Vetting a carry mag?

[ST911]

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.

Unless nerding out on them, I mostly just put them through a practice session. If they work, GTG. For more...

A new, standard config OEM mag from a well established model- Nothing specific, if no issues through a practice session it's GTG. Think G19.

Anything else, new model gun, new model mag, modified mag- Verify hold open empty, shoot with 1 round, shoot with 4-5 rounds (where rounds transition from double to single stack or can bridge), shoot with full capacity. Also, using the same capacity intervals, try with cartridges of different OALs and bullet profiles.

[fatdog]

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

It was one gun/ammo species as I recall. Although I believe a significant alteration to the magazine creates an entirely "new gun" by my way of thinking. Especially anything that changes spring pressure or feed angle because it can change the cycling and feed characteristics in some way.

[Elwin]

I know it’s not a 1911, but if you’re really wanting to vet a mag you may try the Hilton Yam/10-8 feedway test. It has the advantage of using rounds more than once, because the feedway test doesn’t necessarily involve firing them and you can then use those rounds again for live fire testing.

[1Rangemaster]

I liked @ST911 method above with carry ammo; one round out of mag, see if it feeds and locks back after firing. Then 4-5 rounds of carry. You have much more experience than I do, but I would not go with any mag out of an OEM configuration; YMMV. It’s my opinion that in a “civilian” context, 10/11 rounds ALMOST always will be sufficient-again, MY opinion.
I have dedicated carry mags I rotate every 6 months(Glock). In the Glock Armorer course they teach to take an empty mag, insert and cycle the slide hard. If the slide stop lever is fully engaged, the spring is good to go. New mags should fall free. I’ll take a new mag, load to capacity with good practice ammo, and shoot one handed(both hands) to “compass points”: straight up, left, right and upside down. Got that from Walt Rauch(RIP). If it gets though that, I’m ok with it, and just for carry, one round download as GJM mentioned.
All that, pretty good to go for me. If it stutters at biannual qual, new mag.
Best of luck

[Mike C]

My experience mirrors GJM in that mag guts were unreliable, at least with other platforms. I have noticed specifically with some of my XL mags that if left loaded to capacity and stuffed in the gun for a period over 1 week or longer it seemed to severely weaken the magazines ability to keep the nose of the next round proud. It is really noticeable while hand cycling them out of the mag. I realize this is not the same thing as live fire and I have not had a single malfunction that I can recall at this time with regards to function but I do believe they are somewhat on the edge as GJM mentioned. I'm just leery of messing with the springs and capacity on a gun that is already pretty so close to a G19 in terms of capacity, one that has proven itself to be very, very reliable with factory mags.

Currently I don't download, but can see why one might. My mags are loaded to capacity and I do not top off my gun as in, "duty ready." But I suppose there have been zero issues and do see why one would top off. I would/do opt for 11+1 with a spare 15 round mag in lieu of a boogered up mag with aftermarket parts that do not have reliable track record vs the factory mags and springs. If you're going to vet some of the Mag Guts regardless I would leave a mag topped off and stuffed in the gun for a few weeks, then apply the dutch "dutch load" over a few cycles as recommended by fatdog which sounds like an excellent idea. After that I'd include that same 150-200 rounds of exact loading as recommended by MAS.

If it runs I probably wouldn't feel too bad about the mag. Though I would likely go a step further and see if it made it through a few months as a training mag to get cycles on the spring and see how the follower holds up/continues to work as intended. I found in the past that the mag guts followers easily slip past the mag body when empty. I just don't like follower designs that don't sit well and deep below the mag body to provide stability during movement/feeding. With the way the P365 series mag tapers this would be a concern for me. Sorry for the long winded post.

[1Rangemaster]

Add to mine above: I only download double column mags-17s, 19s and the rarely carried G21. If I carry my relatively new to me 43X, then it’s a 10 round OEM in the gun, reload on off side.
I’ll run a 26 with a + baseplate full (12) in the gun, 19/17 mag reload. Again, I’m leery of aftermarket extensions-YMMV.

Edit: mags are “consumables”-nothing wrong with having several.

