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New Semi Owner - Magazine Question


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Now you're getting technical.

 

I'm somewhat new to this and not sure what all your nomenclature means. :(

 

 

.

Okay, understood. First if you are so inclined I heartily recommend that you purchase

a copy of the Thompson's Armorer DVD from the American Gunsmithing Institute. It is

excellent for both full-auto and semi-auto Thompsons. It goes into detail on both

types of Thompson mechanisms and disassembly and reassembly of the Thompson parts

which includes nomenclature of course.

 

That said, the catch face is the round metal in the middle of your picture. It is shown in

your picture in a roughly oval hole which is an oval hole in your trigger frame/lower receiver.

This hole is situated in front of your actual trigger and is filled with the magazine catch.

 

I think, at this point, that, even though it is unlikely, that your magazine catch face

is too short. You will see a tiny bit of whitened metal on the round mag catch face

where the blueing has been rubbed off. The fact that this wear does not extend across the entire

rounded face of the catch seems to indicate that the magazine catch is not far enough forward

to catch the magazine. I would be even more suspicious if you were to tell me that the

magazines routinely fall off your Thompson when full.

 

See the picture I uploaded. Although the trigger frame shown is actually for a full-auto

it is still very similar and I have labelled the parts I am talking about. The mag

catch face is surrounded by the trigger frame. I measure the distance from the trigger

frame magazine channel to the very edge of the rounded magazine catch face upper edge (the part that

would hold your magazines in place) on my Kahr Thompson to be 1/8 of an inch. I will try

to get a drawing of what I am in particular talking about since even a photo would be

difficult to explain that little distance.

Edited by T Hound
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Okay, after thinking about this I will try to make it easy.

 

When you put in a fully loaded new magazine (a Kahr magazine for instance)

does it immediately drop out? And does it do this with other magazines

you have? If so then it is probably the magazine catch and you will need

to replace the magazine catch.

 

If it does not immediately drop out, but immediately drops upon firing then

does it do this every time? If so, does it do this with all magazines?

If so then it is still probably the magazine catch.

 

If it only drops with one fully loaded magazine and not other fully loaded

magazines then it is probably the magazine.

 

Two things hold the magazine in place: Friction from the metal on metal

contact of the magazine slide and the magazine spine channel of the trigger

frame; and, the magazine catch face inserted into the hole on the magazine

spine. Friction will only keep a magazine in if it is not too heavy. So

a magazine that slides down immediately is a sign that the mag catch face

is not functioning as necessary.

 

John/T Hound

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Thanks for the explanation , now it's pretty clear.

 

I'll have to look into the DVD :)

 

I'll have to measure the catch, but don't think it sticks out quite 1/8".

 

Since I already lightly filed the mag I have, it no longer "slips" out.

 

I have to double check, but I don't think I can simply push the mag and click it into place ...I think I have to check the mag catch pushes in all the way because things are tight.

 

.

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Thanks for the explanation , now it's pretty clear.

 

I'll have to look into the DVD :)

 

I'll have to measure the catch, but don't think it sticks out quite 1/8".

 

Since I already lightly filed the mag I have, it no longer "slips" out.

 

I have to double check, but I don't think I can simply push the mag and click it into place ...I think I have to check the mag catch pushes in all the way because things are tight.

 

.

It is great that filing worked with the mag. But do you have this

slip out problems with all mags? That is the real question.

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I only have my 30 stick and 50 drum right now, so won't know til I start buying more mags.

 

Wondering if Kahr is the best place to get them now or if someone makes them better? :(

 

 

 

 

.

Kahr is the only place unfortunately unless you find some West Hurley semi-auto

Mags somewhere, somehow. You might find some Kahr magazines for sale at a gun-shop

but quite frankly the pricy cost of the Thompson would probably make that a rare

occurrence.

 

John/T Hound

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Thanks for the info.

 

I don't really have an issue w Kahr, just don't like to think I have to modify all the mags to fit possibly. :(

 

.

Well then, all you need do is buy at least one more magazine from Kahr and then

try it out. If you get the same result as before then you can either send your

Thompson back to Kahr to have another mag catch put in, buy one and do it yourself,

which voids warranty I believe, or live with it and modify your mags as you have

already done.

 

John/T Hound

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Like I want to go through the hassle of sending in the gun.

 

You would think after spending such money for something you wouldn't have such an issue. :(

 

Kahr isn't winning any future buyers from me. :(

Yeah, I understand the sentiment, but you don't yet know if it is the catch or the magazine. I wouldn't send it

in either even if it was the mag catch. I would do it myself. With the DVD you easily and quickly learn to do

things like change the mag catch out for a new one. You could also find a gunsmith. I believe Deerslayer is

a Thompson gunsmith. But that would entail shipping him the rifle unless you lived near him.

 

John/T Hound

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In these discussions, I'm thinking that the mag catch is not shaped/bent correctly.

 

Not knowing anyone locally to check it out...

 

And with further research and possibly watching the DVD on disassembly/reassembly I could get to the mag catch...and modify to fit correctly.

 

Wondering if heating the part and bending to fit properly would be proper practice for such a thing?

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In these discussions, I'm thinking that the mag catch is not shaped/bent correctly.

 

Not knowing anyone locally to check it out...

 

And with further research and possibly watching the DVD on disassembly/reassembly I could get to the mag catch...and modify to fit correctly.

 

Wondering if heating the part and bending to fit properly would be proper practice for such a thing?

The trouble with that is it looks exactly like my mag catch position in the hole. Perhaps mine

is off, but I haven't had any issues with it except for an old Tsmg mag I modified. And the issue

went away when I corrected it.

 

 

Stopperzero is correct that you will need to change the magazine catch spring too if you replace

the Mag catch. The spring is not visible from outside, but when you pull it off it is spiraled

around an axle that goes out on the right side. It is what provides the spring tension for the magazine

catch.

 

John/T Hound

Edited by T Hound
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