Report On Tapco 30rnd Box Mags

[catnipman]

As promised, here's my update on the Tapco 30rnd "excellent" magazines. I purchased 12 of the "excellent" Tapco 30rnd box mags a few days ago. The nominal cost was $10.99 each. Add to that $8.95 for shipping, plus I paid a $5.00 "hand select" fee, and the total came to $12.15 each.

 

They arrived 8 days after I ordered them. Heavily covered in cosmoline as expected. After disassembly, cleanup, and reassembly, I determined that 8 of the 12 were indeed excellent condition. Most were slightly used, but had complete finish, and no rust, pits, dings, or any other damage. Springs were all without rust. Follower works smoothly in all of them, and they worked just fine in semi mode at a nearby range. (Didn't feel like driving further to where I can shoot FA mode just to test mags.)

 

Of the remaining four, 3 were what I would consider to be good to very good, but definitely not excellent. The fourth was excellent in every way except the lower lip was mashed and not easily repaired, and hence, that magazine wouldn't be functional.

 

I think Tapco did their best to send me excellent magazines, but the problem is that the cosmoline is so heavy that exact condition isn't readily apparent.

 

When I called, they cheerfully agreed to exchange my four magazines, and seemed well aware of the fact that the heavy cosmoline makes it difficult for them to make perfect hand selections.

 

Cleaning the cosmoline, having to send the mags back and then clean another batch is definitely a hassle; however, it's hard to beat $12.15 for excellent quality magazines. If you're both rich and have limited time and patience, then this option probably isn't for you. If you've got spare time and less money and don't mind doing a little work for a bargain, then this might be the way to go if you're looking for some more 30rnd box mags.

[LIONHART]

There are two items that I use to clean Cosmo. 1) Purple Power 2) Handheld Steamer..

[philasteen]

On mags, Kerosene works great as a cleaner

[AZDoug]

For cosmo removal, a mix of 95% cheapo mineral spirits (walmart), and 5% Dexron ATF duplicates the Safety kleen solvent (add anhydrous lanolin if you really want the Safety Kleen formula).

 

I have that in my parts washers,and when fresh, the cosmo melts off in a few minutes when warm (90F), and overnight if under 50F.

 

Doug

[wildwilly2002]

Hand picked a few of those mags at SAR show in phoenix. Was very pleased with them. After cleaning they looked almost new. They are still awaiting operational check!

[Grey Crow]

It would be nice to get a break on XX mags.!

[LIONHART]

Crow, there was an individual located in Arizona selling Brand Spanking NEW 20Rd Magazines for $25.00 It was even posted someplace here.

[LIONHART]

Whether you purchased them at SAR or anywhere else, they all come apart the same way. There is a Tab on the Bottom of the Magazine. You simply push the Tab out. There is a slot where one can insert a tool if needed. Patent Date Magazines can be found for as little as $20.00 to $125.00

[AZDoug]

But gasoline contains benzenes and anilines and other sundry, obnoxious hydrocarbons, which absorb readily through the skin and cause liver and kidney cancer and other unwanted ailments. Mineral spirits are pretty benign as far as non-polar solvents go.

 

Doug

[catnipman]

I soaked mine in gasoline outside and used nitrile gloves. Should have also used a chemical respirator, even though I worked outdoors.

 

BTW, I think all newly obtained TSMG box mags should be disassembled, cleaned, follower tested for smooth movement, lightly re-oiled and then reassembled. Now that I have my improved mag anvil, I also gage, and shape if necessary, the mag lips. This also includes inspection and shaping of the front lip flare, though the anvil doesn't help with this.

 

Really, all of the solvents mentioned here are nasty, nasty chemicals and gloves and respirators should always be worn. In the short term, no damage is usually apparent, but the damage is cumulative, and eventually, at a miniumum, most people become very sensitive to these solvents if they are used extensively without proper protection, to the point that even minor exposures can cause great illness. Liver, CNS, and brain damage all occur to a lesser or greater degree.

 

Personally, i think MEK is one of the worst. Here's a link about MEK (and some others):

 

MEK info