As a follow-up to my post about how-to-make your own short 5- and 10-round mags for the S&W M&P15-22...

Here's a quick and inexpensive fix for those who struggle to load 10 rounds into the "pinned" <compliant> 10/25 mags due to the lack of a Follower Button or a "load assist" as some call it:


It's a $0.52 set of a 10-32 3/4" nylon pan-head bolt and nut, and as you can see, I did cut off about 2 threads (maybe 1/16") which keeps it riding in the molded slot and prevents any binding. I didn't add any glue to the nut, but "mashed" (a highly technical process involving a large steel bench vise and a small piece of nylon...) the last few threads of the bolt (with the nut already screwed down past that point) so it would be a fairly tight friction fit.

These really help on the "pinned/compliant" 10/25 mags and as you can see, I also added one to my short 5-round mag -- as that will make it easier for my nephew to load correctly.

By the way, just in case you missed my earlier "D I Y" post on making your own short mags, here's a helpful link:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-w...magazines.html

My 15-22 has not had an extractor problem "yet" -- knock on wood! -- but you can bet a more robust design will go on my "D I Y" list if that ever happens...

Tight groups ~ and easy loading!!!

Old No7

Attached Images

M&P Follower Button (Medium).jpg (99.2 KB, 2451 views)

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Thanks #7 I too was thinking nylon but couldn't think of how to keep it tight. Well guess you fixed that problem. Nice work once again. I took mine out yesterday and ran another 200 rounds through it without a problem. This gun has not skipped a beat yet and is a ton of fun to shoot.

good right up... a soldering(sp) iron will work to turn the threads into a "rivet" also

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07/SOT2
NRA Instructor

what about just using a small metal bolt and nut and use thread lock? I'm not sure why the 10 round mag guys haven't thought of something sooner, seems like an obvious fix.

id say metal against plastic at the least would cause scratching.. the nylon wont hurt anything and it gives you a give point if someone tried unknowingly to over load it the only thing that would break is the cheap nylon bolt

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07/SOT2
NRA Instructor

good point

Someone please explain to me why Smith & Wesson can't do this but a guy can do it in his cellar with handtools. I give up!

Sent my daughter down to get the nylon bolt and nut. I'm not feeling well today. Installed and cut the extra off with an exacto knife heated on the gas stove then flattened the excess. Used the wives (gulp don't beat me up to bad) red nail polish to brighten it up some. What an easy fix to a simple problem. Took less than a minute. Next one I might sand the corners of the nut off.Thanks again #7

Looks good Bob!

But now you'll get the others here asking about "red" or "white" or "black" or other colors for the follower buttons... And then someone will want "plaid"!!!

Gee, don't set yourself up with a comment like THAT... Not here on this forum!!! LOL!!!

Tight groups!

Old No7

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Thanks D, only colors she had were pink and red so I went with the safer of the two. Haha Yeah about the nut comment posted before I read what I wrote.

Great information! I will be performing this DIY this next weekend. Can you take a picture where you cut off the 2 threads?

What I did was lightly hand tighten the nut so it woldn't slide then backed it off until it would. Then I heated an exacto knife over the gas stove and cut the threaded bolt at where two threads were sticking out of the nut. Then I reheated the knife and mashed or melted them down onto the nut so it won't unthread. Very simple.

Great idea Skidder, thanks for sharing.

I just may have to do that with mine now...

Old No7

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Perfect, thanks for the instructions.

Don't thank me thank #7

Thanks to both of you. Thanks #7 for the op.

Have any of you other compliant owners done Old #7's assist button mod? Ive done it to both my mags and it works great on the cheap.

Its gotta be just my luck. I picked up a pair of little plastic bags at a local hardware store about 100 miles away while out on the road last Friday. One with 4 10-24 screws in it and the other with 4 10-24 nuts.
Then last night I heated up my soldering iron to put them in my newly shortened mags and discovered that three of the nuts didn't have any threads in them at all and the fourth only had threads that went about half way through.
So I'm guessing that buying a lottery ticket is probably not something I should bother with for the time being.

Smith and Wesson actually sent me two for the two pinned magazines my friend and I got with our "compliant" models which we promptly drilled and removed the blocker pin. Thumbs up to S&W.