Re-riveting pmags - mag body damaged

[Horilka]

How would one remove a rivet without heating it up (because of drilling or rotation) and deforming the hole?

Have to re-pin all my Gen 2 and Gen 3 PMAGs to 5.5 or 5.75 because I can't sit full 5/30 mag on closed bolt with X95.
The issue I immediately faced is when I tried to drill out rivets they would either start rotating and getting hot from rotation and melting/deforming hole in the body, or, they would heat up from drilling and again - deforming the hole.

What are your trade tricks for removing rivets without damaging the body of mag?

P.S. Added for clarification. The issue is mag riveting to 5.0 rounds does not all allow to seat mag on close bolt X95. Remedy I am trying - to remove the rivet, while not damaging the hole (this part I am struggling with), to remove the follower, file it a bit where it touches the rivet to make magazine 5.75 rnds or so, insert new river into original rivet hole.

 

[tiriaq]

Slow down the drill?

 

[SigWig]

Slow, sharp bit. Start with a small bit, rapid tap or other oil.

 

[Gunnerlove]

Step 1 is knocking out the central mandrel with a small pin punch.

Then sharp drill, high speed, light pressure. Take a break if it gets hot.

 

[quinnjoblow]

Try an old school egg beater type hand drill. Super quiet.

 

[I Dont Care About You]

Here's a fun thought. The moment you drill out a mag, you have created a Prohibited Device

 

[Grain]

Here's a fun thought. The moment you drill out a mag, you have created a Prohibited Device

I'm sure for the record he is installing the new before removing the old.

 

[FatCatsDad]

If you leave the rivet out I'm told it is easier to load.

 

[Ex3dy]

Grab the rivet from inside with long nose pliers or use a Dremel and conical stone at an angle to knock the head off. If you chamfer the hole and replace with new countersink rivets they can sit flush and won't jam up in some mag wells.

 

[call2arms]

If you leave the rivet out I'm told it is easier to load.

Problem solved

 

[Bratwurst]

You could put a pin through the side of the magayine before removing the pin from the rear of the magazine.

 

[Horilka]

Here's a fun thought. The moment you drill out a mag, you have created a Prohibited Device

Clearly I am an outlaw living reckless life. That what we, outlaws, do - re-rivet magazines. Then we use them in crime, because 5.75 rounds capacity magazines give us advantage over rival gangs with 5.0 rounds capacity mags.

 

[B]

You could put a pin through the side of the magayine before removing the pin from the rear of the magazine.

Is that supposed to be a serious suggestion? This site sometimes, wow. Really illustrates exactly how we got to this point in the first place.

 

[pmt]

Rather than move the rivet, can you shave the bottom of the follower?

 

[FatCatsDad]

Rather than move the rivet, can you shave the bottom of the follower?

Or replace the follower, these work well.
I used them until I replaced all my mags and got 10 round pistol mags.

Why do people still use 5 round mags ?

 

[Butcherbill]

Rather than move the rivet, can you shave the bottom of the follower?

I would expect the rivet has to come out on most mags in order for the follower to come out, the rivet is there to limit the follower on larger capacity mags. Unlike on a 10rd pistol mag or a mag from say a bolt action rifle.

 

[call2arms]

Rather than move the rivet, can you shave the bottom of the follower?

I have done this. It works well. No second hole required. I used a round file and removed where the follower met the rivet while leaving the rest.

I am glad the OP is such a responsible gun owner and regularly maintains any defective rivets for safety

 

[Horilka]

Rather than move the rivet, can you shave the bottom of the follower?

That what I have been trying to do - however to remove the follower I need to remover the rivet. And I would like to re-use the same hole for new rivet.

 

[Horilka]

I used them until I replaced all my mags and got 10 round pistol mags.
Why do people still use 5 round mags ?

I have a lot of pmags Gen 2 and Gen 3 since I had my evil AR15 and feel I would be wasting them if I don't use them. I mean I like to use things I paid for. My 10 rounders TBH very often don't give me BHO with X95.

 

[Scotty454]

Grab the rivet from inside with long nose pliers or use a Dremel and conical stone at an angle to knock the head off. If you chamfer the hole and replace with new countersink rivets they can sit flush and won't jam up in some mag wells.

This only helps if it's the rivet head interfering with the magwell that's causing the issue. If it's the fact that the 5th round can't be pushed down far enough into the mag for the mag catch to engage (Which is what it seems like is happening here), this won't help.