Rimfire Magazines - Part 2

Before you head out to the range to try out the freshly cleaned and lubricated magazines we discussed in Part 1, a short detour through your shop for a little tool fabrication might be a good idea. I call this little tool a "Magazine Lipper", although there's probably a better name for it. "Lipper", fro now at least, will have to do.

Dig through your old screwdrivers and look for one with a square shank. That old beat up one that's been misused and abused almost beyond any further use will be just perfect! I shudder to think what this poor screwdriver must have been through, but here's it's chance for a new life.

One seriously abused screwdriver, for sure!

Wire brush off as much of the rust, paint, fiberglass resin, and other stuff stuck to the blade of the screwdriver. Grab the shank in a vise and hacksaw off all but about an inch and a half. Once cut off, hacksaw a slot into the side of the shank almost all the way through. Notice that I've angled the slot a little bit. It's not critical, but it works a little better that way.

"The "Magazine Lipper" all ready to go!

After cutting the slot in the shank, grind a radius to the end and back of the shank as shown. De-burr any sharp edges, and you're done. Not all magazines use the same thickness of sheet metal, so depending on your magazines and the thickness of your hacksaw blade you may have to widen the slot a little bit to get it to fit snugly.

The Magazine Lipper in use.

The Magazine Lipper on a Smith & Wesson Model 22A Magazine.

Some magazines, particularly the ones from the pistol's manufacturer, are heat treated and don't bend very easily. This is good, however, as when you get them working as you want, they tend to stay working. Some of the after-market magazines are amazingly soft and won't stay adjusted at all. If your magazines are very soft, thin, and the lips bend easily, you may want to consider getting better ones, as it can be plenty difficult to get them to run properly with good ones, and cheap ones will just make you crazy! (Or crazier, depending......)

It's range time!