M&P 45 Magazine Failure

Pants

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I was at the range today and I was letting a friend fire my M&P, when all of a sudden the gun wouldn't go fully into battery. When I took a look at it, ejected the stuck round and magazine, I noticed that the follower was wedged in and compressed tilted upright. I gave it a tap on the port and it popped back up. It then happened again while I was shooting - same deal, tapped it and it came back up.

When I got home and took it apart, I noticed it that was completely out of whack and bent upright. I was able to bend it back into shape but I don't really trust it. I'm sure the reason for this was constant use, since I have hundreds upon hundreds of rounds though this mag since it's a "range mag".

Does anyone know where I can get replacement mag springs for the .45?
 
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Yes, call S&W and they should hook you up.

A mag shouldn't fail considering the low use you have. I have thousands through a couple of mags and they don't do what yours did.
 
Do you clean your mags? They get dirty just like the action. I clean mine monthly (or when I drop them in the mud ;))
 
Call S&W warranty. The 45 mag springs have a tendency to kink up once in a while. I don't know why, but some springs have problems regardless of age and some don't. I had two out of a batch of the last five I bought that failed like that, and they were not my hard use range mags. I sometimes wish Wolff would start making aftermarket springs for the M&P. They are pretty reliable.
 
Ughhh...just what I feared - a dreaded hour on hold with S&W for a mag spring. :D I was hoping there was a place to get them or aftermarket ones. I'd much rather spend $2 on new springs than wait on old with Smith. lol

And no, I've never cleaned these mags until yesterday.
 
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Try Wolff Springs

Wolff Springs have a well-deserved reputation for quality gun springs. Check their web site for replacement springs.
 
If I might? S&W has gone thru IIRC, about 4 different .45 M&P magazine upgrades, due to sacking springs. Newest 1, per my last understanding, is Blue in color. Call S&W and hope they have some. Last time I got any, it took over 2 months. I do not know if Wolff makes springs for M&P .45's magazines. If they don't, they need to! Try ISI(I think that's their name) and see if they do.
Oh, and clean the mags, Bro! They get dirty just like the rest of the pistol.
 
Yeah, S&W's vendor (vendors?) for the M&P 45 mag springs have gone through some revisions.

I had an early orange-painted one develop a weird kink, so they sent me the revised purple springs. (Only one of the mags with the orange springs developed a problem for me.) The purple springs have been fine in my mags, but the company apparently got some further complaints and they've gone through revisions that have been color-coded green, black and now light blue (the new blue ones require a dedicated follower for them, which ought to come with the spring if you call and tell them you're having a problem with an older spring version).

I'm still using mags with purple and green painted springs, myself (I inspect them and check for any functioning or visible issues each time I clean them). I never got any of the black ones and I haven't yet had reason to replace all of mine with the latest blue ones (but I got some, with followers, last year).

Yes, it would be nice if Wolff designed some springs for the M&P mags in various calibers. Until then? We're at the mercy of S&W's vendor(s). :)
 
Hmmm, wondering if I have the same issue. New 45 mid, loaded the mags at home with hollow points on the way to the first range trip. Got to the range, and proceeded to push out the hollow points to load the mags with ball for the first shots. After the first 3 or 4, they all just fall out. Turns out, the bottom lip of the follower has caught on one of the cut-outs of the mag. I push on it and it pops up to the top. I proceeded to load the mag back up and shot 100 rounds of ball through the two mags. Then shot the 20 hollow points. All 120 rounds with no issue.

So my question is, do you suppose this may be the same problem?
 
Hmmm, wondering if I have the same issue. New 45 mid, loaded the mags at home with hollow points on the way to the first range trip. Got to the range, and proceeded to push out the hollow points to load the mags with ball for the first shots. After the first 3 or 4, they all just fall out. Turns out, the bottom lip of the follower has caught on one of the cut-outs of the mag. I push on it and it pops up to the top. I proceeded to load the mag back up and shot 100 rounds of ball through the two mags. Then shot the 20 hollow points. All 120 rounds with no issue.

So my question is, do you suppose this may be the same problem?

Probably! Now I'm wondering - do I order all new springs for my 10 rounders? The mag in question was black, the 8 round I took apart was purple. This isn't comforting, seeing how this is a carry gun.
 
I was at the range today and I was letting a friend fire my M&P, when all of a sudden the gun wouldn't go fully into battery. When I took a look at it, ejected the stuck round and magazine, I noticed that the follower was wedged in and compressed tilted upright. I gave it a tap on the port and it popped back up. It then happened again while I was shooting - same deal, tapped it and it came back up.

When I got home and took it apart, I noticed it that was completely out of whack and bent upright. I was able to bend it back into shape but I don't really trust it. I'm sure the reason for this was constant use, since I have hundreds upon hundreds of rounds though this mag since it's a "range mag".

Does anyone know where I can get replacement mag springs for the .45?

Do you disassemble your magazines when you clean your gun? If so, could that spring have been inserted backwards. Funny things happen when the springs are in backwards.

S&W shipped some magazines with some 3rd generation guns with the springs in backwards. That caused occasional miss-feeds.
 
OK, so how do we know if the springs were put in backwards? I have yet to pull them apart.
 
Do you disassemble your magazines when you clean your gun? If so, could that spring have been inserted backwards. Funny things happen when the springs are in backwards.

S&W shipped some magazines with some 3rd generation guns with the springs in backwards. That caused occasional miss-feeds.

This is good to know! Maybe I should take them apart. One thing I noticed were that the springs in the full size, where the same as the compacts.
 
Throw it away and buy some more.

Don't fiddle with it.

I can't imagine disassembling and cleaning magazines regularly.

If you do, you have too much free time on your hands or some sort of OCD.

I keep 70+ 1911 magazines.

If one has a problem, I trash it and buy more.

Just my opinion, of course.
 
Wolff gunsprings make a great replacement spring. Be warned they are stiffer than factory so you will probably need a speedloader but I use them anytime I need a new spring. If you want a stock spring Midway usually has the stock springs.

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Throw it away and buy some more.

Don't fiddle with it.

I can't imagine disassembling and cleaning magazines regularly.

If you do, you have too much free time on your hands or some sort of OCD.

I keep 70+ 1911 magazines.

If one has a problem, I trash it and buy more.

Just my opinion, of course.

M&P mags are usually $30-40 each. I know there are some expensive 1911 mags but from what I have seen they are cheaper.

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