I've found myself in the market for magazines for a new Model 52. I've noticed two things...one, the magazines are crazy expensive and two, there seems to be two types of followers...a metal one and a plastic one.

Are there any advantages of one type of follower over the other?

I have both types of followers and I haven't noticed any real difference between the two. I would guess that the metal follower would last longer and I'm pretty sure they are more expensive.

One of the spares I picked up recently was slightly bowed and the third round would consistently hang up in the gun. I ended up bubba-ing the follower button (cordless drill, file and sandpaper) to relieve the binding and now it works fine.

Heck were does one even find a magazine?

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Still Running Against the Wind

Well, it comes down to the old argument, you like steel bumpers on your truck or plastic?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I guess I'm wondering if the plastic follower has proven to be robust over time.

They do require some vigilance to find. I got a good deal on a couple at an auction over the weekend.

I have seen a number of folks show a preference for the metal follower. My collection of 52 magazines might be right at 50/50. That’s a clue that I make NO distinction, and have never seen a difference between the followers, ever.

I have gotten some mags that don’t feed well — my method to fix them has been to take a 52 magazine that I am dead sure certain feeds well, make note of the feed lip dimensions in multiple places and then (carefully!) bend the feed lips of the troubled magazine until it too functions flawlessly.

This has worked well for me.

If you look under enough rocks for 52 magazines, you will eventually come across one that has been altered to fit more than 5 rounds. This is done by extending the side slots by which the follower is guided. I don’t happen to own any, but I believe that extending the slot at a slight LESS angle is the preferred method of making these work.

"OH my God you are a notorious lip bender!"

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member