Vetting a carry mag?

[SouthNarc]

So I've installed the Mag Guts +2 spring kit on my 365XL for a carry mag as I like the idea of 14 rounds in the mag of that little gun.

Do you guys have a process or number for vetting a carry mag? Like 100 cycles of carry ammo and good to go or something like that? I'm curious what the gun nerd standards are for this.

[fatdog]

I am interested to hear the replies here, but I get focused on ammo. One thing I do with a new type of mag/gun combo in order to trust it is load diverse feed profile stuff in the same mag about 3 cycles to see if some bullet form factor, nose, ogive, etc. is going to have a problem feeding that I may only observe as more sluggish feeding.

I have found that to be a thing, where I will get a warning of something that is going to hang on that particular feed ramp/feed angle/spring pressure/bullet nose/feed lips interaction happens. More than once it has told me "this magazine is not going to feed that stuff with this barrel ramp". I told me either by absolutely hanging, failure to go into battery, but more often just abnormally slower going into battery with a particular round.

I think you really have to worry that a mag that feeds round nose hardball readily for dozens of cycles and hundreds of rounds can start immediately having problems when it gets a different bullet profile or just different OAL. Since I run 147 or 124gr+P Gold dots or HST exclusively, a big mix of those is going to be a test to see if any have a problem of any sort. Mas many times in classes years ago emphasized 200 rounds of the exact ammo you intend to carry without a single problem as the test. I still do that, and never with a freshly cleaned gun.

[Sal Picante]

So I've installed the Mag Guts +2 spring kit on my 365XL for a carry mag as I like the idea of 14 rounds in the mag of that little gun.

Do you guys have a process or number for vetting a carry mag? Like 100 cycles of carry ammo and good to go or something like that? I'm curious what the gun nerd standards are for this.

I shoot it in a practice session (USPSA crap) with some practice ammo ~200-500 rounds. Just trying to see if it has any internal "hang-ups" or snags. If it works there, I'll run 1 entire magazine of defensive ammo (sigh expensive) through it to make sure it feeds/works with the gun/magazine combo.

Then I load them up and pretty much forget about them...

(Edit: I should mention that this is for a Beretta 92... They feed pretty reliably, and I'm more worried about the extendo/spring/magazine interface... )

[SouthNarc]

I shoot it in a practice session (USPSA crap) with some practice ammo ~200-500 rounds. Just trying to see if it has any internal "hang-ups" or snags. If it works there, I'll run 1 entire magazine of defensive ammo (sigh expensive) through it to make sure it feeds/works with the gun/magazine combo.

Then I load them up and pretty much forget about them...

So...2-500 rounds through the same mag? Thats a huge pain in the ass for a 14 round magazine.

[SouthNarc]

I am interested to hear the replies here, but I get focused on ammo. One thing I do with a new type of mag/gun combo in order to trust it is load diverse feed profile stuff in the same mag about 3 cycles to see if some bullet form factor, nose, ogive, etc. is going to have a problem feeding that I may only observe as more sluggish feeding.

I have found that to be a thing, where I will get a warning of something that is going to hang on that particular feed ramp/feed angle/spring pressure/bullet nose/feed lips interaction happens. More than once it has told me "this magazine is not going to feed that stuff with this barrel ramp". I told me either by absolutely hanging, failure to go into battery, but more often just abnormally slower going into battery with a particular round.

I think you really have to worry that a mag that feeds round nose hardball readily for dozens of cycles and hundreds of rounds can start immediately having problems when it gets a different bullet profile or just different OAL. Since I run 147 or 124gr+P Gold dots or HST exclusively, a big mix of those is going to be a test to see if any have a problem of any sort. Mas many times in classes years ago emphasized 200 rounds of the exact ammo you intend to carry without a single problem as the test. I still do that, and never with a freshly cleaned gun.

"Dutch-loading" a variety of ammo in the same mag is an interesting idea buddy.

So when Mas gives the 200 round number is that specific to a single magazine? Or just a gun/ammo carry standard?

[BehindBlueI's]

The only 'new mag' issues I have ever had have showed up very quickly, like 3-5 mags worth of ammo. That said my sample size is *very* small, as I tend to only use OEM mags in OEM configuration for pistols. I don't know how you'd test the durability by analogue vs testing a batch to failure, so I'm useless there as well.

[GJM]

I tried the Mag Guts in a Shield (pre plus), and the combination wasn't reliable. I feel like Sig is pushing capacity in the 365 mags enough, that I would be uncomfortable trying to get more rounds in. I carry my 365 mags down one as it is to making seating the mag easier.

[SeriousStudent]

Hi Craig,

I use the following recipe:

1 full mag of Speer Gold Dot 124-grain +P
1 full mag of Winchester Ranger 147-grain
1 full mag of Speer Gold Dot 147-grain
1 full mag of Federal Syntech 150-grain
1 full mag of Magtech 115-grain

Those five have a wide range of bullet profiles, muzzle velocities and recoil impulse. The first three are my usually carry load, based on what I got a decent price on recently. The last two are my usual training/class rounds.

I will sometimes add the Federal HST 147-grain rounds.

I hope that helps. Looking forward to seeing you next month.

[SouthNarc]

I tried the Mag Guts in a Shield (pre plus), and the combination wasn't reliable. I feel like Sig is pushing capacity in the 365 mags enough, that I would be uncomfortable trying to get more rounds in. I carry my 365 mags down one as it is to making seating the mag easier.

Yeah I'm leery of this kit too and that's why I want to do a good vetting. I've watched several YouTube gun nerd vids on this spring kit and they all seem to like it but they're nerds too so.

[SouthNarc]

Hi Craig,

I use the following recipe:

1 full mag of Speer Gold Dot 124-grain +P
1 full mag of Winchester Ranger 147-grain
1 full mag of Speer Gold Dot 147-grain
1 full mag of Federal Syntech 150-grain
1 full mag of Magtech 115-grain

Those five have a wide range of bullet profiles, muzzle velocities and recoil impulse. The first three are my usually carry load, based on what I got a decent price on recently. The last two are my usual training/class rounds.

I will sometimes add the Federal HST 147-grain rounds.

I hope that helps. Looking forward to seeing you next month.

Thanks Bill!