CM45 Flush magazine... I made one!

[BEARDOG]

I finally got around to making myself a flush fit mag for my CM45 today.(as flush as I think I want to go anyway)

I used a 1911 Metalform SS 7rd mag to make it. It took a good bit of grinder +Dremmel work to get'er done :p but I am happy with the way it came out.

The bottom chop wasn't as hard to get right as the top was. It didn't want to allow the last round to be hand ejected till I contoured the top+feed lips to be more like a Kahr mag. I had to raise the slide lock foot on the metal follower as well.

I left enough at the bottom to seat it when full and the slide is closed. I didn't remove any spring coils yet as I want to give it time to take a set loaded and see what it feels like then. (the mags really where never used for shooting I just got them to be able to mold 45 mag holders so the spring is like new)

I just took it down to the range for a quick test to see how it would work. I ran a couple full 5 rd mags, then ten times I just loaded 2 rds to test for slide lock back, and it worked 100%.

This will be a nice mag for pocket carry, which I have been doing this summer in my cargo shorts front pocket.

Here are some pics!

http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae70/BeardogV1/cm45flushmag2.jpg (http://s958.photobucket.com/user/BeardogV1/media/cm45flushmag2.jpg.html)

http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae70/BeardogV1/cm45flushmag.jpg (http://s958.photobucket.com/user/BeardogV1/media/cm45flushmag.jpg.html)

http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae70/BeardogV1/cm45flushmag4.jpg (http://s958.photobucket.com/user/BeardogV1/media/cm45flushmag4.jpg.html)

http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae70/BeardogV1/cm45flushmag5.jpg (http://s958.photobucket.com/user/BeardogV1/media/cm45flushmag5.jpg.html)

http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae70/BeardogV1/cm45flushmag3.jpg (http://s958.photobucket.com/user/BeardogV1/media/cm45flushmag3.jpg.html)

In my pocket holster
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae70/BeardogV1/cm45pocketholstersroughout.jpg (http://s958.photobucket.com/user/BeardogV1/media/cm45pocketholstersroughout.jpg.html)

[Bawanna]

How sweet is that. That took a little metal fabricating to get that base in there right. Looks really good.
The feed lip mod is very similar to what Greg did to his.

That turned out really good.

[BEARDOG]

Thanks Col.B!

It did take some time to get it right. I had the bottom done nicely fairly quick, but had to really work on modifying the top to get it to hand cycle the last round out. I am using the steel follower too, not sure what most people are using in the CW's, maybe a different 1911 mag wouldn't require as much work to get it to run. But this is the only mag I had, that I was ready to cut and grind on :D

[yqtszhj]

Outstanding. I like that. If i can find a mag i might try that.

How hard was it to form the bottom and what is the max number of rounds you can load in it?

[BEARDOG]

Outstanding. I like that. If i can find a mag i might try that.

How hard was it to form the bottom and what is the max number of rounds you can load in it?

Thanks!

It will hold 5 rds., just the Kahr mag. And like I said, I didn't cut any off the spring yet, so its tight but still works, I may take a coil off later?

You need to lay out your lowest line, and with the cutting wheel make that cut. Then grind down the back and front. Get every thing cleaned up and straight. Then to form it use the floor plate to bend the tabs over on. Use a little heat and a wide/flat piece of steel to cover the tab and tap it over.

[kahrnut1]

you are as good with metal as you are with leather. nice work

[trentu]

Nice job! Looks a lot better.

[jcannady]

Very nice!! If you decide to make more for sale let me know.

[jcannady]

A (probably stupid) question. Would the weapon still feed rounds if the top wasn't modified? I don't care if the slide locks open, I don't carry a spare mag usually anyway.

Jim

[BEARDOG]

Just an update on this mag mod for anyone interested... I ended up cutting two coils off the spring so far. It's still plenty strong. I will give it some time before I decide if I need to cut any more off.


you are as good with metal as you are with leather. nice work

Thank you my friend, that's very nice of you to say.
In leather I have been making some rough-out stuff lately.(that's rough-out cowhide in the pic) I kinda like it even though it doesn't look as highly finished, it does a terrific job gripping the pocket, and I even have tucked that one in my waist band "Remora style" and it seemed to stay in place well.



Nice job! Looks a lot better.


Very nice!! If you decide to make more for sale let me know.

Thank you guys!

[BEARDOG]

A (probably stupid) question. Would the weapon still feed rounds if the top wasn't modified? I don't care if the slide locks open, I don't carry a spare mag usually anyway.

Jim

Not a stupid question at all Jim. the answer is no...

This particular mag needed the top modified just to lock-in and seat. I had already done a minor grind job to the top edges to get that far, and with just that it would feed live rounds by hand. But when I would try to rack out the last round it would not allow the slide to come back the whole way and I could not eject the last round with out removing the mag. That is why I had to do a lot more modding of the feed lips and follower till I could hand rack all the rounds through it with no jamming...I would not have even tried to fire the gun with it jamming the last round on hand ejection as it would have resulted in a really badly jammed up gun.

