9mm Colt 32rd mag spring too tight

decadude

February 09, 2013 06:31

I have two new colt 32rd mags and the springs are way too tight even with a loader the most I can shove in the mags is now right at 20 bullets. I read somewhere to fill as full as I can get and leave them sit for a very long time. So both of them have 20 bullets in em but not 32.

I am open to suggestions on this one if there is any other better solution i have a loader but the meta piece at 20 will keep popping off and off comes the loader.

These are for colt 6450 ars and are the ones with the Orange followers.

thanks to all who reply

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  rufe-snow

  February 09, 2013 06:49

  Something doesn't sound right. They at one time had 20 round mags for the 9. Are absolutely sure that the mags are 32 rounders? Could it be possible that they have an internal block installed, to specifically limit them to a 20 round capacity?
  
  EDIT #1, Disassemble the new mags and compare with your old ones. See if the springs are the same, or if there is some kind of internal block or limiter. I've had problems loading mags to capacity in the past, but it has only been for 2 or 3 rounds at the very most. Not being able to load the last 12 rounds in a 32 round mag, there has to be a reason?
  
  EDIT #2, Try swapping out the followers and springs from your other 32 round magazines. First disassemble the mags and compare the followers and springs. Then one at a time start exchanging them to see if the full 32 rounds can be loaded. It don't make any sense that you can only get 20 rounds in a 32 round mag.

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  decadude

  February 09, 2013 06:55

  This thing is the same size as my other 32rd mags in length not sure how to tell if there is a block of any kind but the part number is sp62980 and indicates on the package clt magazine 9mm 32rd mag.
  
  Definitely annoying but again the best solution as a good idea I have read on combating really tight magazine springs is just to load it as full as you can get it and let it sit for a long long time and eventually maybe the spring will slowly be less tighter.
  
  I loaded cheap ammo so im not afraid of denting although i did dent one bullet that is how tight this thing is, lol.
  
  just open to maybe other alternatives or maybe if someone knows colt will exchange or something and send something to where the spring is not super tight

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  charliemeyer007

  February 09, 2013 07:12

  Modern (good) spring steel isn't going to relax in your lifetime.
  
  Take the follower out and de-burr the working edges. If there are witness holes in the walls de-them too on the inside of the stick.
  Make sure the spring goes in correctly, some have a top/bottom and a front/back (might be trial and error to figure out), in wrong can cause binding.
  
  Consider making a loader. The M3 "Grease Gun" used a thumb saver to load the sticks.
  
  http://www.keepshooting.com/m3-grease-gun-magazine-loader.html

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  dcs shooters

  February 09, 2013 07:51

  I'd take them apart and check for a block. The 32,s I had loaded to full 32 with out muck trouble.

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  decadude

  February 09, 2013 11:05

  no block i can push the follower all the way to the bottom with a screw driver

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  decadude

  February 09, 2013 11:12

  i may need a better loader the loader i have keeps popping off although it loads the original factory colt mags just not the new type colt mags
  
  not sure how to debur a magazine never done it do you mean get a file or something and file down the inside??

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  Txs

  February 09, 2013 12:54

  A tool is actually unnecessary with a double stack design. Try the old school double stack magazine subgun loading method
  
  Grasp the mag magazine body in your hand and use your thumb to press each round down into the tube. When they become difficult to press down, maintain downward pressure with the thunb as you hit the base of the magazine against your leg.
  
  The inertia of those already loaded round's weight momentarily compresses the spring enough for the next round to snap past the mag lips.

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  decadude

  February 10, 2013 05:38

  using your hands you can do all the beating you want on this thing they wont go down after 20 there is no block....my loader keeps poping off i am going to try to get a grease loader as advertised earlier and maybe this will do the trick

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  competentone

  February 10, 2013 07:04

  quote:Originally posted by decadude
  no block i can push the follower all the way to the bottom with a screw driver
  
  
  Are you saying that you can do that with the spring installed? If that is the case, it's not any issue of spring tension; it's the ammunition you're using.
  
  9mm rounds can vary in overall length (from the tip of the bullet to the bottom of the case) due to differences in bullets. Full metal jacketed heavy bullets (like 124 and 147 grain) can often create a situation, when loaded into 9mm cases, where the overall length of the round is so long, that significant drag starts to occur (between the front and rear surfaces of the magazine) if they are loaded into an extended-capacity magazine. The dragging creates problems loading and can also create problems when feeding rounds into the chamber (the drag slows the round and it doesn't rise quick enough to the top of the magazine for it to be stripped by the bolt/slide).
  
  If you suspect this might be the problem, I'd suggest trying some 115 grain hollow-point ammunition -- that bullet weight will normally result in the shortest overall length for 9mm ammunition loaded with it (but there can still be variations among different manufacturers).
  
  115 grain bullets is probably the best too if shooting 9mm in a carbine (16+ inch barrel). The longer barrel will create higher velocities and energy than what you'd get out of a handgun, but only with lighter bullets and/or heavier powder loads. Heavier bullets, particularly 147 grain, can result in a situation where the powder will all burn before the bullet reaches the end of the barrel. This results in the bullet "coasting" inside the barrel -- where it is under significant drag; you then end up getting substantially less velocity and energy from the round than if it was fired out of a shorter-barreled handgun.
  
  So from a ballistics perspective, you have to choose a 9mm round carefully when shooting it from a 9mm carbine.

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  decadude

  February 10, 2013 15:15

  I am using 115 grain FMJ rounds to try to load the black follower originals work without issue i have purchased another reloader a cammenga i will provide feedback the lula loader keeps popping off the clip

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