[Maverick7340]

My wife took her new gun to the range for the first time. It is a 3rd generation PT145.

The problems she was having is feeding problems. It was getting very frustrating for her. The bullets were feeding straight into the ramp and jamming. Since the ramp goes basically straight up it really isn't a ramp and the bullets were stopping there.

I checked out her gun and found the problem. Both mags weren't allowing the bullets to go to the top of the mag and tilt up so it would feed straight into the chamber.

At the range I got a silicone cloth and wiped down the mag opening to make it slick so the bullets would slide up to the top.

It appeared that the black paint they use on the mags were making this area rough and stopping the bullets from tilting.

Her gun started working after that but we only had a couple mags of bullets left.

I knew the silicone won't last long anyway and it was just a temperary fix. So when we got home I took the mags apart and I got the dremel out and smoothed the paint at the top of the inside of the mag.

I still had a little problem with the bullets sometimes not always tilting up on the mags. I used a small screwdriver and tweeked the mag opening so the bullets won't bind in a couple spots.

That seemed to fix the mag problems and I cycled bullets in the gun without any FTF.

Hopefully the problem has been permanently fixed and she will enjoy her new gun the next time out.

 

[chad745]

My 745 exhibits this similar behavior when I run Blazer Brass through it. I'd say about half of them get pointed up and the slide comes down on the brass of the bullet, denting it slightly. No other ammo has this problem, just the Blazer. Not sure what to do about that yet...

 

[BoneDigger]

You may need to do a fluff and buff on it. Take the mag out, remove the slide (if you are unsre how to do this, read the manual). Make sure there is no round in the chamber. Give it a good cleaning and run your fingers across the surfaces that have moving parts. If you feel a rough or uneven surface, use sandpaper and lightly buff it out. Use some gun cleaner to clean out the inside, lightly lube, then reassemble.

Another issue that I have seen is that when you use some hollowpoint ammo, such as Speer Gold Dot, that has a large hollow end, the lip will get hung up on the feed ramp. There are other brands that have a smaller cavity that you might want to consider. Try running JSP rounds (such as the cheap WWB ammo) and see if it works for you.

Todd

 

[dawgfvr]

I've found that the PT145 is very picky on the ammo it digests. Mine, for instance, will not tolerate the cheap Winchester White Box stuff (my P3AT hates it as well). I get light strikes on the hard primers. Since I stopped using that brand of ammo...I have never had a problem. Find what it eats...and feed it well.

 

[Cimarron]

I knew the silicone won't last long anyway and it was just a temperary fix. So when we got home I took the mags apart and I got the dremel out and smoothed the paint at the top of the inside of the mag.

I still had a little problem with the bullets sometimes not always tilting up on the mags. I used a small screwdriver and tweeked the mag opening so the bullets won't bind in a couple spots.

That seemed to fix the mag problems and I cycled bullets in the gun without any FTF.

Hopefully the problem has been permanently fixed and she will enjoy her new gun the next time out.

You have identified the source... most problems on semi-autos can be traced to the magazines. It's amazing that 10 rounds of .45 acp can fit into the PT145 mag and work correctly, but you are correct about the feed angle.

I've heard old timers talk about loading a magazine and then rapping it base down on a sturdy counter... to allow the cartridges of realign themselves under their own weight. I've tried it, but it's hard to tell if it works if there is no problem to begin with.

I've also stretched the springs slightly to restore tension that might have been lost.

 

[Qwiks draw]

It is recommended by many of the gun gurus to load new high capacity magazines to capacity and then let them sit for a few days or a week. This supposedly breaks the mags in similar to a car's engine. After that things should be normal.

Cimarron is right about all he posted.

And the smack the magazines so the rounds will line up has been around for decades and is accepted in most shooting circles. Not doing it led to some feed problems for my Ruger P95s. This was during competition for IDPA. I was shown by a helpful number of shooters as to why.

It was demonstrated that some of the cartridges were misaligning in the mag. A deft smack to the back of the mag and the fully loaded mag had the catridges all in perfect nose up or at the right angle. No more feeding problems. Never had a burp since. So there is some validity to this method.

So for that pistol it did work. It may not for all makes and models. This is done for all the semi-autos I own. That way I don't have any troubles. Nor does deciding which pistols are a "yes do it to" and which ones are " no don't do it".

 

[gjk5]

I was taught to whack all mags after loading and prior to insertion from when I was a wee lad, I agree with Qwiks and Cimarron. I load all my mags up before leaving for the range and after the 5 miles of crappy gravel road I whack them upon arrival and can see and feel the rounds realign properly.