FrankenToy
Cynically skeptical...
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2020
- Member Number
- 2431
- Messages
- 520
Everyone likes pictures...
The .22lr thread got me interested in digging up a couple of older magazines for my Ruger MkII. I purchased the gun in '87. I almost exclusively use just the stock magazines that came with the gun but I do have a couple of "mature" Ram Line mags (purchaed in ~'89) that I haven't used in a looooong time. Last time I used them they functioned flawlessly, but when I loaded one up the other day the follower wouldn't push the cartridges up anymore. These mags are stainless and I couldn't make myself toss them, They are labeled as 12 rnd capacity, factory is 10. New Ruger mags are ~$30 apiece. The parts required for this conversion were ~$17 (for my two Ram Line mags). So let's begin::
Turns out the Ram Line follower spring is like a watch spring, this is why it will hold 12 rnds. The spring was kinked and there was no way I was going to get it back together and functioning. Not sure how Ram Line assembled these things fawkers, either. No matter, I disassembled a factory Ruger mag for inspiration:
To make The Ram Line mag functional again all I would need is a real spring and plunger. I can modify the existing follower and floor plate. Black follower is the Ruger factory part. There was a little Dremel work such that the spring had a boss to retain it on the follower. Apologies for the my potato camera, best I got...
I used a transfer punch to mark the floor plate for the Ruger plunger. After removing the floor plate I twisted an X-Acto point (where the transfer punch left a faint mark) until I was satisfied it would act as guide for the smallest bit I could chuck up in the press. After the pilot bit was drilled completely through, I switched to a bit the same size as the plunger but only drilled deep enough to hold the plunger. The plunger can still be pushed in with a paper clip to remove the floor plate.
Viola, functions like a factory mag again. The capacity is now only 10 instead of twelve, though. If I had a 3D printer or a lathe I could have made the plunger myself and saved a little more. :(
The .22lr thread got me interested in digging up a couple of older magazines for my Ruger MkII. I purchased the gun in '87. I almost exclusively use just the stock magazines that came with the gun but I do have a couple of "mature" Ram Line mags (purchaed in ~'89) that I haven't used in a looooong time. Last time I used them they functioned flawlessly, but when I loaded one up the other day the follower wouldn't push the cartridges up anymore. These mags are stainless and I couldn't make myself toss them, They are labeled as 12 rnd capacity, factory is 10. New Ruger mags are ~$30 apiece. The parts required for this conversion were ~$17 (for my two Ram Line mags). So let's begin::
Turns out the Ram Line follower spring is like a watch spring, this is why it will hold 12 rnds. The spring was kinked and there was no way I was going to get it back together and functioning. Not sure how Ram Line assembled these things fawkers, either. No matter, I disassembled a factory Ruger mag for inspiration:
To make The Ram Line mag functional again all I would need is a real spring and plunger. I can modify the existing follower and floor plate. Black follower is the Ruger factory part. There was a little Dremel work such that the spring had a boss to retain it on the follower. Apologies for the my potato camera, best I got...
I used a transfer punch to mark the floor plate for the Ruger plunger. After removing the floor plate I twisted an X-Acto point (where the transfer punch left a faint mark) until I was satisfied it would act as guide for the smallest bit I could chuck up in the press. After the pilot bit was drilled completely through, I switched to a bit the same size as the plunger but only drilled deep enough to hold the plunger. The plunger can still be pushed in with a paper clip to remove the floor plate.
Viola, functions like a factory mag again. The capacity is now only 10 instead of twelve, though. If I had a 3D printer or a lathe I could have made the plunger myself and saved a little more. :(
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