Help w/ Mid-cap jams & lube

[PhaedrusZen]

Hey, I'm having major issues with my M4 mid-cap springs sticking. I've pulled them apart and they are both still very clean inside, so I'm assuming it's just a lube issue. What should I be using? I hesitate to use silicon or lithium grease or the like, because I don't like the idea of running that over the hopup, or through the barrel. I'm leaning toward graphite since it doesn't attract dirt, but I'm thinking it might still affect the hopup.

I read the stuff in the Mid-cap review thread; I'm just hoping to get a more definitive idea of what people are doing that works.

Any ideas?

****edit****
I just looked at everything again after reloading a bunch of times, and I don't think it's a spring issue so much as 2 bbs are jamming side by side and blocking the spring. I'm thinking there's no easy fix for this, and can't figure out why they just started doing this all of a sudden. I tried loading with the plastic parts really tightened down and a little looser, hoping to prevent the bbs from getting stuck next to each other with no luck.

[azsworst]

Listen up EVERYBODY.......mags are MADE to WORK DRY. Putting lube in the mag is only going to attract MORE dirt. When mags don't work:

-Take out insides
-blow with compressed air
-clean insides, using silicone.....wipe them off so there isn't any oil left over
-increase spring tension (variety of ways to do this), but be careful....too much tension will make them misfeed.


Graphite doesn't attract dirt, but WILL get in your hop up.......it's just not worth it.

[PhaedrusZen]

Any ideas about the bbs getting stuck? When I unjam them, the spring feeds to the top just fine, but I don't want to have to stick a screwdriver down my mags during a game.

[Seedy]

Graphite isn't too bad... I've been using it in my Systema mags for awhile and it doesn't seem to affect my hop-up like silicon does. I don't use it all the time, maybe a little squirt every six months or so. But I do agree with you that mags should be run pretty dry.
As far as your problem Zen it can be a couple of things.
One being is it sounds like your mags might have split a little. This is usually the result of overloading plastic mags. Don't just fill up your speed loader everytime and jam as many BB's as you can into your mags because its a good way to split your plastic mid-caps (yet another reason to use steel ones...).
What I do when I get a new speed loader is get a bowl or glass out and count out 120 BB's or 100 BB's or whatever your mags hold into the bowl then dump the BB's into your loader and mark the fill line with a Sharpie. That way I load the same amount of rounds each time and I know I'm not overfilling the mag.
Another thing that could be causing your BB's to hang up is if they are Bio BB's. I've found these are not as "slick" as regular old plastic ones and often stick and double up in my mags.
Either way if you're just using some cheap plastic MAG brand mags test all your mags out and set aside the bad ones and maybe think about getting another box of fresh ones and just move onto those knowing what you now know about overloading.

[dejavu]

I'm in the exact same boat as you Zen, and I'm pretty much at the point of just opting to buy a box of G&G midcaps (probably going to wait till late summer/early fall for this one). Let me know if you figure out a solution, God knows I haven't.

[PhaedrusZen]

I'm using G&P right now and I thought those were supposed to be pretty bomb proof.

[firebert]

I am just going to make a guess that they are double stack mid caps. If you switch to single stack mid 100/110 rnds vs. the 130+ rnd mags you shouldn't have that issue. It just seems to be the nature of the double stack mid caps.

[HiSkoolFunf]

Somewhat off topic, but if you are looking into new mags I highly suggest "MAG" brand midcaps. Flawless. Another thing to check in your mag,if you haven't already, is the follower tracks.

[PhaedrusZen]

I pulled them apart today, lost the washer that lets me put the housing and the mag back together, bought a replacement and finally got everything back together. I dusted them with graphite, and then read AZ's post and spent forever cleaning them. It does make sense to me that you wouldn't want ANY type of lube, graphite, silicon or otherwise, on the bucking, as I think more friction means more spin. I did stick a screw in the bottom of the feed tracks to shorten up the overall length, and stretched out the springs, so they're pushing a good deal harder now. The bbs still jam side by side, but it's only the last 3-4 that get stuck now.

Highschool, do you know if the Mag brand are single stack? I like Firebert's thinking that single is a lot more hassle free. And are the "metal" mags actually metal inside too? I didn't notice any splitting, and the plastic inside is pretty thick and durable, but who knows.


On another note It'd be nice to have a DIY maintenance/upgrade/repair section. I bet that's been said before, but it might be worth looking at again. I'd love to see all the tips and tricks that everyone uses all in one place, instead of scattered all over the forum.

[HiSkoolFunf]

My AK-74 Mid cap "mags" are single stack, they are made of plastic but made superbly. With the addition of magpul P-mags for a real steel AR-15 proves that plastic magazine are superior to metal ones.