I have a t3 varmint in 223. I am shooting 80 gr berger bullets that when seated to a "close to lands" length, are substantially longer than the opening in the magazine. The magazine is plenty long but there is a plastic spacer in it restricting cartridge length. Has anyone opened one up?
lengthen a T3 223 magazine
- Thread starter 25tikka
- Start date
canucklehead
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I've seen posts on US forums where some guy had sucessfully opened it up.
The problem is that behind the spacer is nothing - it's hollow! You need to cut out the spacer with a dremel tool and epoxy something back there to replace it.
It's risky business on a $100+ magazine too...
You need to drill out the little tabs, and then glue the mag back together too - it's definately a permanent mod.
It sucks, but I just single load my long ones.
The problem is that behind the spacer is nothing - it's hollow! You need to cut out the spacer with a dremel tool and epoxy something back there to replace it.
It's risky business on a $100+ magazine too...
You need to drill out the little tabs, and then glue the mag back together too - it's definately a permanent mod.It sucks, but I just single load my long ones.
I think SIR has the 6 shot one, thats where i got mine for .223 cal. Think they ran $75 (not cheap), but since there are little to no mods to perform (except scope) on the T3, i'd recommend one for a spare. Funny the same replacement one was for the 204 also.
I have the same trouble with my T3 Tak in .308 & have to load single rnds into the breach.
You could try a mag of a different longer caliber, IE 6.5x55?
I have Tikkas in .308 & .300 WSM & the rear block is the same length.
The only thing would be the cartridge lips being different & not holding the rnds in the mag.
I just tried putting the .308 rnds into the .300WSM mag & they fit , but the .300WSM won't fit in the .308 mag.
You could try a mag of a different longer caliber, IE 6.5x55?
I have Tikkas in .308 & .300 WSM & the rear block is the same length.
The only thing would be the cartridge lips being different & not holding the rnds in the mag.
I just tried putting the .308 rnds into the .300WSM mag & they fit , but the .300WSM won't fit in the .308 mag.
T3 mag mod
I picked up a T3 lite stainless 223 last year. I too found the mag a little short. I managed to open it up without much difficulty at all.
I too thought I would have to drill the pins out and permenantly glue back together after. I really didn't want to do that so I managed to remove the bottom without any damage.
What I used was a bench vice that I keep near my gun table. I laid a cloth in the jaws so not to mar the mag. I placed the mag in the vice only deep enough to grab the bottom right at the seam line. Then gently compress with the vice while pulling up on the upper part. POP! it'll came right out. I know the bottom looks very solid but it did compress just enough to let the pins slide out of the slots, with some muscle mind you.
It's been a while so I'm not absolutely sure but I think I pulled the follower and spring out first and then used a large wide, taped, screwdriver and inserted it into the mag down to just above the seam line, gently twisted it at the same time. (come to think of it, I belive I was planning to do that but didn't have to)
I then dremeled out the back behind the follower but I didn't dremel out the entire back plate so it was flush with mag walls. I left a very slight ridge. I used this ridge to hold the new backer I made afterward. I didn't remove any material from the bottom of the mag so the spring would not slide back.
The material at the top of the mag was removed, very carfully with an exacto knife. I was trying to use a 69 gr smk so I only removed about 0.100 which put it just behind the ridge of the old removed backer I mentioned earlier.
For a new backer I used a 1/8 piece of aluminum. I cut it to the exact width of the mag and bent it in a "C" shape. Well, you know with sharper corners. The height was the exact distance from the top of the mag to the material on the bottom piece. You'll see what I mean when you pull it apart. The ends of the aluminum were cut to reach the rear of the mag exactly so it wouldn't slide back. I simply pushed the whole thing up from the bottom in behind that ridge I left behind. So now it can't move in any direction. I was planning on glueing it in but with such a tight fit I didn't have to.
By modding it like this I can always go back in and re-adjust later if i have to.
I hope this helps. If need be, I can see if I can get a few pics up of my mag.
Paul
I picked up a T3 lite stainless 223 last year. I too found the mag a little short. I managed to open it up without much difficulty at all.
I too thought I would have to drill the pins out and permenantly glue back together after. I really didn't want to do that so I managed to remove the bottom without any damage.
What I used was a bench vice that I keep near my gun table. I laid a cloth in the jaws so not to mar the mag. I placed the mag in the vice only deep enough to grab the bottom right at the seam line. Then gently compress with the vice while pulling up on the upper part. POP! it'll came right out. I know the bottom looks very solid but it did compress just enough to let the pins slide out of the slots, with some muscle mind you.
It's been a while so I'm not absolutely sure but I think I pulled the follower and spring out first and then used a large wide, taped, screwdriver and inserted it into the mag down to just above the seam line, gently twisted it at the same time. (come to think of it, I belive I was planning to do that but didn't have to)
I then dremeled out the back behind the follower but I didn't dremel out the entire back plate so it was flush with mag walls. I left a very slight ridge. I used this ridge to hold the new backer I made afterward. I didn't remove any material from the bottom of the mag so the spring would not slide back.
The material at the top of the mag was removed, very carfully with an exacto knife. I was trying to use a 69 gr smk so I only removed about 0.100 which put it just behind the ridge of the old removed backer I mentioned earlier.
For a new backer I used a 1/8 piece of aluminum. I cut it to the exact width of the mag and bent it in a "C" shape. Well, you know with sharper corners. The height was the exact distance from the top of the mag to the material on the bottom piece. You'll see what I mean when you pull it apart. The ends of the aluminum were cut to reach the rear of the mag exactly so it wouldn't slide back. I simply pushed the whole thing up from the bottom in behind that ridge I left behind. So now it can't move in any direction. I was planning on glueing it in but with such a tight fit I didn't have to.
By modding it like this I can always go back in and re-adjust later if i have to.
I hope this helps. If need be, I can see if I can get a few pics up of my mag.
Paul
- Location
- Houston, TX
As mentioned above, it might be easier to take the 22-250 or 243 mag and beef up the lips to hold the 223 cartridge. Tikka appears to use one magazine for several different cartridges in a "family".
