If you shoot your firearms regularly, you probably clean them after every trip to the range. But what about your magazines? They are often neglected. This can affect a magazine’s reliability and is a frequent cause of malfunctions. If you want to keep your Beretta 9mm firing without failures to feed, it is time to learn how to maintain your magazines. Here are a few tips to help.
The Anatomy of a Mag
A general mag, whether for a pistol or rifle, is usually comprised of a spring, base plate, and follower inside a housing. The base plate keeps everything in place, giving the proper spring tension on the follower. The follower pushes ammo up and into the firearm, usually through feed lips at the top of the housing that keep the ammo in the mag until ready. When empty, the follower engages a slide on most firearms, locking a slide or bolt back.
Identifying Your Mags
It is a good idea to identify and label your mags. Number them, put initials, or make marks to distinguish each magazine. You can keep track of the history of each mag’s performance in a logbook. For example, you can note stoppages and when you replace specific parts. If one magazine works perfectly with your DPMS AR 15 but not another, it is likely a problem with a single mag. It might be a problem with the firearm if it happens across all of your mags.
Disassembling and Cleaning
Most mags will have a floor plate or retention tab that needs to be pushed into the body of the mag. Most are easy to remove, though there are some exceptions. Your Glock 35, for example, will have a tough mag to open. Glock mags have teeth in the base plate. You will want to use a special tool that helps open the base plate. Once disassembled, cleaning the mag is not much different from cleaning your firearm. You should not need lube or oil, however.
Checking for Damage
Finally, check for damage. Magazines are disposable, so they will eventually break. There could be dents or cracks, especially if you drop them to the ground while reloading. Dents can hamper the function of the mag as ammo hits the dent. Cracks can and will break the mag apart. Feed lips can be bent or cracked, and bent feed lips are a common cause of malfunctions. Base pads can crack around the slot or cutout for the body of the mag. Check the follower for any chips or breaks. Springs can lose their strength, and the more it is then used, the faster a spring will wear out. It is worth noting that springs will not wear out if you leave a mag loaded, only when they are constantly used. Replace parts or entire mags as necessary.
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Original Source: https://bit.ly/3KubFkJ