Now that said, there are reports of other brands of mags that work with no mods in Kahr 45's. But I have no personal experience with them myself. Look in the tech section at the sticky threads and you will find like a 20+ page thread on using 1911 mags in Kahr 45's.

[jcannady]

Thanks bro!

[BEARDOG]

Thanks bro!

Just wanted to give you the link to the thread I mentioned as I thought it was in the Tech sticky's, but I see now its here.
http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?3317-CW45-P45-Flush-fit-magazine-UPDATED
Of coarse they are talking about making a flush mag for the CW/P 45... Not the CM/PM 45

[O'Dell]

Want to make another one? I just bought a CM45 today. :)

[JohnR]

Outstanding work!

I think I'd rather have a 6-round mag for my PM45 with a better plastic pinky rest than a flush 5-round mag. Almost makes me want to invest in a 3D printer.

[BEARDOG]

Want to make another one? I just bought a CM45 today. :)

Congrats! I really like mine. I will let you know if I make some more flush mags. I want to look at getting some different brands of mags that may not require so much modifying and tweaking.

[BEARDOG]

Outstanding work!

I think I'd rather have a 6-round mag for my PM45 with a better plastic pinky rest than a flush 5-round mag. Almost makes me want to invest in a 3D printer.

Thanks John!
I'm really liking my new 5rd flush mag... I may try to come up with a CM45 grip extension for on a converted 7 rd 1911 mag for my next trick...I agree a 3D printer would be awesome to have, someday maybe?

[Bawanna]

I have enough trouble with a 1D printer, I imagine a 3D printer would give me a giant headache.

I wish you good luck in your magazine search. I'll look through my mag stash at home, I mostly have wilsons for use but sometimes people empty their junk drawers on me, I love junk and find one now and then.

I can see where that one was a lot of work.

I'm not sure how the bottom end would be to modify but the top end on my Wilsons worked fine in my PM45 as is.
Perfectly with the 8 rounders, not perfectly but fairly good with the officer size wilsons. I think its gotta be spring tension on the officer ones. The follower and feed lips appear identical.

I'd be interested in one too if you end up making some. You can't have a lot of free time on your hands.

[BEARDOG]

I have enough trouble with a 1D printer, I imagine a 3D printer would give me a giant headache.

I wish you good luck in your magazine search. I'll look through my mag stash at home, I mostly have wilsons for use but sometimes people empty their junk drawers on me, I love junk and find one now and then.

I can see where that one was a lot of work.

I'm not sure how the bottom end would be to modify but the top end on my Wilsons worked fine in my PM45 as is.
Perfectly with the 8 rounders, not perfectly but fairly good with the officer size wilsons. I think its gotta be spring tension on the officer ones. The follower and feed lips appear identical.

I'd be interested in one too if you end up making some. You can't have a lot of free time on your hands.

Thanks Col. I will keep the Wilson's in mind.
I don't have many 1911 mags to play around with and I hate to order online without seeing them. I may hit the next gun show and see what I can see.
I only have the two (now one) 7rd Metalform mags.
Then the four 8rd Sig mags that came with my Tac Ops (they are made by Checkmate). They seat and lock in the CM45. But won't work because of where they located the top witness hole. (it catches on the trigger bar spring, even after I tried bending it back flush to the bar, and stoning the tip to an angle. So they are out.
And I just got a Chip McCormick 10 rd for my Tac Ops. I tried it and it wont seat/lock in my CM45 ...So that make 3 brands that have one issue or another that makes them not easy to adapt to the Kahr.
I think I want to look at some ACT and Mec-Gar brand 1911 mags to see how they would work next..
I will definitely let you know if I get to making some more.

[gb6491]

Well done BEARDOG!!http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-fc/worthy.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I was going to ask if you had to heat the bottom to get that nice of a fold, but saw that I missed where you said you did during my first read of the thread.
Again, really nice work; you're a talented individual.
Regards,
Greg

BTW, how are your welding skills? http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=289542

[BEARDOG]

Well done BEARDOG!!http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-fc/worthy.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I was going to ask if you had to heat the bottom to get that nice of a fold, but saw that I missed where you said you did during my first read of the thread.
Again, really nice work; you're a talented individual.
Regards,
Greg

BTW, how are your welding skills? http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=289542

:yo: Thank you Greg!
Mr. Log man does some nice work on those Emp mags. I wish I still had access to a machine shop like he has. Welding was something I enjoyed doing, but haven't done it in years, so probably would be a bit rusty.

[TheTman]

Nice work Beardog. I think I like the magazine lip though. It holds my pinky just about right. I guess I just haven't caught the flush fit bug. The extensions don't bother me. Probably because most of my other pistols, except for my 1911's and one of my 9's have some sort of extension sticking out the bottom of the grip and I'm used to it. I wish on the .40, they would have used that space for an extra round over the .45 as with most other pistols.