This was taken fron the red rifles DIY forum sticky, It may work with that magazine
e. shortening the VZ58 mag.
if you are interested in a 5/10 mag, you are better off buying them from wolverine or marstar otherwise the following instruction are for any other sizes, i made 2x 15s and 2x 20s. do not go lower than 5/10.
since we in canada and we must have our mags blocked to 5 rounds, you dont have to precise as to length of the mag you want to end up with, being close is good enough.
always do a few test bends close to the bottom before to get the your target size.
first method: creating new lips for the bottom plate.
i prefer this method altho it require more work. the body needs repainting as for the heat may discolour the paint to OD, thats fine with me bcos i dont like the bluish colour anyways so i take every opportunity to change it to black. advantage of this method is there is no screws visible.
tools required:
- hacksaw or dremel.
- 1/8" thick "L" shape metal plate 1 1/2"x 6" bent at 90* at center (avail at homedepot).
- grinder.
- sheet metal vice grip , cut to the width of the mag lips.
- electric stove and oven mitt.
- black paint
1. measure the front of the mag from the bottom to the front catch, it should be 6" so if you want a 20 rd then you need to remove 1/3 of the mag so mark the 2" from the bottom.
2. place the "L" shape metal plate above the mark, please note if you place the "L" plate below the mark you will get a different angle . scribe both sides of the body.
3. cut about 1/4" below the scribed line.
4. steelwool the body in preparation for painting later.
5. grind to the line on either sides of the lips.
6. place the mag standing up on the red hot element for about 15-30 seconds, heat will make it less brittle .
7. attach the sheet metal vise grip*** to the mag , right up to the scribed line and make a tiny bend, do not bend too much as for the aluminum is brittle and will easily break, if it breaks then you need to move the scribed line another 1/4" higher and start all over. i usually bent it 10x to reach the 90* and after each bend ,return to heat.
8. hand file the bottom of the lips and grind the lips so floor plate slides in easily.
9. grind the back of the mag the small 45* angle.
10. clean body with solvent and spray with paint.
11. cut the spring , if a making a 20 rounder then cut 1/3 off the spring , if a 15 rounder than cut 1/2.
second method: aluminum block at the bottom . advantage is no heating so no discoloration to the paint, disadvantage the screws are visible.
tools required:
- hacksaw or dremel.
- 1/8" thick "L" shape metal plate 1 1/2"x 6" bent at 90* at center (avail at homedepot).
- drill press.
- taping tools.
- screws 5.
1. cut the mag body to desired length. file sharp edges.
2. cut a aluminum block that is 3/4" x 3/8" to a length of 2 3/16" long .
3. using a round file or a grinder cut recess on each side.
4. set the block about 1/16" inside the mag so there is no chance of see the block should you make a small mistake.
5. drill first of the two holes into the body, slide the block in and mark the location where you want to drill the block , drill the block till it appears on the other side, insert the block back into the mag and drill right through.
6. tap #8-32 to the block , tap right through.
7. now attach the screws to block when its in the body .
8. drill the second hole and drill right through. tap and attach screws.
9. put the bottom plate at the bottom of the screwed in block and mark where the square hole is, drill the center of that mark bottom and tap. a screw will hold the bottom plate to the mag assembly. you wont be needing a locking plate .
10. cut the spring , if a making a 20 rounder then cut 1/3 off the spring , if a 15 rounder than cut 1/2.
third method: sheet metal at the bottom . basically the same as the aluminum block except a sheet metal is bent into a "U" shape and screwed to the body. 4 on the sides and the one at the bottom will need a nut to hold in the floor plate.
note: *** the metal vise grip was narrowed by cutting each sides to a width of 2".
