Kart/Dworak Magazines

With the demise of the Metalform Colt Ace Magazines what magazines are you using for your Kart or Dworak conversion Unit?

Hands down GSG 1911 22 mags are the best thing since sliced bread!

If you want to be old school, I have 2 of the colt ace magazines that I would be willing to sell.

In my Nelson I have had zero problems with the Nelson mags or the AA mags in the Nelson.  In the AA I have had very little trouble with AA mags. 

My MP units and their mags, even the GSG, have had their problems.  Best MP mag set up for me has been a finely reformed Metalform.

I bought a GSG magazine and tried using it with dummy rounds and hand cycling the slide. It is totally unreliable. It will not get through five rounds without a malfunction. I have no hope that it will work with live rounds. The dummy rounds hit on the left side of the chamber and also on the top of the chamber. There is so much width to the lips of the magazine that the round is not directed straight at the chamber.
 The zinc body does not allow adjustment. It would not work on the Dworak unit or the Kart. Others may have different experience but I caution others as to my experience.

I don't like how loose the cartridges are in a gsg mag. If you insert the mag too quickly into receiver I've had rounds pop out. They also seem to feed wildly/inconsistently. I like Colt mags, but I'm a gunsmith and tune them myself. But I have many friends who love the gsg mags. The weight is also nice when used in a Marvel to bring weight of pistol up.
Jon

One thing I really like about the GSG mags is that they are relieved where the trigger bow passes around them so that there's no chance of contact.

Walt Jackson

I tried the GSG magazine and it worked about the same as the tuned Colt Ace Magazines. The problem that I am having is the pistol is double feeding the rounds.  The nose of the second round ( after the one being fed into the chamber) is moved forward and the nose of the bullet blocks the slide from going all the way into battery. The slide lacks about 1/32 of an inch of being in battery. 
 When this happens the hammer will fall but since the round is out of battery the result is as a light firing pin strike. The round can be fired by recocking the hammer and pulling the trigger. You can also drop the mag and the slide will go into battery. The chamber is clean and the rounds will fall out of the chamber when barrel is held vertical.
 What needs to be done to keep the second round from feeding? The double feeding happens about 20% of the time. It happens with Colt Ace and the GSG magazine. The recoil spring will not close the slide when the extractor hits the barrel if you very carefully stop the extractor when it contacts the barrel. But with any momentum the slide will close.

What recoil spring weight are you using? Sounds like it's too light. Slide is cycling too fast and slide is jarring 2nd round out of magazine and double feeding.  I normally squeeze the feed lips on Colt magazines when I tune them. They come too wide.
jon

I'll agree with Jon, but it could also be a to heavy recoil spring just barley getting the slide to the rear.  And I just quickly re-read the series, what ammo are you using Kermit?  And the grand finale' what weight mainspring do you have in the gun.  These are all players in getting your conversion to run.

The recoil spring is lighter than normal. Sometime in the past it has been "clipped". My scales show it at 3.5 pounds. My scales also show a new Kart Spring that I have had several years at 4 pounds. Also another Kart unit's spring shows four pounds on my scales.So I can say pretty confidently that the spring is light. I will install the new Kart spring and use a 4 pounder.
 The ammo is CCI Std. Velocity plastic box that was bought 7-8 years ago.
 I have no idea what the mainspring weight is. I would assume that it is Colt's standard weight for .45 ACP. What weight mainspring is ideal for the Kart/Dworak units?

I had a Kart for several yrs and it had feeding problems for most of that time. Ammo was CCI and later Aguila & Eley Sport which were both worse. New Wolff springs of 4, 4.5, & 5# were tried and  higher speed Aguila (black box, match) worked well with either the 4.5 or 5# Wolffs (Wolves??). The unit was sold in favor of my  always dependable Marvels.
My conclusion was that unit needed stronger ammo with stronger springs to work.

I have mag, which from your description, must be a GSG, stored away somewhere that would never work in any of the conversions with any of the above ammo.

Ron Habegger

Kermit, I normally start with a 18lb mainspring.  I have dropped down to a 17 once.  The heaviest spring you can use an still maintain reliability is your best bet.