious as to whether I'll be able to get +5 out of these on my 9mm P2000 magazines, and if the limiting factor between +4 and +5 on the P2000 is the extra spring coils stacking up vs. a P30 magazine body.
I have a +10% Wolff USP9 15 round mag spring in my box o' parts I may do some experimenting with when my extension gets here, it's considerably longer and stronger than a standard P2000 spring and a few coils longer and slightly stronger than a standard P30 mag spring. That spring might be just the ticket for getting a reliable +5 9mm from the extension on a P2000 mag body.

JodyH

12-23-2013, 12:04 PM

Installed the TF +5 on one of my P2000 9mm magazines today.
I used a Wolff USP9 15 round +10% spring in place of the supplied TF spring.
I'm able to load +5 fairly easily and insert it on a closed slide with a solid palm bump, wouldn't want to go +5 on a in battery reload under stress though because it's too tight for that.
Feeds perfect and locks the slide back on empty.

18+1 9mm will make for a great nightstand pistol and should give me some options when shooting USPSA matches.
:cool:

ffhounddog

12-23-2013, 12:16 PM

Thanks Jody. I am going to have to looking into this. I had a few P30 40SW mags that can hold 16 9mm rounds that have run flawlessly so far in P30 and a P2000sk. I was looking at using the P30 40 mags with the TF +5 and a P2000 mag as a reload for the SK when it can be used.

JodyH

12-23-2013, 01:48 PM

The P2000 +5 with X-grip works in my SK... looks funny (like a Glock 26 with a 17+2 mag) but works just fine.
I'm buying another TF +5 and am going to use it hard (loaded to 18+1) in my range P2000 and see if anything breaks from long term borderline abuse.
For now, on my nightstand P2000 I'm going to load it +4 (17+1) because +5 is a lot of added tension on the mag release.

I can live with 18 rounds of Corbon DPX on tap.
:p

1slow

12-23-2013, 07:05 PM

I have run 10 of them several times each with FMJ function perfectly. They do not drop free in several P30s, I have not filed on the back of the mag well edge yet.

1slow

12-28-2013, 01:22 AM

Update I have run the same 10 TF mag extensions with Winchester Ranger 9mm 127 gr +P+. Ran flawlessly. I tested them through 4 HK P30 9mm LEMs.

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12-30-2013, 06:21 PM

Ordered three, two of them did not want to fit five rounds at first, had to disassemble and reassemble them, maybe it was just the spring (which is supposedly a custom Wolff spring made just for TF).

All three locked back fine using Freedom Munition 115 gr. 9mm; all three also fed Winchester Ranger 147 gr. just fine, too, with the whole 20+1 going. As JodyH noted, a reload with the slide in battery with a fully loaded magazine is far more difficult than it was with the stock set-up. Downloading by one, so that I only get 19 rounds, solves that problem easily, but I'll be sticking with 20 for now, since I don't foresee myself doing tactical reloads very often.

One did not want to drop free, the locking plate (guys at the range think it's actually aluminium rather than a mild steel) wasn't beveled enough, so I took a file to it and thinned it enough so that it would drop free. Doesn't seem to be too much stress on the locking plate in the first place, so I'm not very worried about it, but at the same time, the one I filed was relegated to being a glove box reload.

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01-13-2014, 10:58 PM

I had ordered 3 more, so I have a total of 6 baseplates. The three new ones did not come with the Taylor Freelance logo machined in. I also discovered today a potentially serious shortcoming: the beveled locking plates will bend on you if you drop them on the concrete, preventing the mags from falling free in the future, or even preventing you from being able to reload; this happened to three of my magazines while I was training at the range today. These were empty mags, dropped from normal reloads, so I did not feel that it was abusive in any way. I spoke to Robin over the phone (I think it was Robin, anyways), and he said that he had not heard of this issue before, and that he would be able to send me out some new plates after SHOT; he also stated he had some ideas on how he might be able to rectify that issue. For now, I'd be very careful about where you let the magazines fall.

http://i.imgur.com/Tjlc94Vl.jpg
The middle one is the most obvious one, you can clearly see how it's bent only on one side. The one on the left suffers the same issue, albeit less distinctively. The one on the right is rather even in how it is popped out from the magazine body. You can see more pictures here: http://imgur.com/a/aVGJ8#0

JodyH

01-13-2014, 11:23 PM

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01-13-2014, 11:51 PM

Interesting.
Can you feel any wiggle room in the joint between the magazine body and the extension?
I'm trying to picture how those could bend without there being movement/slop at that joint.
Both of my extensions were very tight going on my magazines, there's zero play at that joint and I haven't had anything bend yet.
Yep, there is definitely wiggle room. There is some play even on the three other mags that are still fine, but it's very minimal, less than what the stock baseplate has, while the screwed up ones are very obvious. They still drop free most of the time when empty (not when full, though), and can still be reloaded most of the time with no issues, but who knows how far out the plates can bend...

