CW45/P45: Flush fit magazine - UPDATED

[Ljutic]

This gets really interesting if you have a bunch of .45 mags laying around. ACT-Mag 8 rounders fit perfectly with no modification. ACT-Mag 7 rounders which appear to be exact clones of the 8 rounders but built for Officer sized guns will bind on the slide.

[Ljutic]

Well, I'm almost done. I just need to get a new Presto Instant blue pen to do some touch-ups. For some reason the pen I've had for 15 years was dried up.

I got this mag at Midway last week so it looks like Metalform has changed the base plates recently.



I'm not sure about the quality of the Metalform mags. I know STI ships them with their 9mm Spartans, but this is the spring that came out of my 45 mag. I've never seen one this twisted and the extra bend was a bit of a surprise.



It turned out well and even installing the Kahr follower was easy after viewing the video. Thanks very much for all the details. I'm still going to try a non-Kahr follower at some point to see if I can make a 7 rounder out of this, but for now I'm ready to start testing.

[gb6491]

Ljutic,
Excellent posts and photos; thanks for sharing them.
I think your observation about the Metalform magazines is spot on.
I was just at their website and it seems that they have dropped the folded over style magazine base. The spring that came in the magazine I used from them would not have been my first choice if making magazines myself, but it did perform adequately in the brief time that I used it. However, the tube seems to be of excellent quality.
They sure don't make them Presto bluing pens like they used to
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

I have two presto blue pens that are at least that old and they still work!

Maybe you just used em up? Maybe call Birchwood and tell them your 15 year old pens gave up on ya.

Just can't get stuff that last these days.

[Cash.45]

Thanks Greg

Great original and follow-up "how I did it" posts and pictures. I have to admit that before I saw your post I hadn't even considered this, but once I saw your photos I knew I had to do this. Just finished my first stainless steel Metalform mag and it functions perfectly on the bench. Now it's off to the range tomorrow to give it a real test.

This flush fit mag is going to improve my carry comfort and concealability. Thanks for the great posts!

[Ljutic]

Just got an email from Midway to let me know the Wilson Officer Size mag rebuild kits are available. I'm going to try that in my butchered Metalform and see if it works. They also have Presto Gun Blue pens so I'm replacing my 15 year old dried up one. Unfortunately, they are out of the black Metalform Officer size mags. Always one thing you need they don't have at the moment.

[gb6491]

We had a new member post how he is doing this mod in another thread; it's excellent info so I thought I'd copy and paste his input here for future reference:

from one of my other posts...
1911 mags will run in a Kahr 45, better actually than the Kahr mags that are what 45 bucks? I started with inexpensive Springfield factory compact mags that I bought for around $20, (let me know if you need some) just standard Metalform style officer stuff, then removed the follower, trimmed an 1/8" off the tail so I could barely stuff the 7th round in with the slide open to make it easier for 6+1 carry....and take a belt sander or file to the little bump. The nose of the follower needs tweeked slightly down as to not hang up the slide.
next around .100" of the feed lip at the most forward highest edge needs removed on the right side to clear the ejector...on the left side .030" needs to be removed to clear the slide rail. strip & remove the barrel the re install the slide, & mag & you'll see instantly what I mean. I can literally modify these mags in in minutes. The result will be a better functioning mag, steel flush mag floor plate that will except a proper bump if need be thats not finicky (I cant get mine to stop running now) that can still inter chance with a officer 1911 & no cheap plastic mag floor plate that would break if hit right on a hard floor & be USELESS. After alot of measuring & checking cw45 has a really tight chamber with steep sharp leade. This prevents the use of some (Hornady 200grn XTP- my favorite load) from chambering fully- and locks 'er up tight if tried. So Im using Winchester 185 silvertips & Federal 185 JHC with good results as the bullets ogive is seated closer to the case mouth. Lastly, the extension tail on the bottom of the slide that strips rounds from the mag, needs re-contoured & polished smooth, the dang thing is so sharp that it will plow brass from the top cartridge in the mag- especially with the overly strong spring of the Kahr Mag- if you keep it do yourself a favor & trim a coil off the spring.

http://kahrtalk.com/showpost.php?p=67816&postcount=43

[Ljutic]

I finally got my Wilson mag rebuild kit and my Presto blue pen this week so I finished up my project and gave it a good shake down at the range today. I'm incredibly happy to report flawless performance from the magazine through a box of target hardball and half a box of Fed Expanding FMJ 200 grain +P. I knew both of these ammos worked 100% in the gun so I didn't want to introduce any additional variables.

I'll be making a few more of these soon. Even with gutting the Metalform magazine and buying the rebuild kit, it's still just $23 to make one and you get the benefits of an extra round and last round slide lock back in a much more flush fitting magazine.

Thanks for all the tips and tricks along the way. The only caution I will throw into the mix is to make sure you get the rebuild kit pictured since it's specifically for the Metalform magazine.

[gb6491]

Excellent info Ljutic, thanks for sharing it!
FWIW, my modified magazine and my CW45 are trooping right along with nary a hiccup. I really like this package.:80:
Regards,
Greg

[LSP972]

FWIW, my modified magazine and my CW45 are trooping right along with nary a hiccup. I really like this package.

Ditto my P45. I have over 500 flawless rounds of my reloads, factory ball, and HST through it now, and will making another one as soon as I get around to ordering the appropriate follower & spring from Kahr.

Thanks again for the idea; it makes a huge difference in the gun's concealability.

.

[DinoCrayon]

I bought a Kimber Kimpro Tacmag 7rd and it fits fine inside my CW45 even locks back when I rack the slide on it empty. Do I still need to modify this at all?

[gb6491]

If the slide clears it as is, I'd go give it a test spin and proceed from there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EBWZvFBeUY
Given that Kahr magazines can sometimes contact the slide (as seen in the video), similar contact from an Officer's magazine probably should not be problematic.
Regards,
Greg

[DinoCrayon]

As-is the extractor moves slightly (smothly outward--out of the way, not upwards) when closing the slide. Would this cause harm in the long run? That video shows the extractor dragging on the unmodified mag.

[gb6491]

As-is the extractor moves slightly (smothly outward--out of the way, not upwards) when closing the slide. Would this cause harm in the long run? That video shows the extractor dragging on the unmodified mag.

As long it mimics what happens with a Kahr magazine in place I imagine it will probably work. I don't believe the extractor moved with the Kahr magazine in place when I shot that video (I don't think it appears to when reviewing the video as well). I do think that movement of the extractor caused by a magazine would not be a good thing.
Regards,
Greg

[phred]

I bought a Kimber Kimpro Tacmag 7rd and it fits fine inside my CW45 even locks back when I rack the slide on it empty. Do I still need to modify this at all?

I carry a KimPro 8 rounder as a spare mag. The only thing I did was remove a little bit of material so that the extractor did not make contact with the top of the mag. The stock sping and follower in my KimPro mag work great. I've had no feed problems with it and it locks the slide back when its empty.