Mr. Troy, ok, feed lips are to tight. So how do you remedy this situation?
Please dont tell me you have to tune them.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I've run in to this situation before, I've simply taken proven magazines that work perfectly all of the time, taken multiple dimensional measurements with a micrometer, and then carefully made some BENDS to replicate the measurements.

Until you've done it, you may not realize how much effort it takes to make these bends. And in my experience with OEM 52 magazines, when you've made the bends properly, it is a one-time job.

I'm not employed in this industry and my professional background is not in mechanics, engineering or gunsmithing. I'm a hobbyist, and a passionate gun owner who loves older S&W handguns. Given this, I would certainly describe what I've done as tuning a S&W Model 52 magazine.

I would agree that bending is one of several processes under the broader category of tuning. Its more specific than just tuning. I guess you could file it or tap with a hammer if you had a mandrel or anvil. Thanks for clarifying the term. You are a gifted craftsman with 20/20 and steady hands to bend mag lips.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

No, none of these three. I am absolutely not a gifted craftsman with almost anything, however I can phenomenal handloads. And my vision was perhaps never 20/20 and it is degrading noticeably with time. And my hands...? Steady enough for shooting, but I use a pair of very, VERY well protected pliers, and I bend very slowly, typically making NO CHANGE, and then measuring, and then trying again until I see some change, not nearly enough, and repeating.

Bending the feed lips of a 52 magazine, the way I've done it, is similar to fitting an oversized part. You address the part, VERY little bit at a time, then test, expecting you surely did not do nearly enough, and then you address it again, a bit more, test again, and repeat this slow process many times.

Quality control is a concept from the last century. Manufacturers now look at variation. Not just +- dimensions but parallelism, flatness straightness and number of others that contribute to fit.
Did S&W have variation? Of course they did. That is why the Model 52 is hand fitted. The magazines were certainly hand fitted as well. They were squeezed in a vice, whacked on the end and had .005 filed off the screws at the factory.
This is not defense of Triple K. Just saying that Triple K went into the market without understanding how their variance matches S&W’s.
They are relying on the consumer to beta test their product. An annoying concept of this century.

Jaco, do you have evidence that the builders of the 52 series pistols squeezed magazines in a vise, whacked on the end and had the screws filed by 5 thou ant the factory? Doesn’t sound right to me but I didn’t work there so maybe this is new information. Hopefully member donk52 will chime in, he actually built the guns.

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kbgrips.com

Sevens beat me to it, what he did is what I did to mine and it worked. I cycled empty brass through mine to make sure they worked then took them to the range and tested them with live ammo. All but one work fine now. I number my mags so I can find the culprits. Of course I still have issues with the jerk pulling the trigger.

Figuratively speaking

Anyone know why the originals have this indentation? The Triple K's don't have it. Also, they don't drop out, you have to pull them out like AJ.
(AJ, borrowed your pic, hope that's ok, thanks)

Attached Images

52Mag-2.jpg (218.2 KB, 37 views)

I bought a couple extra capacity Triple K 1911 mags back in the 90s. The first one that I used had the feed lips straighten out and let all of the ammo shoot out of the open ejection port. Never used the second and never bought another.

I haven't had a problem with any ProMag. YMMV.

A magazine is pretty simple and someone else has done all the heavy lifting on design. How difficult should it be to copy one?

I don’t have one of these yet but will try and pick one up, triple k says out of stock. To AJ in particular and anyone else trying to actually find the problem, I would suggest if you haven’t tried it yet to heavily smoke with a sooty candle the body of a good factory magazine and repeat with a triple k. Carefully insert and withdraw once each and give a good look. This might reveal an area to focus on a bit more.

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kbgrips.com

Keith,

Ill send you this one if you want to mess with it.

Many.

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S&WHF 483 , S&WCA 1699

Very kind offer Many, I’d be happy to have it and give it a shot, and no problem paying you for it either.

Thanks

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kbgrips.com

I read this thread with interest, having both 52-1 and 52-2 models with original metal follower mags, and plastic follower mags. Both types work 100% after replacing original magazine springs with new Wolff springs after a thorough cleaning. KKK? I'll have to try one, but I don't expect much.
Cost of original model 52 mags, when found, seem to be Fleabay priced at greater than $125, often more than $150.
I decided to visit a variety of gun shows, looking for the very distinctive model 52 mags. First show, lady had her husband's 40 year collection of thousands of mags. Her face lit up when I asked for model 52 mags, she asked were they the Wadcutter version? I was surprised she even knew the term, but the as-new (except for grease) metal-follower mag that she found at the bottom of her pile of S&W mags told me she knew what she had. $90 later I took my Unicorn home. It works as designed.
I'll be looking for more 52 mags at upcoming shows, while I look for model 52-1 Extractors or complete guns.
Thanks for all the KKK info, especially the post-purchase experiences.

Sorry for the long delay, I did receive the Triple K magazine from Many, thank you again.
Finally made the time to disassemble my two factory magazines and the Triple K. There are some differences although which ones and in what combinations are important I do not know at this time.
I’ll post photos, drawings and descriptions as best I can.
First the stripped magazines, first mistake on my part is the orientation of the two factory followers, just caught that.


Next the assembled magazines with one round loaded.

Next one factory and the Triple K followers side by side and overlaying



Next the assemblers code of my gun if anyone is interested or tracking that sort of thing.


Next is a pic of the body of a factory magazine as it’s being seated.


Second pic is of the Triple K being seated, if I captured it well enough you can see the slight bind at the front of magazine, right side of photo.


Both factory’s drop cleanly in with no bind, the Triple K binds lightly the last 5/16 of an inch but is easily overcome, at least in my gun, extraction takes just a light assist.

Correction, the above two photos are reversed, my apologies, I’ll correct but just note for now.

Next two photos are of measurements taken, first is width measurement taken at six points of all three magazines.


Next is a slightly exaggerated drawing to show the front radius of magazine.


Last photo contains a second drawing looking down at magazine from top. These dimensions are given top to bottom, 1st factory mag, 2nd factory mag, and 3rd Triple K.

I have a few other notes but I need to sort them out a bit first.



I’ll add to this shortly

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kbgrips.com

Finally shot with this magazine. Fired two factory magazines with my proven load of a Lee cast 148 wadcutter and 2.7 grains of Bullseye, ran perfect as expected. Triple K mag loads okay except for the last round, extremely difficult to get that one in. Fired, or tried to fire four magazines each loaded with five rounds, each first round loaded halfway in and required a slight pull to the rear and slight push forward, it then fired and then the next three loaded and fired as normal. The final fifth round in each loading made it halfway in before stopping. I suspect the rim is dragging hard on the aluminum follower.

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kbgrips.com

I’m thinking the two main culprits are the aluminum follower and the undersized spring when measuring it front to back, believe it’s allow the spring to snake inside the magazine body creating additional drag.
Will shoot again this week and swap the innards with factory and see how they run.

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kbgrips.com

Thank you for the update. I've been watching this closely as I has a pair of 52-2s and multiple mags.

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Dan
Ps 96 SWCA 2930 SWHF 524