Staying out of magazine jams.

Dear Half-Mast,

We have had lots of trouble with our M9 pistol magazines Jamming In Iraq. It looks like either the spring is not; strong enough or the plastic follower is catching the inside of the magazine well. Can the spring or follower be replaced? Is there any fix for this problem?

CPT D.P.

Dear Captain D.P.,

No, the spring or follower can't be replaced. If they're bad, replace the whole magazine, NSN 1005-01-204-4376. A new magazine costs less than $8.

But there are several things you can do to make sure you're not jammed up by a bad magazine in battle.

First, clean the magazine as described on the next page. Then do the PMCS on each magazine that's listed on Page 2-12 in TM 9-1005-317-10:

* Push the empty magazine in the pistol until it's fully seated. Depress, the magazine release button (be ready to catch the magazine). The magazine should fall out. If it doesn't, get rid of it.

* Inspect the magazine for missing or damaged parts. If you spot any problems, get a new magazine.

* Depress the follower with your finger and release it. If the follower doesn't spring back into position, get a new magazine.

Cleaning also will help the magazine do its job. Chapter 3 of the -10 TM gives details on disassembling, cleaning, lubing, and putting the magazine back together. The main thing to remember is to wipe every part of the magazine clean. Wipe ammo clean before you load a magazine. Dirt can cause the magazine to jam. Clean magazines daily if possible.

Normally, you would also give: the inside of the magazine a light coat of CLP or LSA. But don't do that in the desert. Lubes attract sand, which leads to jamming.

Another don't is don't store the magazines loaded. Leaving the loaded for a long time causes the spring to take a permanent set. Then the spring loses it spring and the magazine jams.

Store your magazines in a ziplock bag. That will help them stay clean.

Half-Mast