whowahhh 0 Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Im posting this here because I had originally asked all my questions regarding installing just a new mag catch (after I slaughtered mine with a file because I drank too much while doing it). I devised a method using a large vise and some insulated wire to tie the spring off. Inserted it, and cut the wire. Took about a minute and a half. Okay literally maybe 15min because It took a few minutes to come up with the plan. If anyone ever wants one in, I can go in depth or take some pics of the way I did it. Just wanted to throw this out there for anyone thinking/needing to do it. Obviously if you shave it patiently you will be fine. Edited March 1, 2010 by AndysSaiga12Name Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ae13291 3 Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 if you have some pics that would be great, i need to change mine soon to a california approved bullet butten so it would be nice to know how to do it. thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whowahhh 0 Posted March 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) if you have some pics that would be great, i need to change mine soon to a california approved bullet butten so it would be nice to know how to do it. thanks Okay I added some pics of an actual spring here from an old surplus catch. The spring is a bit rusted, but you get the idea. After doing this 3 times now it takes under 2 minutes. Insert the spring in the vice and allow the two legs of the spring to stick out just a hair above the vice. As you compress the vice slowly, maintain about 1/4th inch of spring leg sticking out of the top of the vice. You want to have a premade loop of wire wound up nice and taught with just a large enough loop to fit around both spring legs (which will be close together once the spring is compressed in the vice), and like pictured, place it around the spring. The important part here is now that the loop is around the bit of spring leg sticking out at you, wrap it around again. I found that if I just simply stuck the loop of wire around the spring legs and then opened up the vice, the spring would pop out. If, after I stuck the loop of wire around the spring legs, I then wrapped it around one half rotation again (180 degrees if you may), it held it in place. Insert and clip. Hope this helps. Edit************forgot about a very important part******* Take a hemostats and clamp it on to the bottom of the curled part of the spring when it is in the vice. The vice will be too narrow to get your fingers in to hold the spring and the hemostats will alloow you to maintain the springs position in the vice while your other hand it turning the vice. If the spring pops out of the vice when it is under this much tension, you will never find it again (not to mention lose an eye haha) if you do not have a hemostats or something similar clamped on to it to keep it from flying. Ask me how I know. Edited March 1, 2010 by AndysSaiga12Name Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ae13291 3 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 thanks alot man i really appreciate the time you took to take the pics, those helped. what did you use to hold the new catch in? another rivit or a screw and nut? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whowahhh 0 Posted March 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) thanks alot man i really appreciate the time you took to take the pics, those helped. what did you use to hold the new catch in? another rivit or a screw and nut? Kvar sells the mag catch pins, as do some other vendors, but they are definitely a pain because they weight nothing and I got hit with 9$ shipping. Then take a ball peen hammer, slowly deform the edge of the pin facing you by striking it at angles, flip over and repeat deforming the other side. Just dont go too crazy with the hammer on one side before you get a chance to deform the other side of the pin a little bit too. I would not use a screw and nut personally, It would look kind of gangster, plus this is the right way. Just take your time, the mag catch pins are pretty malleable and would definitely look nicer once your finished. Edited March 1, 2010 by AndysSaiga12Name Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ae13291 3 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 oh ok sounds good seems i am going to go that route i will let you know if i have any questions. thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whowahhh 0 Posted March 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) oh ok sounds good seems i am going to go that route i will let you know if i have any questions. thanks Yeah, then if worst comes to worst and you cant get it just ship the spring to me and I will send it back tied. Good luck. Edited March 1, 2010 by AndysSaiga12Name Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quig 2 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 It is very frustrating to get the damn spring back in. Thanks for the post. There is also this which is much easier; Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrmock 7 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 It is very frustrating to get the damn spring back in. Thanks for the post. There is also this which is much easier; It seems like I have posted this method before (deja-vu). Get a 3/16"x0.5" dowel pin. Place the spring in the catch. Slide the dowel pin through the catch so it captures the spring. Move the assembly into the mag catch tower while compressing the outside spring leg into the inside of the mag catch tower. Line up the holes. Slide the rivet through the tower. This will displace the insertion dowel pin out the other side. You have to hold it just right but it is very doable. jrmock Quote Link to post Share on other sites
icefire 10 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) if you have some pics that would be great, i need to change mine soon to a california approved bullet butten so it would be nice to know how to do it. thanks Quick question, why dont you just bolt on a PRK AK mag lock? With a small amount of filing, fits right over your stock mag release, only takes 5 minutes or so, and fully Cali legal...It is $45 shippping and taxes included. They are a sponsor of this forum, look up PRK Arms, and find AK mag lock for pics...here's one on mine... Edited March 1, 2010 by icefire Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ae13291 3 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 if you have some pics that would be great, i need to change mine soon to a california approved bullet butten so it would be nice to know how to do it. thanks Quick question, why dont you just bolt on a PRK AK mag lock? With a small amount of filing, fits right over your stock mag release, only takes 5 minutes or so, and fully Cali legal...It is $45 shippping and taxes included. They are a sponsor of this forum, look up PRK Arms, and find AK mag lock for pics...here's one on mine... im still thinking about it, i can make me a mag lock in the shop if i want to that will fit over the stock release but it will look to big and bulky, i was planning on making the actual catch for the mag but then i dont want to mess with the factory configuration and make it look stupid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ae13291 3 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 oh ok sounds good seems i am going to go that route i will let you know if i have any questions. thanks Yeah, then if worst comes to worst and you cant get it just ship the spring to me and I will send it back tied. Good luck. thanks alot man i will let you know how it turns out Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.