Advice for issues with Shockwave magazines

nklf

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If the springs are wearing out so quickly, I wonder if it is a design issue and the springs are over compressed when loaded to 5 rounds? The two things that normally wear out springs are compression cycles and over compression. Obviously it is not too many compression cycles if they are failing this quickly. I guess you could only load 48 rounds in a mag with a new spring and see if the spring last considerably longer. I almost never shoot 50 round stick mags despite having a few.
 

Rainman76

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If the springs are wearing out so quickly, I wonder if it is a design issue and the springs are over compressed when loaded to 5 rounds? The two things that normally wear out springs are compression cycles and over compression. Obviously it is not too many compression cycles if they are failing this quickly. I guess you could only load 48 rounds in a mag with a new spring and see if the spring last considerably longer. I almost never shoot 50 round stick mags despite having a few.
Exactly where I’m headed. I’m sure I could get new springs and figure these mags out but when I compare them to the steels I’ve had for 20 years that have required nothing to maintain, I’m leaning towards getting used to 30 rounds again with no ongoing effort to maintain God willing. I’m fairly lazy when it comes to level of effort to engage in a hobby LOL
 

root

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So both Rainman & Alska shooter had the same early failures roughly the same symtoms if I'm reading this right?

Definatly sounds like a design flaw somewhere in the magazine ( most likely spring related )
Wonder if SW just got bad heat treated springs, poor quality piano wire, or even something that isn't really meant to be wound and used as a spring.
Could even be a possible mix of above.
 

Slowmo

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I'm not 100% sure on springs, but a lot of stress-cycle fatigue (S-N) graphs are logarithmic in nature, meaning a linear rate of increase in stress above the fatigue limit can shorten the life by consecutive orders of magnitude. In other words, if you stress it to level X, it may last 10,000 cycles; if you stress it to level X+1, it may last 1,000 cycles; if you stress it to level X+2, it may last 100 cycles, and so on. It could be that the 50rd Shockwave mags overstress the springs at 50rds, resulting in a short life. I believe OP mentioned he had around 2000rds on each magazine, which is only 40 loadings to full capacity. I'm using arbitrary numbers to demonstrate the point, but it could be that at maybe 45rds, they'll last 400 loadings. There are a lot of magazines out there that will hold more rounds than indicated, but that doesn't mean it is necessarily a good idea to cram those extra rounds in. Perhaps the Shockwave magazines would have been better off being labelled as 40rd or 45rd magazines to meet consumers' longevity expectations.
 

BlackBelt

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So just throwing this out there...it may have nothing to do with the issue.
When I got my Shockwave M11/9 mags I took them apart and scrubbed them as per a youtube video that was circulating back then. There was definitely some manufacturing junk in them.
Im wondering if maybe Rainman 76 should try this on his mags? If they werent cleaned before use, then a thousand or three thousand rounds were shot using them (especially if a suppressor was used) they might be gummed up a little even if doesnt appear to be the case by just looking at them.
Its almost free to find out. And if that doesnt fix the mags at least it can be ruled out as a possibility
 

Alaska_Shooter

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I should buy some replacement springs to test this. The mags have been so disappointing I’m not sure I want to throw more money at them

I had nowhere close to 2k rounds on each mag
 

LawBob

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If the springs are wearing out so quickly, I wonder if it is a design issue and the springs are over compressed when loaded to 5 rounds? The two things that normally wear out springs are compression cycles and over compression. Obviously it is not too many compression cycles if they are failing this quickly. I guess you could only load 48 rounds in a mag with a new spring and see if the spring last considerably longer. I almost never shoot 50 round stick mags despite having a few.
Compressed springs don’t wear them out. It’s the act of compression decompress that wears.
 

root

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If they are selling spare springs it leads me to believe they are aware of the defect and that right there would cause to to source springs elsewhere.
Why buy more of the same that won't last.
Unless they are advertised as new & improved.
No idea never been to their site to see what their replacement option says in the description.
Anyone try stuffing some surplus mag springs in them like from 5-10 sten mags?
Even if you had to use hog nose ring pliers and crimp two together then cut to length.
Let me know if that is something that will/might work.
 

Hey...

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Anyone try stuffing some surplus mag springs in them like from 5-10 sten mags?
Even if you had to use hog nose ring pliers and crimp two together then cut to length.
Let me know if that is something that will/might work.
I use PAM2 springs in my 30rnd Zmags. Direct swap. The wire is thicker and it’s like +10% length. Brute spring power makes my 30s something I can forget about.

I welded a 50 & 30 together and used a 3d printed junction for the springs to push against each other. It’s a crazy long magazine and since its missing a feed tower that extra spring length makes that mag 100% reliable even while pushing a 70 round stack at 1500rpm.
 

Gaujo

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I use PAM2 springs in my 30rnd Zmags. Direct swap. The wire is thicker and it’s like +10% length. Brute spring power makes my 30s something I can forget about.

I welded a 50 & 30 together and used a 3d printed junction for the springs to push against each other. It’s a crazy long magazine and since its missing a feed tower that extra spring length makes that mag 100% reliable even while pushing a 70 round stack at 1500rpm.
Pix please!
 

root

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Lan hester 50 rnd mag springs should be G2G I would think.
Found this from 2016


Also found the website associated with the biz name and contacted them about it since I was there and it was a 20 second form.


I have sten springs if either Rainman or Alaskan shooter would like to try them.
And if someone has the stl file or link to it for the spring coupler I could print that and send along with the springs.
You would only be paying shipping.
I bought a pallet of sten mags about 2 months before I retired.
They are for a retirement project that I will get to once I have the shop straightened out and machines set back up.
Being on retirement time hasn't helped speed anything up that's for sure.
 

Marcus99

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Are issues like these present with the 30rd shockwave mags that have been out for around a decade give or take? I keep meaning to order a 6-pack and forgetting

OP I don’t mean to derail your thread, seemed better to ask here than starting a new topic
 

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