Keep your magazines clean!

[loingrader]

I had an odd occurence with one of my magazines today and while the risk must be very low, I thought I would share my experience.

I bought a CM9 new last July and carry it daily. Other than it not getting along well with my 8 round magazine, it has worked flawlessly from day 1. I carry a spare 6 round mag in my front pocket in a nice leather Beardog mag holder to keep the first round securely in place. I try to shoot a minimum of 50 rounds thru my CM9 per month which is typically at an AR400 steel IDPA size target I made. I practice many things, one of them being quick reloads with the extra mag in my pocket. I clean my gun after every "range" session but until today, would only clean my mags once every few months.

I decided to start carrying my CW9 and so this morning I emptied my CM9 and put it in the gunsafe. I pulled the mag holder off my spare 6 round mag and when I did, the first round FELL OUT. I tipped the mag over and 3 more rounds fell out and the last 2 rounds were just loose too. When I removed all 6 rounds, the magazine follower was stuck at the location it would be in if there were 4 rounds in the magazine. I tapped the mag a bit but the follower was stuck fast. I removed the floor plate and spring and discovered a large grain of sand had jammed between the follower and the inside of the magazine. The magazine was otherwise pretty clean on the inside. The grain of sand must have entered when I had dropped the mag on the grass while practicing reloads.

If I would have drawn my weapon in self defense, fired the 6+1 and then reloaded with my backup magazine I have no doubt that the second mag would have resulted in a jam because of the stuck follower. It was no fault of the gun, as my lack of cleaning and inspection allowed the grain of sand in there, but it certainly woke me up to the importance of cleaning the mags too after a range session.

I can't be the only guy who owns a Kahr that drops mags on the grass and neglects to clean them afterwards. Thought I would share my experience and hopefully prevent someone else from making the same, potentially very costly, mistake.

-Bret

[BEARDOG]

Hi Bret,
Thanks for posting this info that is excellent advice on keeping the mags clean.
You probably already did this... but make sure there isn't any other debris down in the mag holder as well.

I do the same thing, run my CM9 dropping my empty 6rd carry mag in the grass and reloading with my spare 7rd'er.
Just cleaned the gun yesterday actually... but not the mags! Now I will make that part of my cleaning SOP everytime now.

I have a similar story, but its about my H.D. shotgun.
So last week I went up to the mountains an decided to take the Mossberg 590 along as it has been a while since I shot it. So I started to rack the shells out of the tube to empty it to pack it in a case, and when I did I found that the shells were stuck and would not come out!!!
I knew right away what it was... last winter I finally found a nice way to mount a flashlight on the beast and that mount has a ring that clamps around the mag tube. I had it just tight enough to keep the follower from moving freely. I loosened it very slightly and that fixed it right up... But that gun sat beside my bed all winter with me thinking it was ready, but it was not. Another lesson learned.

[downtownv]

Any tips on cleaning mags?
Spray cleaning?
Lube tips?
Thanks.

[magtf388]

A dry cloth and NO oil. wipe them down and use a clean tooth brush w/out oil on the follower.

NO Oil...did i say NO Oil...??

[downtownv]

A dry cloth and NO oil. wipe them down and use a clean tooth brush w/out oil on the follower.

NO Oil...did i say NO Oil...??

Rodger, that! Thanks!:)

[garyb]

Any tips on cleaning mags?
Spray cleaning?
Lube tips?
Thanks.

I've wiped them clean (with a little of any gun cleaner),....making sure they get dried off good. Then I follow up by applying a good floor "paste wax" and wipe it down good again. I don't leave any wet wax, but wipe them clean and dry again. Paste wax gives a thin coat of protection and to keep things slick. It even helps with the speed of mag drops. Temp will not affect performance as long as you only leave a very thin, dry film on the metal. Wood workers use paste wax on their tool surfaces (table saw, planer and band saw table tops, etc...) to keep the wood sliding smoothly without sticking. It helps fill the open pores of the metal and protects the tools from rust too. Works well on metal table top surfaces and mags. Give it a try and see how you like it. If you don't like it, simply remove it with a little mineral spirits and dry it off good.

[Bawanna]

What he said^^^^^.

I used to clean and oil and then wipe off all the oil. If you clean them once in awhile even a tiny bit of oil isn't the end of the world.

I found with my addiction to Kuhkri's and blades of late which I used to also oil and wipe down that paste wax is a much better approach.
Keeps them shiny and pleasing to the eye but with protection.

I've since went the paste wax routine on my mags as well. Dry is good, dry and slippery is really good.

