I just bought a 457 for a very fair price. I noticed the small round button you push to drop the magazine seemed a little loose when I was looking at the gun. It turns out this round button is made of plastic and had wallowed out to where it wants to pop off.

I've read that Smith & Wesson used to make a repair kit of sorts that had this assembly with a metal button. I've searched but can't find a source for this little kit.

Anyone know where any of these are still available? I'd appreciate any info on this.

Thanks!
John

The first place to start is by calling S&W customer service. They might still have these. I think they are closed starting Monday until after the first of the year, but it certainly doesn't hurt to call.

If they don't have a kit, these are the individual part numbers,

262400000 MAGAZINE CATCH
239090000 MAGAZINE CATCH NUT
239010000 MAGAZINE CATCH SPRING

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Midway has the spring in stock and will backorder the button.

Smith & Wesson Mag Release Nut S&W CS40C CS40D CS40S CS45C CS45D CS45S

Smith & Wesson Mag Release Spring S&W CS40C CS40D CS40S CS45C CS45D

Thanks for your replies guys. You have already given me more information than I was able to find.

I really appreciate it!

John

If you want to put in an all-metal catch and button, you would need the setup from a regular 3rd gen 45 (4516/4566/4506), and then you would need to figure out a way to drill the spare hole for the plunger in your grip frame (I've heard of 1 person who's done this, not easy). The plastic mag nuts are a 1-time thing, and after you remove them or they are loose, replace with a new one.

These nuts have been in stock 3 separate times over the last week or so at Midway - keep checking there. Brownell's might still have some in stock, but Brownell's will charge you over twice what Midway/S&W does.

Thanks TercGen. I've checked Brownells and they have the button and spring in stock. I really don't mind the $6 vrs Brownells $12. It isn't that much money to get this fixed and the gun up and running again. If it was $50 or even $20 I might look twice.

Thanks again.
John

Note...That magazine catch really IS like hens teeth to find. Seems to be made out of Unobtainum.

The plastic mag catch button is intended to be installed once and left on the mag catch body. It's held in place by an inner raised ring snapping over the end of the steel mag catch body. Armorers are told that if it's ever necessary to remove the plastic button/nut, it should be replaced with a new one.

I've not ever heard of them becoming damaged during normal use, myself, nor spoken with another armorer or armorer instructor who ever had to replace one in normal use. The same original ones are in my own CS45 & CS9, and they've seen a lot of rounds and use over the years I've owned them. It's not even practiced replacing them in the armorer class, but just mentioned in passing, if ever needed for repair (or in the event of having to completely disassemble a gun that's been contaminated, submerged in water, etc). Unlike the metal button/nut, it's not adjustable, but just snaps onto the mag catch shaft.

If the one on your used 457 is loose, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that someone had either tried to remove it, or removed it and tried to re-use it, and now the inner raised ring is damaged and the button/nut is loose.

The new one should simply snap onto the end of the mag catch body pin (shaft), while compressing the spring. Make sure the right end of the mag catch is flat against something, being supported and doesn't move.

While I've never had to replace the plastic buttons, I've had to adjust my fair share of the regular threaded nut buttons. It's normally taught to be done with the grips removed, but I've done simple adjustments while leaving the grips on, and carefully putting something of the necessary thickness directly under the right end of the mag catch, like a nickel. Removing the factory 1-piece grip can introduce an opportunity to improperly remove & replace the grip, meaning damaging the side plate (by tweaking it and bending, or breaking, one of the plate's legs which are snapped over the left end of the headed sear pin).

I've been told the correct orientation of the 'tornado' spring is supposed to have the large end facing the button. The pic in the armorer manual has the spring shown in the reverse orientation, apparently having slipped by during editing for a while. I was told it was going to be corrected in the next revision of the manual, but that was about 5 years ago.

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Ok, I have to admit I'd wondered how much force or pressure I was going to have to use to 'force' the new button down over the rib on the catch.

I didn't know if I was going to have to use a modified small C clamp to support both sides, or place the gun down on a work surface and support the right side of the catch while I popped the nut with a punch and small ball peen hammer, or just squeeze it on with a pair of Channel locks. I really don't know how much force is going to have to be used.

Thanks for all the info everyone, I'm hoping this will go quick and smoothly when the parts arrive.

John

I've been told that it doesn't require a lot of force to install one. It's just snapping a plastic ring over a steel post. The right end of the mag catch has to be supported to hold it still.

I've had one tech tell me some guys used needle nose pliers to pull a button off (but bear in mind a slip of the pliers can scratch or gouge the frame). The manual says to use a drift punch to remove the mag catch from the button.

Removing the grips and supporting the grip frame (wooden wedge or nylon armorer block), leaving the mag catch free & unsupported, a drift pin punch is centered on the left end of the mag and the mag catch is driven out of the button. I'd use a flat end punch and a plastic mallet, myself.

I'd probably use the flat surface of one of my wooden wedges to press down on the new button (with the right end of the mag catch firmly supported) to snap it onto the mag catch post.

Since this is a do-it-once procedure, it makes sense to approach it carefully, without rushing into it. Probably going to take less effort than you might think.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Good information. I plan to take this slow and try to have everything solidly supported. I hope the button pops on with little effort. I'd rather feel foolish for over thinking everything than to under plan it and perhaps ruin something.

Thanks
John

I just wanted to finish this up with an update. My new button and spring came in from Brownells. I popped the button and old spring off the gun and got the magazine catch supported properly. The old button and spring had definitely been off before.

I noticed the old spring looked nothing like the replacement tapered diameter spring. I thought the old spring looked familiar. That's when I realized it was an old ink pen spring someone had cut and used. That kinda made my head hurt. The old button had been whittled and gouged in the bore. I was a bit surprised it held at all.

I had the gun on a cloth, supported the right side of the catch. I placed the spring under the button, lined the button bore up with the shaft on the catch. I had a wooden dowel on the button. I kept pressure on the dowel as I lightly tapped it with a hammer. It snapped right on. The whole assembly feels stronger and tighter than before.

Thanks for all your help!
John

That would be characterized (charitably) under the heading of "Field Expedient Repairs". The more common term might be "Mickey Mouse Repairs".

Glad it worked out for you.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Glad it worked as desired. Anticlimactic repairs are the best kind. Probably never have to worry about it again.

I have a spare plastic mag catch nut & spring for each of my CS guns, just in case of the (hopefully) unlikely event I may ever have to remove them due to contamination or submersion.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Not a bad idea at all Fastbolt. I think Monday I'll just go online with Brownells again and get spares to put up on the shelf for future use.

Thanks again!

I ordered mine while looking to round out an order for some miscellaneous odds & ends for my armorer supplies several years ago.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer