Magazine cleaning

[Brittanyman]

How often do you take apart your mags and clean them?

[Bawanna]

Very rarely for me. I don't drop them in the dirt (like I probably should). I clean the top of the follower and wipe down the outside and thats about it usually. I do on occasion take them apart for a more thorough cleaning but probably not more than once a year if that.

I do take them apart when brand new, not sure even why, guess it's too easy for the folks to put springs in backwards or upside down etc. Something I've always done. Why take the chance of a less than pleasant first range experience with a new mag.

[jocko]

about the same scenario as what the great one said, Unless I drop it in the dirt or somethinbg. I just pull the bottom plate off and run a silicone cloth up the mag tube and wipe the spring and reinsert and proceed to shoot it like I stole t.

[Brittanyman]

The reason why I asked, is that I was on the Diamondback Forum and read that someone who had a DB was having problems with it feeding HP, that previously fed okay, after about 300 rounds. After trying several things to rectify the problem, he took the mag apart and cleaned it. He then put it back together and the HPs then fed without a problem.

I can't recall ever having a feed problem with my Glocks and my .22 Ruger due to a dirty magazine. They are having a lot of problems with the DB9s, and that is why I bought my CM9 rather than the DB.

[jocko]

wise cho8ice on the cm9 over the DB, as far as the magazine fix stated, it is hard to tell why it all of a sudden worked. Possably it was a very dirty magazine, or mag spring not in right but working 300 rounds kinda shoots that theory in the ass IMO, Keep ur magazine clean, and do it at ur wishs, not what we say exactly. It is not rocket science to take a magazine apart and to keep it clean.. always error on the side of caution.

[ripley16]

Depending on the gun and ammo used a mag can get dirty over time. I've purchased some used guns with mags that were absolutely filthy. Regardless whether new or used I always initially clean my mags with Eezox which is a dry lube as well as a very good rust inhibitor. After that, I play it by ear as to how often the mag is cleaned. Some stay pretty clean and some need a wipedown after only a few hundred rounds.

[Jeff00042]

I clean the magazines as a routine part of cleaning the gun after each range trip. It only takes a few more minutes.

[Quickdraw]

Every once in a while. Mine all hit the dirt on a regular basis. Quick wipe on my pants and back into action. If a pistol is that finicky that it can't run right after you drop a mag then it isn't for me. Most mags are very easy to pop open and wipe off.

[kb2wji]

About every 5 range trips under clean conditions. Or any time they get gunked from being dropped.

[TheTman]

I've never taken one apart to clean it. I just hold the follower down with a pencil or something and use an oily brush then another pencil with a cloth wrapped around it to soak up the oily grime. Not that I recommend that, just never was sure how to take them apart for a thorough cleaning.

[kb2wji]

^ ^ ^ I made a basic do it yourself on another forum.

http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/reference-how-forum/120234-magazine-take-down.html

[TheTman]

Cool, thanks for the info kb2wji.

[Ressom]

For me, I think it depends on the difficulty of disassembling the magazine. Kahr's and 1911's are easy. I have a bunch of Glock magazines that I have never cleaned.

[jocko]

the mjake a tool that makes taking the glocks apart a breeze. It is a must IMO if you own a glock. forgot where I bught it but I am sure any glock parts place sells them. .

[MW surveyor]

Since I shoot reloads with lead bullets I clean my mags about every two trips to the range. Takes about 2 minutes to take apart, run the mag brush in and out a few times, wipe out, clean the follower and reassemble.

BTW - the mag brush works great in the mag well area as well.

+1 taking apart new mags. Case in point, bought a cheap promag that would not lock back the slide. Took it apart and found the spring installed backwards. Flipped it over and no more problems.

[jlottmc]

I do mine about every third or fourth range visit. I also clean my guns after I shoot them one round or 500, that's just what works for me.

[TucsonMTB]

the mjake a tool that makes taking the glocks apart a breeze. It is a must IMO if you own a glock. forgot where I bught it but I am sure any glock parts place sells them. .
https://www.mygtul.com/products.php

[Scoundrel]

The reason why I asked, is that I was on the Diamondback Forum and read that someone who had a DB was having problems with it feeding HP, that previously fed okay, after about 300 rounds. After trying several things to rectify the problem, he took the mag apart and cleaned it. He then put it back together and the HPs then fed without a problem

That could just as easily have been a backward spring as a dirty magazine. I am not sure from your wording whether this was a brand new magazine or not, but I am going to assume it was. The first 300 fed fine, maybe because the spring was so stiff that it did not matter - but after 300, when it started to relax, then a backward spring could have started to make a difference.

