last little thing?.....Mec-Gar mag bottoms
 

Hi To all! A lot of my previous work both with mag upgrade and development, plus barrel work and just basic performance issues, has involved Mec-Gar magazines... Both Blue and Nickel. The latest MG mags leave little room for improvement, and actually, they have addressed problems a normal Luger shooter would NEVER see in a lifetime of shooting!....:eek:... I am impressed both with their product, and even though it took some time, their effort to correct issues that occurred from time to time....
But, all that having been said, one thing they still are missing is the funky black plastic Navy concentric ring bottom design! :eek:... Well, today I decided to see if that was correctible, and the good news is yes! A 3/4" ball end mill effectively removes all the rings and provides a much better concave recess to properly grasp the bottom piece... It's not all that much better looking, but it does look better???... I will trade you one of mine for one of yours for $10.00 and/or, sell you one for a broken mag bottom replacement for $15.00 ... I have a few, and will be generating more as time goes by....:jumper:.. Best to all, til....lat'r....GT....:cheers:

BTW, only applies to the Nylon filled (dull not shiny) new bottom pieces... the shiny ones will break soon if not already broken... :eek:

I have 2 of the shiny and 4 of the dull Mec-Gar bottoms in my junk box...New unused, all pulls...What are they worth to you??? :D

Hint: I could use an aluminum bottom...Of some kind... :rolleyes:

Hi Rich!
 

Hi Rich! toss the shiny ones... but the dull ones are perfect trade for a new EG cast bottom that is cleaned up along the part line! (Mauser WW2 clone!?) ....:thumbup:... I'll send out later this week if acceptable to you?.... :thumbup:... til....lat'r....GT....:cheers:

Going back in my cave for awhile?
 

Hi to all, seems as if I've been spouting off too much again!....:eek:... Time to get back to work as all I've recently learned is now out for review!... More in the future.. but work, work, work for now! best to all, and thanks, til...lat'r....GT...:cheers:

How about posting a pic of your modified dished Mec-Gar mag bottoms? :)

I hadn't noticed that Mec-Gar had changed to Nylon rather than plastic bases. In fact, I was somewhat surprised to note that an older Mec-Gar I have has an aluminum follower, rather than the new plastic followers.

Newer does not mean better. :soapbox:

I recently bought one of the new MecGars - it works flawlessly!

pictures or didn't happen :evilgrin:

Pictures!
 

Hi Ed and all! Yes! I'll get some pictures as soon as I get back from NC! My daughter is getting her masters in clinical psychology ..... Be back Monday! Proud papa! ....:cheers:.. best to all, til...lat'r....GT....:cheers:

It looks something like this:

http://media.midwayusa.com/productim...892/892431.jpg

:thumbup::cheers:

:roflmao:

Serving Zorba is own medicine are you? :D

Hmmmm...Midway has Mec-Gar Luger mags back in stock??? Greg Cote has them as well. :)

I think what we want pics of is Gerry's dished Mec-Gar Nylon mag bottoms. I'm just curious as to whether the ball end mill leaves a shiny finish against the dull charcoal finish of the OEM bottom... :rolleyes:

Well, I thought that while we're waiting for Gerry to return, I'd experiment... :)

First pic is of a shiny plastic (not Nylon) Mec-Gar mag base clamped between two pieces of plywood...I have a quick & dirty jig for holding Luger aluminum magazine bottoms (shown on top of vise) but the Mec-Gar is a bit larger, so I just clamped it...It's junk, after all... :p

Second pic is after the 5/8" ball end mill dishes out the knob. Not a high-gloss shine, more dull...It could be buffed with a rounded mandrel & wet-or-dry sandpaper, but again, OEM plastic - who cares... :rolleyes:

So, it looks like Gerry's dishing magazine knobs would be an interesting & maybe worthwhile modification. Especially if you had several mags. They could even be dished without removal. ;)

(I'll delete this stuff when Gerry returns and posts pics of his work). :thumbup:

Nooo!

Don't delete, it is very worth while for those who want to DIY to see what you have.
That can be done in a drill press or by hand, a mill is not necessary IMO- but the ball mill may be.

I learned something I didn't know, I thought the shiny aluminum bases were metal- not plastic.

LIve and learn.

Thanks for posting.

pictures posted for non-picture GT ;)

Rich, I too hate it when you delete pictures / threads because its usually helpful :)

here ya go!
 

