CZ Magazine disassembled on aggressive reload

[Bucky]

OK, for the second time this happened to me. The first time, I couldn’t 100% confirm that the magazines was assembled properly (but pretty sure). The second time, I’m positive.

Gun: CZ Shadow 2
Magazine: Factory 9mm / .40 combo mag loaded with 10 rounds of 9mm.

Scenario: Agressive / unexpected slide lock reload in USPSA match.

I can slam a magazine pretty good. (Old school single stack .38 super shooter). What I think is happening is, the momentum is bouncing the retaining plate enough to unlock, and then the base plate is sliding off. Since the magazine isn’t fully loaded, there is less spring tension on the retainer.

1. Anyone else experience this?
2. Ideas for resolution?
- stronger mag springs?
- different magazines?
- different base plate?

TIA.

[YVK]

CZ mags with OEM baseplates are known to lose their guts in inopportune moments. I'd start with replacing the baseplates.

[Bucky]

CZ mags with OEM baseplates are known to lose their guts in inopportune moments. I'd start with replacing the baseplates.

Ah, so it’s a known thing? Thanks for confirming.

I have 6 10 round MecGars I bought for use in NJ. Are they known to have issues? Maybe i should switch to them full time, since I can only load 10 anyway?

[Duelist]

Ah, so it’s a known thing? Thanks for confirming.

I have 6 10 round MecGars I bought for use in NJ. Are they known to have issues? Maybe i should switch to them full time, since I can only load 10 anyway?

WHen I ran a CZ, I used factory or MecGar 10s for matches that limited capacity. I’m not nearly as aggressive a loader as I expect you are, but they always worked perfectly.

[Alpha Sierra]

CZ mags with OEM baseplates are known to lose their guts in inopportune moments. I'd start with replacing the baseplates.

The ones with the OEM rubber-covered base plate don't disassemble themselves no matter how hard I slam them into the gun. I wouldn't know about the ones with the bare metal baseplates as I change those out for the rubber covered ones stat.

[Clusterfrack]

I use Springer base pads and aluminum inserts for Production.

https://shop.springerprecision.com/SP-EZ-CZ-9mm-base-pads-17-round-magazines-Canik-TP9V2-EAA-SF-SP0309.htm

https://shop.springerprecision.com/Springer-Precision-CZ-75-Competition-Magazine-Retainer-Plate-SP0324.htm

[YVK]

The ones with the OEM rubber-covered base plate don't disassemble themselves no matter how hard I slam them into the gun. I wouldn't know about the ones with the bare metal baseplates as I change those out for the rubber covered ones stat.

I've seen those totally disassemble themselves when dropped on a soft ground during reloads. A local GM dude had to finish his first production match with a CZ Accu with 3 mags several years ago because our entire squad couldn't find his retaining plates. I've not seen them fall apart on reloads but I've had to tap back my flat mag plates occasionally.

[Alpha Sierra]

I've seen those totally disassemble themselves when dropped on a soft ground during reloads.

It is entirely possible that the people you've seen that happen to have not reassembled them correctly. I know because I've done it, but I find out before putting them back in service after cleaning . The stud on the plate that hooks the spring at the bottom sometimes appears to be seated in the base plate's hole but it really isn't. Sticking a pin in the hole and wiggling the stud will confirm if it really is seated or not. Final check is to give them some good tugs in all directions. No different than function checking the pistol after putting it back together.

The Mecgars I have with the hard plastic baseplate never fail to have the stud click into the base plate correctly.

I've been using CZ pistols since probably 2013 or so and have dropped all my mags (half of which are Mecgars the other half OEM) hundreds of times on every sort of surface from concrete to mud and at every speed from standing still to a dead run. I haven't had this problem one single time yet.

[Bucky]

Final check is to give them some good tugs in all directions. No different than function checking the pistol after putting it back together.


This is what I’ve been doing after the first incident, but it still managed to happen. After it did, I considered the issue to be related to the factory magazine. Being I had 3 factory and 3 real cap MecGar magazines on me, I rotated one factory to start, and put the other two at the back end of the belt, ensuring all my reloads would be with the MecGars. There were no further incidents.

BTW, aren’t the factory magazines also made by MecGar?

I’m thinking at this point of just using the 6 10 round magazines I have full time, and just throw an extra 17 in the bag as a starter mag, when allowed by law. My thoughts are this:

1. Unlike, say, Glock, the 10 round MecGar CZ mags are just as good, just as easy to load as the 17.
2. Will be easy to keep track of, ensure functionality, since I won’t need to switch back and forth every other match.
3. If I do invest in aftermarket mag parts (the Springer stuff suggested by CF looks nice), I’m upgrading 6 magazines, rather than 12.

[Bucky]

Also, thanks for the replies and suggestions thus far. :)

[Alpha Sierra]

This is what I’ve been doing after the first incident, but it still managed to happen.

I wouldn't toss the factory mags in the trash/junk pile. Just use some kind of pin to wiggle the stud on the spring plate to make sure it really is all the way into the hole in the base plate. If it is, you won't be able to slide the base plate off no matter how hard you push on it.

I'm going to take another look at them tonight to see if I can ID any other way to assemble them incorrectly.

As is almost always the case, user error tends to be the most common cause of these types of issues.

[Alpha Sierra]

BTW, aren’t the factory magazines also made by MecGar?

I think they are, but they are not MecGar's design. They are CZ's design.

The MecGar branded magazines have a different baseplate design, as you probably noticed.

[Bucky]

I wouldn't toss the factory mags in the trash/junk pile. Just use some kind of pin to wiggle the stud on the spring plate to make sure it really is all the way into the hole in the base plate. If it is, you won't be able to slide the base plate off no matter how hard you push on it.

I'm going to take another look at them tonight to see if I can ID any other way to assemble them incorrectly.

As is almost always the case, user error tends to be the most common cause of these types of issues.

I tugged on them hard to insure they were installed correctly. I think this might be what happened. I slammed the magazine really hard. Inertia may have "bounced" the retainer, at the same time the angle of insertion slid the pad off (man, that sounds like some romance novel dialog!). Since the 17 round magazine only had 10 rounds, there isn't as much pressure pushing the retainer into the base pad, as there would be if the magazine was fully loaded.

Lets put it this way, when I was shooting Berettas, I went away from the factory "bumper" pads because I broke so many of them. :eek:

[Bucky]

I think they are, but they are not MecGar's design. They are CZ's design.

The MecGar branded magazines have a different baseplate design, as you probably noticed.

I never really took a close look. I'll have to check later if this work day ever ends. :(

[Alpha Sierra]

Try as I might I could not make any of my CZ mags come apart on the drop