[Navin Johnson]

Odds are you'll never be in a gunfight so don't worry about it.

I've always found an extra magazine solved my capacity insecurity.

If one believes they need x amount of rounds on board then purchase a firearm that is designed to carry x amount of rounds.

OEM magazines are designed to be reliable or people won't buy the gun.

Aftermarket magazines that increase capacity are designed to sell magazines for people seeking hardware solutions.

If it were me and I had to modify a factory part for a defensive tool I would like to run those magazines for several months in training or competition use

YMMV

[vcdgrips]

My comment in brackets and bold, not yelling.

NJ says:

Odds are you'll never be in a gunfight so don't worry about it.

[This tends to be an odds v. stakes kind of place. Odds are of little comfort when you are the notable exception. THe profile of the OP might bump up the "odds" a bit. The folks the OP trains certainly have higher odds.]


I've always found an extra magazine solved my capacity insecurity.

[False choice argument. One can easily have increased capacity and an extra magazine.]


If one believes they need x amount of rounds on board then purchase a firearm that is designed to carry x amount of rounds.

[Certainly a valid point. Having said that, given that the OP is a professional trainer with clients who may be contemplating this course, his first hand experience has value in creating knowledge.]

OEM magazines are designed to be reliable or people won't buy the gun.

[Multiple generations of STI and Para guns with their OEM mags were never remotely reliable yet folks bought the guns.]

Aftermarket magazines that increase capacity are designed to sell magazines for people seeking hardware solutions.

[Absolutely not true in the 1911 and BHP contexts for sure. This is an evolving area in the G43/48 P365 contexts. The OP's work in this area would be very valuable to the larger community.]

Tell us who you are and what you do again?

[Navin Johnson]

My comment in brackets and bold, not yelling.

NJ says:

Odds are you'll never be in a gunfight so don't worry about it.

[This tends to be an odds v. stakes kind of place. Odds are of little comfort when you are the notable exception. THe profile of the OP might bump up the "odds" a bit. The folks the OP trains certainly have higher odds.]


I've always found an extra magazine solved my capacity insecurity.

[False choice argument. One can easily have increased capacity and an extra magazine.]


If one believes they need x amount of rounds on board then purchase a firearm that is designed to carry x amount of rounds.

[Certainly a valid point. Having said that, given that the OP is a professional trainer with clients who may be contemplating this course, his first hand experience has value in creating knowledge.]

OEM magazines are designed to be reliable or people won't buy the gun.

[Multiple generations of STI and Para guns with their OEM mags were never remotely reliable yet folks bought the guns.]

Aftermarket magazines that increase capacity are designed to sell magazines for people seeking hardware solutions.

[Absolutely not true in the 1911 and BHP contexts for sure. This is an evolving area in the G43/48 P365 contexts. The OP's work in this area would be very valuable to the larger community.]

Tell us who you are and what you do again?

I am a forum member who reads far more than he posts. (When I post I don't to it in the third person). I take in what the SME's say/suggest. I use the search function when possible. And am always amazed at how many times the same subject (.380, aftermarket mags or mods to mags, pump shotguns vs autos, 10mm boutique loads and if they function etc.) comes up.

Curious, other than the first sentence in my post (obviously sarcastic but still some truth no?) what advice would you give differently to someone whom wants to modify the most variable and sensitive part (with parts with no real track record) of a semi-auto firearm that could be used for rescue?

[D-der]

I initially bought a single +2 MG kit for my XL, ran 200+rd's
through it as a practice mag, then 50rd's of 124gr HST (my carry),
I loaded partial mag's, full, ran it slow and fast, everything fed and
functioned with zero problems including, through slide lock.
After these results, i picked up a second MG and have had the same
results, now I carry one in the gun and one as back up..Several times
I've run through a full carry mag of 124gr HST's after loaded for weeks
with no malfunctions,
I'll continue to shoot a carry mag once in a while, if I ever have a problem,
I'll ditch em both to range use.
I've got 10000rd's through a 365 and 2 XL's with no malfunctions of any
kind, we'll see if a Mag Gut's causes the first one