TM MK23 magazine stripping guide

[simonmoore1986]

After wanting to fix my own leaky magazines I found no guide anywhere to open the genuine TM mags.
So here is my brief guide with pis.
Firstly things you will need.
A magazine
A vice
Centre punch
3.5mm punch
6mm punch
3.5mm drill bit (metal)
Small flat head screw driver.
Hammer (size is not important, a small one will do!)
A drill, a good one (The item requiring drilling is hardened and needs good torque)
PFTE tape and or Liquid PFTE (available in any car part shop or Halfords)

20130508_195832.jpg

WARNING I CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR STUFF, THIS IS A ROUGH GUIDE AND REQUIRES SOME SKILL AT DRILLING.


The main Problem is there is a pin with no exit hole so drilling is required.

1) First step is To secure the top in a vice (If you don’t have a vice like me then a solid work surface should suffice, nothing you don’t want marks on….. i.e. Not on the kitchen side!)

2) Remove the first two holding pins using the 3.5mm punch. Simple enough.

20130508_181511.jpg

3) Centre punch the third pin, this is to centre your drill bit.

4) Now drill the pin. You do not have to drill through the hole magazine, just through the casing thickness, approx. 1mm, I found it was just easy enough to drill a bit, see if it will pull out if not drill a bit more. The hard part of drilling is the pin I harder than the casing. If like me you didn’t have a centre punch you have to be careful as the drill bit will be roll of the pin and into the casing. You will elongate your hole, although it will cause no damage but not be aesthetically pleasing. The main point is to keep looking at you drilling a re-correct your position to ensure the pin gets it!
Once the pin has been drilled you will be able to pull the base plate off. Be care full there is a spring on the opposite side that is dying to find the floor!

20130508_193733B.jpg

5)Take off the square seal of the base plate and clean all the surfaces Reapply the ring and add PFTE tape around the ring, Ensuring good coverage. The amount needed changed between 1 wrap to three, after that the base plate will be hard to get on and will no longer help. If you have reassembled and it is still leaking from the base, you will need PFTE liquid, add to the side and top and reassemble, A large amount of liquid is not required.

20130508_193925B.jpg20130508_194906B.jpg

6) When reassembling ensure you keep the spring in with a small screw driver, and re pin.

SPRING.jpg

7) When putting the pins in I suggest you put one in each side (opposites) As the extra tape does not allow the base plate to sit normally, and will cause the openings on the exit to be offset and you will just damage the case, One on each side will help the other side to align.

PIN POSTION.jpg (sorry for the rubbish pic, forgot to take one while i did it.)

8) Once there in you can use the 6mm punch to flatten properly to case.

That is how you fix a leaky base plate. The third pin does not need to be replaced; it is just TM wanting you to buy new mags instead of fixing them.

I hope this helps anyone who needs it.