I've read several thoughts here that magazines should be cleaned before using. I now have four 17-rounders for my M&P9 on which I only wiped down the exteriors. No failures at all but I'm doing all my shooting at an indoor range where I'm not dropping them in the dirt. They probably will get dirty at some point. Short of taking them apart, how do you clean magazines. Compressed air is an option for me.
Cleaning Magazines
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Dakotapix said:
I only clean mine when I drop them at matches, and not all the time!!
Back in 98 I shot the FIPT Match in Titusville, FL, we were knee-deep in mud the first day of the match. I dropped one of my STI mags in a Puddle, it took me 5 minutes just to find the darn thig in the Mud, another 20 minutes to strip, wash & dry it!! I thought that was time well spent.
But you do what you think is right for your gun.
Y
Personally, I tear down my mags when they are new, and clean all of the oily stuff out of them. I clean them with brake kleen, then spray them down with silicone lubricant, then wipe out. I repeat the process whenever they need it. It seems to me that the oil attracts more crap that causes issues than it benefits as a lubricant. The dry lube of the silicone seems to work well for me.
I use the info I have been given by Beven Grams regarding mags and taking care of them. For those that dont know, Beven has probably done more research and and learned more about how a mag works and why and why not than anyone on the planet.
Beven runs a rag with silicone sprayed on it thru his mags and leaves it, he doesnt wipe it out. If a mag hits the ground, he takes it apart and brushes it and then runs a silicone rag thru again, but if he shoots it and it doesnt hit the ground, he doesnt take it apart.
Ive stuck w/ his info for about 10 years and never had an issue. Everything I have runs 100%, providing everything else is in spec.
Beven runs a rag with silicone sprayed on it thru his mags and leaves it, he doesnt wipe it out. If a mag hits the ground, he takes it apart and brushes it and then runs a silicone rag thru again, but if he shoots it and it doesnt hit the ground, he doesnt take it apart.
Ive stuck w/ his info for about 10 years and never had an issue. Everything I have runs 100%, providing everything else is in spec.
Wow, you guys actually spray cleaner on your mags?
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If i'm shooting at the indoor range, my mags don't get cleaned when I get home. If i've just shot a USPSA match then they all get broken down and cleaned. For me, a "cleaning" is running a rag through them a few times to get the dirt out, and wiping down the follower and the baseplate.
I'm not sure about S&W mags yet, but I know Sig mags need to be cleaned when brand new as Sig coats them in preservative oil like the rest of the gun. Many new Sig shooters complain of faulty mags that are brand new, usually because they've not been cleaned.
If i'm shooting at the indoor range, my mags don't get cleaned when I get home. If i've just shot a USPSA match then they all get broken down and cleaned. For me, a "cleaning" is running a rag through them a few times to get the dirt out, and wiping down the follower and the baseplate.
I'm not sure about S&W mags yet, but I know Sig mags need to be cleaned when brand new as Sig coats them in preservative oil like the rest of the gun. Many new Sig shooters complain of faulty mags that are brand new, usually because they've not been cleaned.
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