JodyH

01-14-2014, 07:56 AM

Are you sure they bent from hitting the ground or are the plates catching on the back of the magwell on insertion?

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01-14-2014, 09:28 AM

Are you sure they bent from hitting the ground or are the plates catching on the back of the magwell on insertion?
Fairly sure, yes. I didn't have this issue until yesterday, when the reloads were hitting the concrete. Before, I had practiced reloads at home (most recently was last Saturday) and in the booth area of the range, which meant the reloads weren't hitting bare concrete, but yesterday, I was in training in front of the booth area, on the range itself.

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01-25-2014, 10:00 PM

Robin sent me two new locking plates to try out, but I didn't get around to testing them until today. Ejected each one once onto the concrete, empty of course, and both had their retaining plate bent just like the prior ones. One was bent enough to not drop free anymore (both dropped free prior to the drop), the other must have landed better 'cause it still did. Dunno what the next step is, gonna see what Robin can think of. If worse comes to worse, I suppose I could always fab some retaining plates myself from a 7075 sheet (Robin stated that these were made from 3031, though I admit I haven't heard of that alloy before) and some Dremeling. I'm quite fond of these plates, but at 40 USD a pop, not sure I'd buy more if I had to fab my own retaining plates.

JodyH

01-25-2014, 10:28 PM

Weird. I'm doing the same thing you are and mine aren't bending at all.

*edit*
I just now took one into the garage and ejected it 4 times onto my cement garage floor and it didn't do anything but scuff the anodizing.

JodyH

01-25-2014, 10:42 PM

The three new ones did not come with the Taylor Freelance logo machined in.
This is strange.
I have 5 TF extensions ordered 1 or 2 at a time every week or two and every one of them has the logo on bottom.
Are the plates bending on the logo'd extensions as well?

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01-26-2014, 03:02 AM

This is strange.
I have 5 TF extensions ordered 1 or 2 at a time every week or two and every one of them has the logo on bottom.
Are the plates bending on the logo'd extensions as well?
Yep, both generations do it. Not sure if you just got a better batch of locking plates or what. I made a short video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHui6C9-NfY

Robin said that he was gonna go shopping for new aluminium tomorrow. Hopefully, it was just a bad batch, and the new batch will solve it. I've seen some people complain about the plate bending before on other forums, IIRC for the M&P and Glock plates, but very isolated incidents compared to the many people that have sworn their stuff is bulletproof.

JodyH

01-26-2014, 10:13 AM

Mine are all on P2000 magazines so there might be a slight difference between them and the P30 mags in dimensions or stiffness or... something?

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01-27-2014, 04:32 PM

Mine are all on P2000 magazines so there might be a slight difference between them and the P30 mags in dimensions or stiffness or... something?
Maybe the extra tension from the 170 mm spring is the cause, since you're just using a Wolff USP spring? I'm kinda curious as to why the use the M&P 170 mm spring when they also have a custom spring for the 140 mm, seems that would be a better fit.

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02-06-2014, 01:13 PM

Talked to Robin today, had several bits of news.

First is the plates. He's going to be switching over to 0.030" thickness stainless steel plates. Didn't ask him the alloy, but I'll trust his judgement on that for now.

Second, the first run of extensions is almost done. He'll be getting a second run in about two more weeks. He was curious as to how people felt about the coyote extensions, as BORTAC needs them to be coyote and they order a lot, so I told him that I was ambivalent about 'em; I'd get a couple of 'em for my cool-guy Multicam ninja kit, but if that meant no more black extensions, then I'd rather just have only blacks and just hit them with Aervoe to get rid of the target indicator black.

Third, they are using 140 mm springs; there was a bit of a miscommunication, and they had thought they accidentally shipped some with the 170.

Finally, they're exploring making a P30 magwell, with the first prototype coming in in about a week or two. Robin said they'd be in between the size of the super lo-pro, like the Sentinel or ALG Glock ones, and the giant competition-only magwells. I'd be interested in one, maybe stick it on my open carry only P30LS (when I get it), but considering how the P30 already seems fairly easy to reload, I'd get one only if the price is right.

JodyH

02-06-2014, 01:32 PM

Talked to Robin today, had several bits of news.

First is the plates. He's going to be switching over to 0.030" thickness stainless steel plates. Didn't ask him the alloy, but I'll trust his judgement on that for now.

Second, the first run of extensions is almost done. He'll be getting a second run in about two more weeks. He was curious as to how people felt about the coyote extensions, as BORTAC needs them to be coyote and they order a lot, so I told him that I was ambivalent about 'em
My latest extension didn't have any engraving on the bottom. I haven't experienced any bent plates, but the sturdier material can't hurt as long as it's not going to interfere with insertion.

