MODEL 52 MAGAZINES

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BULLSEYEGUY
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:12 am
Location: Bailey, Colorado

MODEL 52 MAGAZINES

Post by BULLSEYEGUY »

I picked up an early mod 52 a month or two ago (came across a deal I couldn't pass up). I was happy to find out that magazines were still available from Smith, so I bought 4 or 5 brand new magazines.
Well, it seems that the new magazines won't feed correctly, and I think I know why... the lips are cut at a much sharper angle (radius) where it releases the cartridge.
I was wondering if anyone has any prior experience with this. My plan was to just duplicate the lip profile of one of the new magazines to the original magazine, and see if that took care of the problem. If it works, I will do that to all of the mags.
I'm afraid that sending them back to the factory will not solve my problem, if their new production is spec'd differently to the old magazine specs. Has anyone had any experience with this before?
I don't shoot it much, I only bought it for the occasional Center Fire match but I want reliable magazines with it.

Thanks!

Brad
BULLSEYEGUY
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:12 am
Location: Bailey, Colorado

oops!

Post by BULLSEYEGUY »

@#$%^!@#$%$#!!!!

Sorry guys, guess I should have put this post in the lounge instead of here.

B :(
diopter
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 11:41 pm
Location: Montreal

Post by diopter »

Oh yes, very familiar.
My brother ordered 6 mags as a gift for me about a year or so ago.
We both have early M52's in in the 508XX range, they are exactly 80 digits apart. Not one of those mags worked as they came. Front lips were too far apart. They need to be turned in to keep the front of the case lower in the magazine. I made a magazine tool per Jim Barta's website for all my mags and used it to correct the lips.
http://home.adelphia.net/~jbarta/magtool.pdf

A worse problem was that all the cross pins holding the magazine followers were too wide for the frame! The pins would move slightly and get caught against both the upper or lower cutouts in the grip frame.

First two rounds were fine, third round would not be moved high enough to be fed out of the magazine due to cross pin getting caught against upper side of cutout. Upon trying to remove the magazine, the cross pin would be caught against the opposite, lower edge of the cut out , jamming the magazine in the frame! Had to reinsert the mag and fish out the third and fourth rounds through the open slide to get the magazine out again.

Had to grind down the cross pins just enough to clear the cutouts and still leave enough of a shoulder on them to ride the magazine slot properly.

All the survivors work fine, at the moment.

Oh yes, one of the lips did cracked along the curved radius.
Last edited by diopter on Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
BULLSEYEGUY
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:12 am
Location: Bailey, Colorado

Post by BULLSEYEGUY »

Diopter,

heyyyyy.....
I forgot about the problem with the mags not coming out of the frame. I had to take a grip panel off to get any of them out.
I think I need to fix that first, then go back and test.....seems to me that the feeding problem MAY have been around round #3.

I'll take it back to the range, and check it out some more.

Thanks for the info!
F. Paul in Denver

Post by F. Paul in Denver »

Brad,

If you need working mags while you resolve your problem, I think I have eight M52 mags who could use a workout. You're welcome to borrow them.

F. Paul in Denver

paul@figlialaw.com
diopter
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 11:41 pm
Location: Montreal

Post by diopter »

Place the mag crosspins in a drill chuck and turn it against a good metal file. Make sure the edges are not sharp (give the ends a slight taper to help re-seat the pins in the middleof the follower). Smooth against a stone before removing from the chuck. Do both sides.

Test it with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 rounds in the magazine.
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