Magazine issues? Sigma 40

[Rewind91]

I recently bought an MP15-22 but the same day my uncle bought a sigma 40( I think ive cycled more rounds in it than he has) anyways after loading the magazine (10 round) 8 rounds load and fire flawlessly round 9 is always iffy and 10 never loads. the slide will be stuck back because Im pretty sure the spring doesnt have the pressure to keep the round pressed up and at an angle to slide up the ramp. is there any sort of easy fix besides trying to get a replacement magazine spring?

EDIT: Ive tried as many different kinds of ammo as possible and I always have this issue. I will try to clean it(He bought it used from cabelas) so I have no clue the history or how many rounds were cycled previous to us purchasing it

 

["JJ"]

I would also try to disassemble the mag & give it a good cleaning! You never know what the last owner did with it.
Just make sure to run a clean dry cloth through when done.

The top of the mag gets exposed to alot of powder residue.
If the previous owner never cleaned them this could be pretty bad!
With 3, 4, or 10 rds the mag spring is compressed enough to power through the build up!
1 or 2 rds don't have enough spring tension move smoothly.

Best of luck!
Let us know what you come up with.

 

[writerinmo]

You can get new springs for the magazine for around $6.00 from Brownells, depending on which mag you have. A lot cheaper than a new mag!

 

[Rewind91]

Just now tried to clean the magazine. Looks like new but still the same old issue. I was just loading the mag and then pulling the slide back to cycle the rounds and the last 2 were still sticking. I bent the spring to give the top of the mag ramp some stiffness and I put one round in the mag and actually got it to load(fluke?) After that I couldnt replicate it and just figured I'd get him a 14 round mag for x-mas(I noticed everywhere is backorder for these magazine springs)

 

["JJ"]

The gun & mags are covered by one of the best warranties in the business. Call S&W customer service & they will make you happy! Just curious, does the other mag load all rounds without a problem?

 

[Rewind91]

Yeah I was trying to practice shooting targets as fast as I could. and all 3-4 magazines the first 8 shots were flawless the last 2 were always jammed. I think one time it loaded the 9th round. we tried all different grains and mfg and same results always. the loading is especially worse on shotshells

 

["JJ"]

I am not a gun smith & don't play one on TV, but to me that sounds like a gun problem. I can't see 4 different mags causing the exact same problem. I'm not saying it is impossible. We have no idea what the previous owner did with the mags! I would call S&W & see what they suggest. Keep us posted on what happens. Best of luck!

 

["JJ"]

Another thing on the mags. Well it is more something I did but anyways! The first time I cleaned my mags I ran a cleaner soaked cotton cloth down the mag. I brought out a black cloth! I then ran a clean, dry cloth to dry it out! Then I reassembled & moved to the next. After cleaning the second one, I shined a light in it to inspect it. Right where the mags starts to neck down is where the rag had stopped. There was 1 1/2 " wide residue ring in each of the "cleaned" mags. I looked in the 1st one but the shadow must have tricked my eyes. I could see this over time causing a problem. If the previous owner made my mistake & the light tricked your eyes. Mine was visable with a small light placed inside the mag! I'm not trying to say you over looked it, just that it is posible! Good luck!

 

[Joe1943]

I have a 1997 S&W 40V and have the same problem. It wasn't used since 1999, but probably 300 rounds through it then. It was cleaned before being stored. Both clips were full to capacity during that time. I recently decided to renew my TX CHL. It was, and still does, fail to chamber the next round, even after several cleanings. I tried stretching the clip springs, but naturally during my qualifying yesterday I had to manually load the next round. Has anyone discovered a fix? I plan on contacting S&W tomorrow. Thanks to all of the great tips I have gotten from this forum.

 

[writerinmo]

Joe, I would definitely call S&W on this one.

 

[HspncElvis]

How often should I clean my Mags?

 

[Joe1943]

I just got off the phone with S&W and they are sending me a label to send the gun in. They seemed to think the magazine springs needed changing, but weren't under warranty(a wear thing). There was another issue with deep scratches on the centering tang located on bottom rear of barrel. Thanks for the input.

 

[Joe1943]

I received my Sigma back from S&W in about three weeks. Finally had a chance today to go to the range and its working great. In fact, because of the service received from S&W, I purchased a 22A.

 

[OKFC05]

I tried stretching the clip springs

Folks, as soon as you stretch the springs, they are toast and should be replaced immediately.

Springs are a normal replacement item, and competitors change them annually. Others should change every 5,000 rounds or 5 years.

How often should I clean my Mags?

When you buy them and then when they need it. If you drop them in the dirt like I do, clean once a week. If you drop it in a mudhole during a match, rinse it out in a bucket of water (been there, done that).

To clean a magazine right, take it apart, spray out with CRC silicone and wipe dry, then reassemble. If you keep a few spare springs on hand, you can immediately replace any that are distorted or excessively shortened (weak).

 

[Walthernut]

I have a 1997 S&W 40V and have the same problem. It wasn't used since 1999, but probably 300 rounds through it then. It was cleaned before being stored. Both clips were full to capacity during that time. I recently decided to renew my TX CHL. It was, and still does, fail to chamber the next round, even after several cleanings. I tried stretching the clip springs, but naturally during my qualifying yesterday I had to manually load the next round. Has anyone discovered a fix? I plan on contacting S&W tomorrow. Thanks to all of the great tips I have gotten from this forum.

Never stretch a spring. Can do more harm than good. It may be a temp fix but it could give you problems at a critical moment when you don't need one.