I'll pass on coyote extensions, I prefer my guns and mags black.
I'll buy Krylon if I think I need a new exciting color for 2014.

The TF extensions haven't made it down this direction that I've seen.
None of the BORTAC guys I shot the last 3-gun match with were using them (and they'd have been a big advantage in the match).

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02-06-2014, 01:46 PM

The TF extensions haven't made it down this direction that I've seen.
None of the BORTAC guys I shot the last 3-gun match with were using them (and they'd have been a big advantage in the match).
Re-reading the emails, I think Robin meant that the BORTAC guys would be willing to buy a lot, but only if they came in coyote ("For example, Border Patrol wants this floorplate to be "Coyote Tan" to get along with their gear -- and they buy a lot of floorplates"; the tenses are a little ambiguous, I guess). As for his own feelings, he stated that "I'm ambivalent myself, trying to keep the Border Patrol happy without burning everybody else". Guess if you feel that you wouldn't want the coyote, send him an email and let him know.

wrt81

02-06-2014, 01:50 PM

I'll probably pick some of these extensions up soon. Thanks for posting your thoughts on them. Good to hear Robin is tweaking them to improve them. I'd prefer black as well, but coyote wouldn't be a deal breaker or anything.

JodyH

02-06-2014, 02:03 PM

I would prefer the lock plates be black as well instead of raw stainless.

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03-27-2016, 02:50 AM

I would prefer the lock plates be black as well instead of raw stainless.A bit of a necro, but I recently received new locking plates from Robin; he is now shipping the extensions with some kind of spring steel locking plates, which are coated black for corrosion resistance. They're suppose to be a step up in strength compared to the stainless steel locking plates.

Mike C

03-27-2016, 08:23 AM

A bit of a necro, but I recently received new locking plates from Robin; he is now shipping the extensions with some kind of spring steel locking plates, which are coated black for corrosion resistance. They're suppose to be a step up in strength compared to the stainless steel locking plates.

I never had an issue with the aluminum locking plates but really didn't care for them. Always thought he should've used something a little more sturdy. Is it possible to snag a photo? I am interested in having a look at the new plates if you have the time. Thanks.

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03-27-2016, 02:07 PM

I never had an issue with the aluminum locking plates but really didn't care for them. Always thought he should've used something a little more sturdy. Is it possible to snag a photo? I am interested in having a look at the new plates if you have the time. Thanks.They don't really look all that different, besides being a nice matt black.
http://t.imgbox.com/i6k8bTin.jpg (http://i.imgbox.com/i6k8bTin.jpg)
The silver is the old stainless steel. The black one that's not installed is one of the quick-release retainers that Robin sent me 'cause he ran out of solids (I needed 15 plates, Robin sent 12 solid ones and 5 quick-release), the idea is that you can remove the baseplate much faster with those, which can be useful if you're going to try and clean out your mags between stages or whatever. Thickness appears to be the same between the stainless steel and the new spring steel ones.

I was able to bend the beveled aluminum ones with a single drop on the concrete using empty mags (perhaps I was the reason Robin went to the stainless steel locking plates to begin with, since I was in correspondence with him on that issue). The stainless steel ones could still be noticeably bent after repeated drops on concrete while empty.

Mike C

03-27-2016, 09:18 PM

Awesome, thanks for the photos. I didn't realize that they ever upgraded to stainless before the spring steel ones. I'm going to have to buy some of these for my brother as an upgrade since he's still out running around on patrol with these on his duty belt. I am sure he will be happy.

farscott

07-11-2020, 03:12 PM

Bringing this thread back from the dead to ask for reports on long term usage of the TF+5 extensions for the P30. Five of these came on magazines with a P30 upper I just bought and the extra capacity is tempting IF the magazine performance is not compromised. So any updates are appreciated.

Casey

07-12-2020, 01:41 PM

I have a decent amount of these. 5 were installed in mid-2015 to early-2016. These are on my daily carry spare magazines and a set of three I keep in my center console. All were test fired with probably 200ish rounds through them with no issues, and when I refresh my carry ammo annually I test fire them with what was loaded in them for peace of mind.

I have another 16 of them which I placed in service in January 2020 on my dedicated training magazines, which are not treated nicely. This year they have been through three classes (including one where TD1 was non-stop rain) and seen approximately 12,490 rounds fired. I shoot primarily on grass or gravel ranges so they are not getting dropped on concrete or asphalt. I have had zero issues with them. In my P30L they are not all drop-free, which I believe is a tolerance issue between the locking plate and the backside of the magazine well which could be easily mitigated with a little bit of filing. No problems whatsoever with them in any of my VP9s.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50105505052_8f6fcef402_c.jpg