Advice on fixing a magazine feed issue (w/ UPDATED INFO)

[Lawman9328]

 

I went shooting yesterday at the local range and didn't have a very enjoyable experience !!

I had numerous failures with almost every one of my magazines in the feeding of ammunition while trying to do about 10-round dumps from both 30- and 20-round stick mags.  I'm thinking the problems is with my magazine catch since it appears the magazines are not seated high enough for the bolt to rack a round from the sticks.  When I held the magazines at the base and kind of pushed them up into the weapon I didn't have any issues at all.

I checked the holes on the back of the magazines and they were round with no obvious modifications to fit the semi-autos and no significant deformities from routine use.  

UPDATED INFO:  I have a West Hurley with USGI internals.  I have posted photos previously and the comments I got back stated that it looked like the weapon had been re-worked very professionally but I checked with all the "big names" (PK, Dan Block, etc) and none of them had a record of having worked on my serial number.  The internals are primarily Savage and AOC.  I purchased via an auction and the consignor stated that some internals were Colt......I believe those to be both selector switches and maybe the ejector.  I tried on numerous occasions to contact the consignor to get more information but never received a response back. I am unsure of the magazine release's origin.  It does not have the "purple haze" of many WH parts but I have also not taken it apart to determine if there is a manufacturers mark on the back.

The magazines are a mix of everything.  I had one 20-round patent date mag, a couple of early blank 20-round mags (not Colt era), and a mish-mash of WW2 era 20- and 30- round magazines from various makers.  I had the same issue no matter what magazine I was using.

Because I initially thought it might be an ammo issue I ended up using four different brands of .45 ACP / 230 grain ammo......Fiocchi, Sellier & Bellot, Winchester, and Federal/American Eagle

Are there other things to try in order to narrow down what the exact problem may be and/or suggestions on fixes I should try ?

Thanks, 

Gene

Edited March 8 by Lawman9328
Additional information added

[deerslayer]

Have you got a cast west hurley magazine catch?  If not, and something else is out of spec, you could have the magazine catch welded to raise the mags a little.  Simple solution would work.  Is it also possible you have new kahr mags?  Round holes on those and the would sit 1/10 inch low when locked in place on a full auto.

 

[Taliaferro]

Where did you get the magazines? They could be modern Kahr mags that will have round holes 9aligned

for semi autos only).

 

Tracie

[TSMGguy]

Not enough information to tell. Which gun do you have? Which internals and ammo? Any problems before?

[deerslayer]

Show us a picture of your magazine catch.  Regardless of what you have,  a little weld and reshape on the top where it goes in the magazine hole will raise it and you should be good function then.

[Mike Hammer]

6 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

Show us a picture of your magazine catch.  Regardless of what you have,  a little weld and reshape on the top where it goes in the magazine hole will raise it and you should be good function then.

Dan, you are right on the money, this is exactly the problem. I know, My 1st WH had the same problem. I fixed it myself and it became a flawless shooter. you can add a little dab of JB weld to the top of your catch and this will do the trick.