The pictures Ed so graciously added to the beginning of the thread, (because I can't figure out how to do it!..:confused:) shows the Nylon reinforced MEC-GAR mag bottoms with my effort to dish the knobs for better purchase when shooting?... Where as Rich used a 5/8" end mill, I used a 3/4" and took it to the max, both have there appeal but, I would say it is most likely what we had on hand was what got used! :thumbup: I am probably going to stay with the 3/4" because it is out to the max and feels very positive for the shooter in me.. but, aesthetically, the 5/8" is by far more preferable... :)... Either way, it is an improvement to the MEC-GAR concentric ring offering... The last picture is a normal day at GT's work space! (next qty. 5 Numrich drums going out!) It can change to messy and stormy in a heartbeat!... :eek:... Best to all, til...lat'r....GT...:cheers:

Hi Rich! Please, Don't delete! You efforts and posts are always really interesting, and food for thought at a very high level!!!! .... I learn from them every time you post!..... Best to you, til...lat'r...GT

Exactly. My quick change collet set only goes to 5/8". My R8 collets go to 7/8" but I lose 2" quill travel if I go to them. I haven't had a use for any ball end mill greater than 5/8" yet.

What I need is a precision ground 4" high table adapter so that the R8 collets will extend down to the work surface. Until I get that sorted out, I'll stick with the QC collets.

I like to amuse myself with humorous comments, but I realize that my humor is only appreciated by myself so I'll delete them after I have my chuckle. I crack myself up sometimes! :thumbup: :D ;)

Process used!
 

Hi Rich, I get your humor.... again don't delete! It's part of the fun here.... :)... The main difference between what we have done, is mine is lathe turned, while yours are milled.... I wish I had a mill... maybe in the future!....:)Best to you, and all, til...lat'r...GT.....:cheers:

i think it just looks aluminum? Mec gar never made aluminum did they?

Mec-Gar Mags
 

What a great thread!
Thanks to all. I will look at my mags again
Aldo35

You chuck one knob in the lathe chuck and the ball end mill in the tailstock chuck??? Another skinned cat! :D

I have been on the lookout for a tool post milling attachment for years. I owned one once; they are great! Basically a mill vise mounted on an L-shaped base, it has a center pivot so you can turn it 360º. It also has a screw to allow lengthwise movement.

It makes any operation so much easier. :)

Shade tree machining!!!!
 

Hi Rich, long ago, actually since the start of my machining efforts, I've always been either under machined (too small!), or broke! Which in machinist terms is the same thing! ....So, I have had to invent almost all my own tooling, fixtures, collets and such. It not only had to be simple, but inexpensive, and flexible..... So, early on I started making my own one-shot collets by turning a round disc on my lathe, indexed to my three jaw chuck, with the correct size hole and a slot to provide clamping / spring tension, and bored to the final dia. with a boring tool or drill / reamer.. As long as I always mounted it indexed the same, it was repeatable zero and concentric! I found I could reposition the work by sliding it thru or re-indexing it to my home grown collet and maintain concentricity, as long as the index marks were aligned. So, with the mag bottoms I simply insert the knob thru the homemade collet from the back side, and it is both held tight and true... then I just plunge with a ball end mill ...:eek:... If the stock moves, I simply wedge a piece of aluminum stock between the backside of the work and the face of the 3 jaw chuck.... (really shade tree!!!!:eek:) If I even remotely ever knew what I was doing, I would have probably quit years and years ago!.....:)... Best to all, til...lat'r....GT.....:cheers:

In Rich's post #11 it looks like this could be accomplished with a drill press?

Those "remodeled" mag bottoms look great. Such talented and creative folks on this forum.

Sure you can do it in a drill press!
Most presses have a depth stop, if it does not, just be careful!
Heck, you could do it with a hand drill.

yyyyeeeessss & no!
 

It very soon becomes a project in stability..... A mill, or a Lathe, usually have considerable "stiffness & stability" built into the spindle or quill..... so if you can hold the work, you don't have to worry about chatter... if you have a real good drill press, and mount the tool bit as high as you can and move the quill as little as possible, you might have good results IF the work is clamped tight as well.... 5/8" and larger are pretty stout bits, especially if sharp?.... With plastic, you just might get away with it..... turn it slow??? otherwise, you're probably going to have issues... :eek:... best to all, til...lat'r...GT...:cheers:

Ooh, I'd love to see that! Post lots of pics! And don't be embarrassed! :thumbup:

I had some experience in the past drilling holes in Lexan and Plexiglass. The secret for success, particularly in hand work, is a material-specific bit that is profiled to cut plastic. The edges are barely relieved, so the cutting edge is very close to 90 degrees, and they more scrape than cut. A regular bit will dig right in and advance without enough material being removed per revolution. This, in turn, causes binding--just like driving in a wedge--and the piece will pop/crack/shatter apart. Using something with a controlled rate of advance, such as the mill, helps a lot. I'm wondering if a pre-heated bit would net better results on the brittle plastic ones.