Used to have an instructor here at the dept obsessed with nothing on mags, fearful that it would penetrate and foul the primers, I then and now call horse pucky. Ain't gonna happen unless the primer was bad when it was installed, especially on factory ammo.

Bottom line, clean the mags and everything else once in a while and you shouldn't have any problems.

[muggsy]

In the world of fine firearms cleanliness is next to Godliness. And if you don't clean your firearm you could be even closer to Godliness, if you get my drift.

[jocko]

those siliconetreated cloths one sees in gun shops does the job of keepin my mags clean and ready to go.

[AIRret]

Great information on the paste wax. Thanks, I'm always learning!

Beardog, my Husbands 12 gauge had the same issued with the light being too tight around the mag tube. Easy fix but a terrible problem if your discovery happens when your life is on the line.
I have a 20 gauge without a light so I've never run into the problem.

[garyb]

Very welcome Airret. The paste wax may even help your mags drop quicker on a mag change....a must for IDPA and tactical operation. Best.

[AIRret]

Garyb, why not use a good auto. paste wax? The car is metal and so are the mags.

[yqtszhj]

those siliconetreated cloths one sees in gun shops does the job of keepin my mags clean and ready to go.

+1 on what Jocko said.

And although jocko wouldn't confess to this if he knew about it since he abstains from .45's, those same cloths do wonders to a parkerized 1911. It makes the black really black once it dries if you're in the rain the water beads on the frame like it's water on a ducks back.

[garyb]

Garyb, why not use a good auto. paste wax? The car is metal and so are the mags.

I can't say that I have an answer for you AIRret. Hmmmm.... Give it a try and see how it works. I know that the floor paste wax works well, but have never tried auto wax. Might work too.

[Bawanna]

I use the car stuff, missed the part about floor wax.

[garyb]

There is your answer AIRret!

[AIRret]

Excellent!

Thanks, all!

[Tinman507]

I've always preferred this:

http://www.zspotdeals.com/jsfcustomcode/img_loc/brazilian_wax_4.jpg

[addictedhealer]

Why no earl on the mags?

[Bawanna]

Why no earl on the mags?

It attracts debris or contaminants. Some fear it will migrate and ruin primers.

I don't subscribe fully to either but more so the attracting debris than the primer thing if I have to subscribe to either.
Again if you clean your mags once or twice a year depending on conditions it really shouldn't matter.
I'm not talking hosing them down with WD40, I'm talking wiping with oil and then basically wiping all the oil off leaving a thin coating. Slippery and some rust protection.

[Bawanna]

I might switch to that Brazilian wax, it looks promising.

[addictedhealer]

It attracts debris or contaminants. Some fear it will migrate and ruin primers.

I don't subscribe fully to either but more so the attracting debris than the primer thing if I have to subscribe to either.
Again if you clean your mags once or twice a year depending on conditions it really shouldn't matter.
I'm not talking hosing them down with WD40, I'm talking wiping with oil and then basically wiping all the oil off leaving a thin coating. Slippery and some rust protection.

Thanks buddy, I am with you. I clean them and put a little spray lube on a paper towel and kinda lightly wipe them down. Just to keep them smooth and rust free.

[garyb]

The thread is about reminding us that when you clean your piece, inspect the mags too. You know the conditions your were in. If your dropping mags in the dirt and mud, inspect them....they probably need a reasonable cleaning. When they need it or occasionally (a couple times a yr.) simply give them a basic cleaning, drying and a very light coat of paste wax (or Brazilian wax...haha) or a light wipe down with a silicone cloth to keep the mags slick and slightly protected....not oiled or greased up....and certainly not clogged up and non functional. Besides... I kind of like the Brazilian wax idea best!

[LorenzoB]

Nice reminder loingrader. Thanks.

[Baklash]

New here and reading a lot of older posts. This one caught my eye. I'm a bit confused though. Do you take the mag apart and spray cleaner inside, then lube inside, or are you just cleaning and lubing the outside or both inside and out?

[muggsy]

Very welcome Airret. The paste wax may even help your mags drop quicker on a mag change....a must for IDPA and tactical operation. Best.

I use Pledge to avoid that waxy build up, Gary. I love the lemon scent. Just kidding. :)

[muggsy]

New here and reading a lot of older posts. This one caught my eye. I'm a bit confused though. Do you take the mag apart and spray cleaner inside, then lube inside, or are you just cleaning and lubing the outside or both inside and out?

Clean inside and outside and don't forget behind the ears. (That advice came from mom.) I don't think that lube is necessary and could attract dust and dirt. A microscopic film of oil is all that is necessary to prevent rust. Paste wax is fine too, but it's a little harder to work with.

[sas PM9]

What kind of container does that Brazilian wax come in?:cool:

-steve