CW45/P45: Flush fit magazine - UPDATED

[gb6491]

Punted...

Since I couldn't get a modified OM mag to feed well enough for me, I went the other way. I pulled apart one of my 7 round Kahr mags, and cut the bottom off. I modded it to use the removable floor from the Kimber mag. In the end, it looks really decent, and protruded about 1/16 of an inch. I used the Kahr follower, so I'm still at 6+1, but it should be dead on reliable.

Excellent! Would you please post some photos of it and how you modified the magazine? I think many folks would be just as pleased with that.
Regards,
Greg

[FHBrumb]

Here's a couple of pics... Both are Kahr mags, Kahr springs, Kahr Followers, 6 rounds...

[FHBrumb]

When I get a good trip to the range under it, I'll hit it good with a rotary brush to clean it up a bit.

[Texas]

Hey guys great info, my first post. Got my kahr cw45 about a month ago and just did the mod on two mags I ordered from CDNN sports. Both shipped were about $36. For both I just took a little off the top sides, and some off the part in front where it meets with the barrel's feed ramp (enough to where it sits right underneath the ramp). First gun so pardon any wrong terminology.

Mec-Gar Officers 45acp 6rd Blue MGCO4506 1 13.99

MetalForm Officers 45acp 7rd Blue MET45S290 1 9.99

The Mec-Gar holds 6, seems better built, and holds the slide open after I eject the last round. The Metalform holds 7 but doesn't hold the slide open on the last bullet unless I push the magazine in a little tighter, this is enough to raise the slide stop lever on the inside. I'm going to try bending that little part up a little and see if it does it then. I'm going to the range to test both mags sometime this week.

Flush.jpg
Mec-Gar on left, Metalform on right.
Mags.jpg

[gb6491]

Welcome to the forums Texas!
Regards,
Greg

[FHBrumb]

My last mag experiment is a winner. I'll keep it!

[RogerP9fan]

Punted...

Since I couldn't get a modified OM mag to feed well enough for me, I went the other way. I pulled apart one of my 7 round Kahr mags, and cut the bottom off. I modded it to use the removable floor from the Kimber mag. In the end, it looks really decent, and protruded about 1/16 of an inch. I used the Kahr follower, so I'm still at 6+1, but it should be dead on reliable.

Is this the one you're referring to? This is whole different approach (removing the floor plate) How'd you do it? Will you post some pics here?

[FHBrumb]

I bought a Kahr mag. I put it in the pistol, and marked with a sharpie, about 1/8 below the grip. I cut the mag bottom off with a Dremel wheel. I looked at how the bottom of the Kimber mag was shaped, and cut the Kahr mag to look about the same. This ended the easy part.

I then heated the bottom of the mag with a torch, and started to bend it with small "gator nose" pliers. After I got pretty close to the bends that I saw on the Kimber, I stopped and used a Dremel wheel again, to trim things up. After that, I put the two floor pieces in place on the mag, and squeezed it a bit in a padded vice. I heated up the whole thing, and started tapping the bends to a square right angle, and into the slots on the Kimber floor. Then I scrubbed it up good, and put it all back together. Somehow, got it pretty well right on the first try.

Now that I know it works, I'll put a wire wheel into the Dremel, and clean it up good...

[FHBrumb]

Yes, it is still removable.

[RogerP9fan]

Wow, nice work and thanks for elaborating. I might need to add a blow torch to my list here soon in addition to the various files mentioned previously in this thread. lol
Greg,
Have you ever considered this approach?
What is your opinion of doing it this way compared to the way you've done it?
It just seems to me that changing out the floorplate would be the best solution with the least room for error. I'd imagine the feeding end of the magazine must have precise edges/angles to allow for proper feeding.

[gb6491]

Wow, nice work and thanks for elaborating...

+1 on that!

Greg,
Have you ever considered this approach?
What is your opinion of doing it this way compared to the way you've done it?
It just seems to me that changing out the floorplate would be the best solution with the least room for error. I'd imagine the feeding end of the magazine must have precise edges/angles to allow for proper feeding.

I think it's an excellent idea and you are correct that doing it this way would give you a magazine with better configured feed lips (in regards to Kahr .45s). I have thought about trying something similar with the 9mm magazines: shortening the magazine tube and re-bending the ears to eliminate the gap with the metal base plate. Speaking of base plates, that FHBrumb has found a readily available base plate for the 45 magazines makes this mod a much more attractive route to go (otherwise it would probably have involved fabricating a new base plate and welding it in place). Still, I probably won't be doing any this way for my CW45 because modified Officer's magazines work so well in it (and are not as labor intensive to mod). However, if I had a PM45, I'd sure have some base plates on order from Kimber.
Regards,
Greg

[gb6491]

KT member ecwcfl has posted an excellent thread about modifying Kimber Kimpro magazines. These are seven round magazines (flush fit) and he states the modified magazines will lock the slide back with the Kimber follower:
CW45 7Rd Flush Fit MAG that locks 100% - http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7813

Well worth reading!
Regards,
Greg

[gb6491]

KT member ecwcfl has posted an excellent thread about modifying Kimber Kimpro magazines. These are seven round magazines (flush fit) and he states the modified magazines will lock the slide back with the Kimber follower:
CW45 7Rd Flush Fit MAG that locks 100% - http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7813

Well worth reading!
Regards,
Greg

I didn't have good luck when bending the Kimpro follower and getting the magazine to consistently lock the slide back with My CW45. I also believe there are other circumstances that contributed to this in my particular pistol. Per other reports in that thread, chances are good that you will have better success than I did. All was not lost as the Kimpro tube works perfectly with a Kahr follower and spring. The Kimpro follower and spring give me 7 rounds in a Kahr six round tube (though no lock back).



Speaking of springs; I revisited a MecGar magazine (second from right above) that camsden1 posted as locking the slide back with it's follower (http://kahrtalk.com/showpost.php?p=40519&postcount=69 ). I didn't have consistent results when I tried it and shelved it. Well, looking at it again, I removed a little more material from the top of the tube and tested it at the range with perfect function (big props to camsden1). Now to the spring part, if you trim a small piece from the back leg of the MecGar follower and install with a Kimpro spring, the MecGar mag will hold seven rounds. The spring is marginal, so locking back may not be consistent and I advise against stretching springs for more oomph. However, YMMV and I thought I'd throw it out there as it only takes removing a slight bit of material from the follower and it will still function fine with the MecGar spring.

Regards,
Greg

[onecoolfan]

I posted a new thread with my version of this today, but I thought I would throw the same information in here. I wanted a true flush fit solution so I started with Kimber magazines with welded bases. I cut the bases off, shortened the tubes, made new bases and welded them in place. Here is the result.

[jocko]

problem

I posted a new thread with my version of this today, but I thought I would throw the same information in here. I wanted a true flush fit solution so I started with Kimber magazines with welded bases. I cut the bases off, shortened the tubes, made new bases and welded them in place. Here is the result.

is u have the ability that probabl;y 90% of us do not have:israel:

really nice work, indeed..