To clarify about backward springs: As I understand it, the end of the spring is bent in such a way as to provide support to the follower evenly, so that it does not have a tendency to tip inside the magazine, changing the angle of the round or providing a different amount of pressure to one end of the round or the other.

If you take apart your magazine and pull the spring out carefully, you'll see that one end is at a different angle from the other. If you don't put it back in that same way, you can see how it wouldn't sit flush against the follower.

There are two ways to put it in wrong. One is upside down (one end has a steeper angle than the other). The other way is rotated on the other axis - where the angle of the spring is opposite the angle of the follower base. Both can create feed problems.

[earle8888]

I'm with Jeff, (old habit) I clean weapon, INCLUDING mags. after trip to range.

[Ubaldo99]

This has been a helpful thread. I've owned handguns only in the last couple years and have not disassembled and cleaned my magazines in that time. Its probably a reflection on my relative inexperience with handguns, but I never realized that I needed to disassemble the magazines. I routinely wipe-down and clean the outside of the magazines, including the follower, and send a blast of compressed air inside the magazines, but that's about the extent of it. I guess I will need to rethink that approach in light of the comments posted in this thread. Many thanks.

[Popeye]

I do not have a round count that I'll clean the mags. More or less when the mood strikes. Always wipe off the follower though after each range trip and check it's operation.

[Lobo_79]

How often do you take apart your mags and clean them?

FWIW: I clean my PM9 6 and 7-round magazines every time I use them at the range. In cleaning them I simply run a large Gun Scrubber soaked patch through each magazine to remove all traces of the residue that collects near the top. I always leave them dry afterwards. This process has worked well for me.

[TucsonMTB]

FWIW:Iclean my PM9 6 and 7-round magazines every time I use them at the range. In cleaning them I simply run a large Gun Scrubber soaked patch through each magazine to remove all traces of the residue that collects near the top. I always leave them dry afterwards. This process has worked well for me.
As a variation of Mr. Lobo_79's technique, a flat piece of wood wrapped with a paper towel that has been sprayed with CRC Food Grade Silicone works well when pushed in from the top and worked up and down a bit to remove the burnt powder residue. The solvent action is just enough. The paper towel works well to hold the dirt particles and a fresh one will tell you when the surfaces are clean. The silicone left on the surface is almost undetectible. The process takes very little time and does not require any disassembly. :D

[wyntrout]

The ring handle on the cheap aluminum cleaning rod... kind of "?" shaped is good for pushing rags or a piece of paper towel through the mag tube AND the mag well. You can also take a wooden paint stirrer and cut it down for that, and angle one end for pushing the follower down evenly to put a pin in to hold the spring... especially those welded bottom 1911 mags. The handle won't work on the mag well or tube of the .380, but is nice for the others. I keep several finishing nails around for that... and an old awl that most of the plastic handle is broken off. With the sharp point and taper, it inserts very easily into the mag tube between the spring coils.
With a little thought and preparation, you can use things at hand to make things easier for you.

Wynn:)

[Bawanna]

My only concern with the methods listed is I always have a lingering worry that I've left a bit of paper towel in the tube. I've used cloth and good cleaning patches but still left me with a half finished feeling.

Some mags you just don't have any choice. I don't take mine apart very often anyhow. I just keep the follower clean and so far I've been lucky.

[jocko]

sure ain't no rocket science in cleaninhg ones magazine..

[QuercusMax]

Now I'm really feeling deficient, because I've never done much about cleaning my magazines, even though I thoroughly clean any weapon after every use, and keep at it until there is no more visible dirtiness on my cleaning materials. The magazines just haven't looked dirty, and the few times I've wiped them off, nothing dirty showed up on the rags or patches I used, even with solvent.

Does ammo have anything to do with this? Mostly I use Winchester white box FMJ because I've got a huge supply, and I would say it seems pretty clean overall. One old-timer told me to "Never use any ammo named after an animal." Seems reasonable to me.

[jlottmc]

Forgot to mention, some mags can't be taken apart, but all mags can be spray cleaned.

[TucsonMTB]

Now I'm really feeling deficient, because I've never done much about cleaning my magazines, even though I thoroughly clean any weapon after every use, and keep at it until there is no more visible dirtiness on my cleaning materials. The magazines just haven't looked dirty, and the few times I've wiped them off, nothing dirty showed up on the rags or patches I used, even with solvent.
Yeah, I always feel a little deficient when people start discussing their expensive sports cars too. But, my large, comfortable V8 sedan works just fine, for me.

And, it sounds like your mags are working just fine. Some people don't even bother to examine theirs, so you are a step ahead.