I have a Magazine that won't feed reliably

[SavageSig]

My father's Smith and Wesson Model 645 was kept stored in a gun case for ~20 years with two magazines loaded with hardball before I started using it again 4 years ago. Things were fine then. Yesterday at the range, however, I figured out that one of those magazines is consistently misfeeding rounds, especially those near the end of the mag. Is there some way to salvage the mag? Would special cleaning help it? Or, considering the excessive amount of time the mag springs were compressed, would replacing the spring help? If so, anyone know where I can find the spring?

Thanks for the help in advance.

[Guest bkelm18]

If it is consistently happening with the last few rounds in the mag, it's probably the spring.

[Oh Shoot]

Tried just stretching spring out some?

(try to do it evenly)

- OS

[SavageSig]

Just stretch it out a few times like an accordion? Or like hang a weight from it for a period of time?

I appreciate the quick responses

[Oh Shoot]

Just stretch it out a few times like an accordion? Or like hang a weight from it for a period of time?

I appreciate the quick responses

I'm no spring expert, but just try stretching it manually.

A modern spring in good shape is really not supposed to lose its zap just from being compressed; it's compression and decompression from actually using it that causes the loss of turgor over time.

But I guess an old spring could actually have the metal somewhat degraded over time, could actually have the steel with some degree of decomposition internally or something.

So try stretching it, maybe even further than you think you should if a reasonable effort doesn't work. Always the chance that you might wind up having to replace it, but hopefully not.

- OS

[dralarms]

Take the spring out of a good mag and put in the bad one before doing anything else, that way you KNOW if it's the spring or not.

[Guest bugmanz]

call smith customer service ,in my dealing with them,they want to satisfy the owner.might get a new mag out of it.

[SavageSig]

Thanks for the tips guys. I went to the range the other day with my newly stretched spring and well cleaned mag and I had zero issues. It's been relegated to the position of "range mag", but if it keeps up the good work, I might put it back in the home defense rotation.

[LagerHead]

Thanks for the tips guys. I went to the range the other day with my newly stretched spring and well cleaned mag and I had zero issues. It's been relegated to the position of "range mag", but if it keeps up the good work, I might put it back in the home defense rotation.

Rotation? Where do you live? Compton?

Just kidding of course. That just conjured in me an image of shootouts every night at the homestead. Of course, I'm not sure how you manage to NOT have shootouts every night after reading the latest Brady propaganda.

[SavageSig]

Rotation? Where do you live? Compton?

Just kidding of course. That just conjured in me an image of shootouts every night at the homestead. Of course, I'm not sure how you manage to NOT have shootouts every night after reading the latest Brady propaganda.

Haha, not quite. I always heard that you should rest your magazine springs, so I like to keep half my mags unloaded at any one time. When I go to the range, I swap full magazines for empty ones. But after hearing that wear on the spring is from decompressing and compressing rather than long term compression, I might just keep a few loaded and use the others exclusively as range mags.