AL Mag bodies

[FatMan]

Not sure if this is "Deep" enough ...

I am aware of two AL Mag bodies - the micromag and this new SFL thingy. Both of them use Cocker threads for the barrel.

I am thinking about building a custom Mag with an AL body - I have a line on some C&C milling equipment and an operator - but I *like* the Mag barrel. Is there a technical reason why you couldn't make a "standard" Mag body out of AL?

The thing that comes to mind is the little bit of metal between the bolt and the barrel - certainly that would be easy to mill, but would it hold up? Would it be better to mill straight through and put a bit of steel in there?

What about the bottom of the body - at the moment I am assuming we'd keep the rail - but that means the bottom wall of the body has to be pretty thin. is that a problem with AL?

We will NEVER go into production with this - we're doing it as a lark to see if we can make a total-custom marker with cool milling and anno and all that - so I'm just trying to get some ideas and thoughts.

Anyone tried anything like this? Tom or other AGD types, any wisdom or thoughts for would-be shop techies experimenting on a weekend?

FatMan

[CRySyS]

Are you for real or just stirring up a debate again?

I guess your only concern would be one you already covered, the thin walls in some places. A steel insert would be a great idea. If I were doing it I would make a once piece body/rail. That would solve the thin wall issue on the bottom and give you more freedom for astetic(sp?) design. Then you could beef up the area around the barrel a bit and solve that problem as well. See, two birds with one stone.

[FatMan]

For Real

Nah, I'm for real here. I only stir up trouble in the Main forum. Deep Blue is Holy ground (I'm not worthy ).

Seriously, I didn't know there had been a controversy about this. Now that our club is an official university thing, I discovered we have access to the engineering shop - where they can do all kinds of crazy things. A couple of guys are going to do a custom cocker body, so I thought, why not a custom Clemson Mag body - a one of a kind!

I thought about doing the body and rail together, but how do you deal with the sear? It normally gets between the rail and body. Does the MicroMag have a single piece? How do they deal with the sear? Its been years since I looked at one up close!

As for the barrel, I suppose we could do cocker threads, but darn it I LIKE the mag barrel mount, and I HAVE those kinds of barrels, I don't really want to buy more. If that's the only sane way to go I could get a cocker back for my Freak.

But, I'd rather have the only custom milled and anno'd AL Mag body that takes Mag barrels.

Info, opinions, and mostly technical thoughts wanted!

FatMan

[Croix71]

Go for it! I'd only ask that you keep us updated with pics.

[AGD]

Sure it can be done. The body will get thin in places and you have to figure out how to mount the feed tube. We are working on something similar.

AGD

[ShinyGuy]

The Proteam bodies actually have a steel insert in the bore. I don't know if the SFL have a different solution but Proteam found that the aluminum could not take the abuse without the insert.

**fixed on edit**

[FatMan]

Feed tubes and inserts

For the feed I was thinking a screw-in verticle feed. Mostly because that seems easier to do than a power feed. I prefer a power feed, but I'm afraid we'd screw it up!

ShinyGuy, your post was unclear. You say Proteam uses and insert, but they found the AL *could* take the abuse without the insert? Then why do they have the insert?

Speaking of inserts, the standard Mag body has an "insert" in it. Anyone know how that's mounted? Is it press fitted or brazed or soldered or what? Maybe I can talk AGD out of a few of them for my project.

Still not clear on the issue of having a separate body/rail and how to deal with the sear if not. Anyone out there with a MicroMag who can enlighten me?

FatMan

[than205]

why not install the sear assembly from underneath?
why not side feed with a warp and warp elbow?

[than205]

sorry about the size of the pic.
pro/e doesnt behave sometimes.

[CRySyS]

For the sear, just use an RT sear pin. They screw in from one side, like a longish bolt with threads only near the head. Then you can slide the sear up into place and stick the pin through a hole in the side. It screws down into place and your done. No icky channels and various hex headed screws on the body makes it look mean.

[vf-xx]

Fatman: I'm trying to do something similar. I decided to go with a combined body and rail with a RT sear assembly. The problem with a unified body is that the twist lock would become very difficult to put in. I'm going to try and solve this by using a modular feed section with the twist lock offset 45 degrees. This should allow for centerfeed and warp left bodies that use standard mag barrels with no modifications.

[FatMan]

Thanks

Cool. Didn't know about the RT sear setup. That makes the problem work out nicely. I think the unibody is the way to go. I think I can make the bit about the twist-lock thing work out. Feeds are still a little bit of a mystery. I suppose doing a powerfeed isn't all THAT complex. Or maybe it IS a good excuse for a warp!

FatMan

[Dubstar112]

Why not just buy a scrap cocker body and cut a feed section out of that like a feed module(like the bodies somone scrweed up milling and need to dispose of)? You could bore it out to fit a normal mag barrel inside

[ShinyGuy]

Fatman: sorry... "could not take the abuse"

just a typo, my bad

[Cristobal]

I'm just a little curious, the steel insert is for the part inside the body that the mainspring sits up against, no? I'm asking because when I first read this thread, I thought it had to be steel to absorb the impact of the bolt comming forward and hitting it... but I was reading recently in another threat where AGD was saying that unless dryfired the bolt is stopped by the mainspring even before it is fully comressed. This makes it sound like the bolt does not in fact impact with the mainbody.

So then, why the SS -- unless we're worried about the stress due to wear as the bolt moves back and forth through the middle of the body?

Oh, and the z-body also uses a steel insert, both for the part described above and for the part that is threaded for the front frame screw. You can see both parts in the pics on warpig's review.