.380 BG - short mag?

[GTS Dean]

Both the mags on my pistol will hold 6 rounds, but I can't lock either one in the frame with a full stack and a closed slide. (KBR prefix) I've tried 2 kinds of ball and 4 kinds of HP ammo. I'm sure a dremel or a rasp on the follower could gain some clearance, but it shouldn't require that.

Anyone else experience this sort of thing?

 

[BlackTalonJHP]

My M&P BG has the same serial prefix as yours and I am able to lock a fully loaded magazine into the mag well. I have tried Critical Defense, Gold Dots, and 3 different FMJs in all 4 of my mags and all will fit.

I would try leaving the mags fully loaded for a few days and see if it helps. With my M&Ps as well as the BG, I have to strike the baseplate to insert a fully loaded magazine with the slide closed. I know the standard procedure is to push and not hit, but that's what i have to do.

 

[fbcmrjrtykr]

Consider locking the slide back before inserting the fully loaded mag. In a shooting scenario, the slide would be locked back anyway. Of course, if your trying to get to the "plus 1" status, that won't help. In that case, I know with my Shield, I have to apply very firm pressure to get my mag inserted when there is one in the tube. The suggestion above should help with that.

I would not mechanically alter the mag or the gun.


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[Rickgus]

GTS - I purchased a new Bodyguard 380 for my wife and the first time out, we had some FTFeed issues. When we took the pistol back to the LGS, he ruled out the pistol and was sure it was ammo as he couldn't get it to repeat the failure. In speaking with us, he showed us another technique of tapping the backside of the magazine (when it was fully loaded) against a firm surface (table top or gun range counter) and prior to inserting into the magazine well. This helps insure the ammo is fully seated to the back of the magazine. Don't know if this will help your situation, but it might be worth trying. We were loading the magazines with a Baby Lula so some of the rounds might not have been fully seated? Good luck, I think the BG 380's have a lot of promise and I have high hopes for ours and yours as well!

Rick

 

[federali]

Whoa!

Trying different ammo does nothing as they're all supposed to be the same caliber to at least three decimal places! Some fully loaded mags will seat under a closed slide and some won't. If your's won't, don't force it.

The test is as follows: with a fully loaded magazine, try to insert one additional round. If you can depress the column of ammunition about a half of a cartridge width but not enough to seat that round, then the magazine should lock under a closed slide. If a fully loaded magazine has no additional compression available in the spring, then it won't seat under a closed slide.
Sorry.

 

[GTS Dean]

Followup -

I got my courage up and just kept pressing harder until both mags finally locked - just short of what I would have considered "unnecessarily difficult." About 1000 snap cap cycles later, the trigger is amazingly better. I really like this pistol!

 

[lmacrichter]

If it is anything like mine the short mag is the least of your problems!!!

 

[cttechguy]

I don't have that problem with my BG, I'm sure it will improve with more use.

 

[dennisvet]

When I first got my BG, I thought I was having the problem that my magazine would not go fully into the gun. I wrote S&W and also posted here and took the gun back to where I bought it. The answer I got was the same from everyone. I was not inserting the mag hard enough into the gun. I was told by several gun smith type people that when it is new they will sometimes have that problem and a lot of people are leary about really pounding to put the mag in. They said it would losen up after shooting a while and really inserting hard with your hand. I tried it and it worked. After a short time I had no more problem with it. I don't know if this is the same problem you are having, but it worked for me. I just put the mag in and hit hard with the heel of my hand to drive it in, and it did loosen up after a while.