Making a new mag band

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JimN
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Making a new mag band

Post by JimN »

I only had 2 options when it was down to refinishing the stock on my .357 RH. Cut out the center of the forearm or make a new mag band. There was no way I was going to use a force multiplier to sqeeze it back together once I was refinished.
After some careful measurements, taking stock of the tools and material I was going to need, I figured I was only lacking 4 items. 2 drill bits, 1 chunk of steel, and a machine screw. Total cost less than $35.
idea drawing a.jpg
1.5" x .5" x 5' Smallest I could find $8 and change. As long as the drill bits held out I could make a lot of mistakes.
flat stock a.jpg
Cleaned and trued it up with 80 grit on the combo belt/disc sander. Time for the drill press. I decided to go with a 8-32 for the cross screw so I used a 29 bit. that is a 6-32 in the pic. 35/64 for the mag tube, 16.5 mm bit for the barrel. Scribed out lines for a rough cut and cut it with the porta band and dremel.
2nd a.jpg
Sanded it down by hand to 600 grit and then hit it with the perma blue.
finished 1 a.jpg
Z finally 2 a.jpg
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by Reese-Mo »

Other than the cross screw being... a bit gaudy.... NICE JOB!
JimN
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by JimN »

Gaudy??? What is this "gaudy" thing you speak of? Oh. That.
Well Pimp My Ranch Hand!!! :lol:
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by GasGuzzler »

Get the screw to about 500 degrees in your gas grille if you have one then dump it in oil. I did that with an AK sight and it turned out well. That's ASSuming you don't like it shiny. Nice work on the band.
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by Archer »

Pretty good.
I think I'd have blended the corners off but it gives you a unique profile.

Looks like the screw coming through the mag end cap has been shortened to keep it from interfacing with the barrel? I was under the impression that screw should slot into the bottom of the barrel without bottoming out to help keep the mag tube resist backing out under recoil.
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by JimN »

You are correct GasGuzzler, no butts there. My problem is that whenever I attempt something I have never, even remotely, done before I have a tendency to over analyze the situation, almost to inactivity. That being said, I know where I can borrow a heat gun with selective temp control so I can watch the color change without burning my eyebrows off.
Archer, at first I was going to radius the corners, but 1. what I call the coffin shape started to grow on me and b. it was a whole lot easier to sand the flats from 80 to 600 grit than it would have been on a curved surface that small. I'll never admit which reason swayed me more. :)
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by JimN »

The mag cap screw has not been shortend. You have to realize the factory band is approx. 5/8" center to center. The new band is approx. 3/4" centerline.
compare 1 a.jpg
compare 1aa.jpg
While I agree with your impression about the purpose of the screw, I think it is secondary or even tertiary, when you consider the clamping action of the factory band. I am using the notch in the barrel as the primary, and only considering the 16.5 mm hole is a loose fit on the barrel, holder of the mag tube. I don't think it will be an issue with the .357. I'll let you know Thur. That is when I am going to field test everything.
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by JimN »

Failed. Barrel jumped the screw. I need to make a new one. I need to bias the screw hole about a 1/32 to 1/16 further into the barrel notch. May have to use a 41/64 bit and enlarge the hole to fit. 16.5 mm was at the large end of my acceptable hole size for the barrel. Might have to look into case hardening. I could be dealing with elongation issues with the mild steel.
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by Archer »

Too much inertia on the mag tube?
Little or no deformation clamping from the band?
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Re: Making a new mag band

Post by JimN »

I guess filming with a high speed camera so I can see it in super slo mo would answer those questions, but I have to put that on the list of things I'll never buy. On the other hand, unless I need that 4' 10" long chunk of steel for another project, I have another 58 chances to get it right. :lol: I figure If I can't get it right by then I'm gonna give up.
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