Legally reducing magazine capacity

C.Magnet

C.Magnet

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Due to a shipping error, I found myself in possession of a full capacity pistol magazine. Once realizing the model number differed from that which I ordered, I installed a rivet in an exposed view hole. Of course, this rendered the magazine useless, as it will no longer fit in the pistol mag well, but is at the very least no longer a prohibited item. The dealer I purchased from has since made it right, and is sending me the correct model.
But what can I do with the other mag? would it have to be crimped at the 10 round mark, or can a spacer be installed on the floor plate? I assume the latter would not be acceptable because the floor plate could be easily swapped out. I guess it would be possible to countersink one of the view holes and install a flush rivet, but I would prefer not to mar the exterior.
 
magblock
you can order a plastic insert that goes inside on the baseplate and sticks up to restrict the capacity.
you can glue them on to the baseplate to make it permanent as well.
stops the need for rivets.
 
A modified base plate can be easily swapped out for a normal one, I assumed that was in opposition to the regulation.
 
I ran into a similar situation where I bought a pistol off the ee from someone who competes a lot in the US. In order to pass muster up here he used a rivet to limit capacity. Since he never shot the gun in Canada for competitions the rivets were inserted into the viewing holes of the mag limiting it between 5 - 6 rounds. I asked around my local LGS and they said they couldn't help since un-pinning would make them in possession of a prohibited device (item?) and though the chances of being caught are slim the risk of loosing their licence wasn't worth it. So I went to Canadian Tire, bought a rivet kit (gun rivets etc) and just leap-frogged the rivets down the mag until I found close to 10 rounds then marked with a punch, drilled a small hole and made the final rivet.

At no point was the gun unlimited so i was within the law.
 
Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted (SOR/98-462)
<https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-462/index.html>

(4) A cartridge magazine described in subsection (1) that has been altered or re-manufactured so that it is not capable of containing more than five or ten cartridges, as the case may be, of the type for which it was originally designed is not a prohibited device as prescribed by that subsection if the modification to the magazine cannot be easily removed and the magazine cannot be easily further altered so that it is so capable of containing more than five or ten cartridges, as the case may be.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), altering or re-manufacturing a cartridge magazine includes

(a) the indentation of its casing by forging, casting, swaging or impressing;

(b) in the case of a cartridge magazine with a steel or aluminum casing, the insertion and attachment of a plug, sleeve, rod, pin, flange or similar device, made of steel or aluminum, as the case may be, or of a similar material, to the inner surface of its casing by welding, brazing or any other similar method; or

(c) in the case of a cartridge magazine with a casing made of a material other than steel or aluminum, the attachment of a plug, sleeve, rod, pin, flange or similar device, made of steel or of a material similar to that of the magazine casing, to the inner surface of its casing by welding, brazing or any other similar method or by applying a permanent adhesive substance, such as a cement or an epoxy or other glue.


<https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-462/FullText.html>
Click to expand...
 
If the follower has some body to it and is made of plastic (or similar), you can drill a .125" hole into the bottom, centre of it and epoxy in a .125" steel rod (I'm sure that a brass or aluminum rod would work, too) the appropriate length. The end of the rod bottoms out on the base plate, once you've loaded the legal number of rounds. The mag appears "normal" from the outside - without rivets and/or crimps screwing it up, but functions as a 10 round mag.
I have a couple of Browning HP mags that were "neutered" in this manner and you can't tell them from "factory".
 
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fire@will said:
If the follower has some body to it and is made of plastic (or similar), you can drill a .125" hole into the bottom, centre of it and epoxy in a .125" steel rod (I'm sure that a brass or aluminum rod would work, too) the appropriate length. The end of the rod bottoms out on the base plate, once you've loaded the legal number of rounds. The mag appears "normal" from the outside - without rivets and/or crimps screwing it up, but functions as a 10 round mag.
I have a couple of Browning HP mags that were "neutered" in this manner and you can't tell them from "factory".
Click to expand...

Not to mention this way you can take them apart for cleaning...
 
fire@will said:
If the follower has some body to it and is made of plastic (or similar), you can drill a .125" hole into the bottom, centre of it and epoxy in a .125" steel rod (I'm sure that a brass or aluminum rod would work, too) the appropriate length. The end of the rod bottoms out on the base plate, once you've loaded the legal number of rounds. The mag appears "normal" from the outside - without rivets and/or crimps screwing it up, but functions as a 10 round mag.
I have a couple of Browning HP mags that were "neutered" in this manner and you can't tell them from "factory".
Click to expand...

Yes, but the way I read the regs quoted in post #10 above the mods must be made to the 'casing" (body?) of the mag....not the base plate or the follower.
 
Had the same thing happen to me. I just drilled out the wrong rivet and re -riveted it in the proper hole. Called the company and made them aware of their error and they sent some free stuff. Stuff happens and people make mistakes
 
sailor723 said:
Yes, but the way I read the regs quoted in post #10 above the mods must be made to the 'casing" (body?) of the mag....not the base plate or the follower.
Click to expand...

When I bought my M305, the 20 rounders were limited with a big "sharkfin" welded to the bottom of the follower, and some SKSs have the "frankenpin" through the mag body, but some have a stick welded to the follower arm. All of these methods were obviously deemed acceptable during import, so...
 
sailor723 said:
Yes, but the way I read the regs quoted in post #10 above the mods must be made to the 'casing" (body?) of the mag....not the base plate or the follower.
Click to expand...

The "Canadian Compliant" mags that Beretta makes for their 92, has the follower molded with an extra long tang, that contacts the base when 10 rounds are loaded. Same principal, as near as I can tell - the only difference being, that mine have a steel extension and theirs is plastic, or some version of a "special, space age, synthetic material".
 
sailor723 said:
Yes, but the way I read the regs quoted in post #10 above the mods must be made to the 'casing" (body?) of the mag....not the base plate or the follower.
Click to expand...

The use of the word "includes" in subsection 5 suggests to me that the methods listed are examples that are explicitly allowed but are not necessarily the only allowable methods, provided that "the modification to the magazine cannot be easily removed and the magazine cannot be easily further altered so that it is so capable of containing more than five or ten cartridges, as the case may be."

This would account for the fact that there are commercially available magazines that have their capacity limited by means other than modification to the magazine body.
 
I have received prohibited mags on three different occasions from dealers. I just pinned the myself with an aluminum rivet and carried on. Nobody got hurt, go figure.
 
tjhaile said:
The use of the word "includes" in subsection 5 suggests to me that the methods listed are examples that are explicitly allowed but are not necessarily the only allowable methods, provided that "the modification to the magazine cannot be easily removed and the magazine cannot be easily further altered so that it is so capable of containing more than five or ten cartridges, as the case may be."

This would account for the fact that there are commercially available magazines that have their capacity limited by means other than modification to the magazine body.
Click to expand...

Good point
 
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