I "removed" the rings from a mec-gar mag the day GT posted this idea.
Used my drill press and a "normal" 5/8" drill; works fine.

You guys that have equipment and knowledge of how to run them are spoiled!

Us poor farm boys know how to make do.

No need to take a picture, it was easy. I'm going to buy a ball mill so the cut will be round and smoother, instead of kind of conical.

I run my press slow, and with the geared feed on the "press" it is pretty easy to move the bit down
slowly enough, if I set the stop, cut, reset, I can get a nice job.

My press is probably 50 or 60 years old and a little heavier than some.

My Dremel has a big pink round grinder..Like Don, I have very little in the way of machinery. My "lathe" is a drill clamped into a shop vise and a file. It's surprising but you can make some really fine brass parts with it and a dial caliper!

Jerry,
you made me smile, I've made more than one firing pin and shaped and shortened screws and pins with the same "lathe".

Now I use my drill press, but the horizontal "lathe" was easier to see and work with !:cheers:

I used a grinding point, sanding drum, and polishing bud in my dremel today to put the ramp in my luger carbine barrel! One can't tell it from the original bbl. I used as a guide.:evilgrin:

Yes..I have always envied a nice lathe..and the skill to run one. But I have neither. It would take space I don't have, time and quite the learning curve. But I really appreciate the projects presented on here by those with the skill. It's always fascinating.

Buy a 5/8" or 3/4" wood bit instead. The flat one, with a central spike point. Grind the spike off and grind a radius on each side, angled so it will cut. Use that for the Mec-Gar knobs.

I did this with a larger wood bit to cut reliefs in Spanish Mauser stocks, the ones with straight bolt handles. I heated the handles with a torch and bent them, then added the reliefs. Looked as good as a German Mauser K98.

So far, that's about half a dozen ways to skin this cat. Luger University never ceases to amaze! Always a seminar and lively discussion about related finer points, techniques, alternate routes, plans, dreams, losses, and victories... The forum is a remarkable team which cover just about all the bases!:thumbup:

It was too late last night (it was dark...and scary...), so this morning I went out to the tool shed and dug out my 'Mauser bolt reliever' modified wood bit. I forgot to mention that the shank should be as short as possible but give good support in the drill press/mill chuck jaws. IIRC, I also used high speed. The better to send pieces of work flying around the basement. :evilgrin:

I also have an old Harbor Freight drill press vise that allows movement (about 4") in the X and Y axis. I'm not sure if I'd trust it to steel, but it works satisfactorily on wood, plastic [Delrin!], and to a degree, aluminum. :rolleyes:

All could be used for simple tasks like dishing out magazine knobs, small milling of wood holes/slots, etc.

...Oops...Am I giving away G.T.'s trade secrets??? :( Disregard, people!!! This can not be done at home!!! Strictly for professionals!!! Move along!!! Nothing to see here!!! :grr:

Gerry, back in the 70's/80's, before I bought my Bridgeport [now gone], I used a tool post milling attachment for my South Bend 14 1/2" x 60" lathe. There's a couple on eBay right now but pretty high price and kinda small...

But they can bridge the gap between a lathe and mill until you can find/buy a milling machine. I used mine for milling out reliefs for Bo-Mar BMCS low-mount rear sights, dovetails, S&W micrometer K frame sights, etc - all in 1911 slides. It was also good for making small parts. It adds 360º adjustability to the lathe, plus an extra 'Z' axis. :thumbup:

(Just to be clear, you mount the end mill in the lathe chuck and this attachment to the tool post!) ;)

If I didn't have the mill in my Chinese 3in1 machine I'd buy this attachment. :)

I know this is an old post, but I'm amazed that everybody can perform the
quality they do without the right tools. You can buy a small very precision
mill from Grizzley for $754 shipped. I bought my small harbor freight lathe
for $500 used. Its called a precision where they hand scrape the rails. Both
will do quality work, equal to your talents.


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Aren't you the guy that thought books cost too much?

So that's where you store the lathe chuck key! I wondered where to keep it so I wouldn't lose it. :thumbup:

And the power strip is a handy way to keep all your power cords together. :cheers:

I swear, there's not a day go by that I don't learn something new! :D

Not good practice in a lathe used by more than one person, maybe marginal if you're the only one in the shop!