Tips for how to straighten out bent magazine feed lips?

[Vegetaman]

Got a Beretta 92S (one of the late 70s/early 80s models), but one of the spare mags has some serious curl over on the feed lips. Not really sure what the best way to go about trying to fix it is, but I have calipers and I do have a good magazine for reference.

Top left one is a top notch surplus mag. Bottom right one... Has seen better days. Maybe as a hammer?

 

[gonerydin]

Time to replace it.


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[ExcitableBoy]

Repurpose it as a PEZ dispenser.

It may still be able to serve as a range mag. Remove the guts and go ahead and play with it. I'd rig up some kind of a dolly in a vise and shape a wide punch to do a little "body work". The metal in the magazine will let you know how hard to whack it. Clean up the contours and any burrs with a fine file. It can't hurt to give it a try.

 

[steelslaver]

Find a piece of pipe that has the same inside curve as the lips on the good mag. Slice it in half length ways. Find a piece of round stock or pipe that matches the inside radius. cut to length that will fit inside mag, weld heavy rod (say 3/8 to 1/2 round or square stock) to it. Clamp rod in heavy vice or weld to something heavy. Slide mag on to this, then hold the piece of half pipe over the lips and go to tapping it with a hammer. The inside piece is the "anvil", the half piece will place force on outside edges and force down mag down so lips are moved up and correct tapping will form lips to match it. You could also mount the half pipe and hammer anvil down via the heavy rod. Thats probably similar to how they were first formed. As stated above smooth with fires and sand paper.

 

[GKC]

Time to replace it.

This gets my vote (if you asked for votes.) I would think it would be a lot less effort, expense, and uncertainty (when or if the mag will fail or malfunction) just to buy a new one. If you want to do it as a project, fine, but I'd never trust it other than at the range.

 

[chief38]

Most of the time I've been successful with a pair of Bent Long Nosed Pliers, miniature Arkansas Stones and a few Needle Files.. Sometimes no matter how much they are tweaked, they still do not work 100% of the time and that would the time to toss it - but you now have a no loose situation and so I'd give i a whirl as you've got nothing to loose.

 

[stansdds]

With enough time and patience, I'm sure that magazine can be made functional, but it is easier and likely more reliable to simply purchase a new magazine. Beretta 92 magazines are not rare items, just don't buy a cheap one.

 

[Vegetaman]

Yeah I'd be sad to just toss this one since it is a legit Beretta mag, but not sure what the heck wrecked it before I got it. It'd be a range only mag at least, or I could just part it out, but I'll give fixing it a shot. Thanks guys!

 

[clang444]

Look up High Standard magazine lip adjustment tool.

You can make one with a bolt or piece of steel rod or bar and a hacksaw

 

[zeke]

They also make specific tools to adjust magazine feed lips, got mine from brownells and fixed a bunch of fal mags.

 

[Rock185]

Bubba sure worked that one over. FWIW, I don't have "range" magazines. I just have magazines that work. Any with issues get pitched......ymmv

 

[Rpg]

I wouldn’t mess with it: I’d trash it.

Good ones are readily available.

If you try to fix it, the best you end up with is a magazine relegated to range use.

I won’t have a magazine I cannot trust for all applications: range, competition, sd.

I’d dump it.

 

[Big E3]

I agree that it is a very common mag. But to me that would make it the perfect opportunity to learn how to repair a mag. Basically, practice on this easy to replace mag just in case you find a gun with a hard to find mag some day in the future. When you are done and if it works maybe you learned what to do and what not to do next time. Try it and throw it away so it doesn't get mixed up with your good ones. No harm no foul.

 

[Vegetaman]

I agree that it is a very common mag. But to me that would make it the perfect opportunity to learn how to repair a mag. Basically, practice on this easy to replace mag just in case you find a gun with a hard to find mag some day in the future. When you are done and if it works maybe you learned what to do and what not to do next time. Try it and throw it away so it doesn't get mixed up with your good ones. No harm no foul.

Indeed. I already ordered 2 more spare mags, so this one is a good piece to work with and see what I can do.

Seems like Bubba bent the lips open, then rather than bend them back on an angle, he just curled them over so it'd clear the slide internals.

Is it worth trying to disassemble and heat the lips, then bend, then.... re-heat treat? Are mag lips even heat treated?

 

[Qc Pistolero]

At the price new mags are going for these days,I'd try anything to save it(exept for SD use).Even voodoo!

 

[Muss Muggins]

At the price new mags are going for these days,I'd try anything to save it(exept for SD use).Even voodoo!

Even from Beretta, a new 92 magazine is going for $26. I've spent $26 worth of frustration just looking at this thing and worrying about how it's going to fail every time I try to fire it more than once, and it's not even mine. I'd save the spring, the floor plate and the follower and call it a day . . .