butler creek hot lips mags

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mclaren3435

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
8
does lubing up hot lipps mags help reduce the amount of jams and if so how and what do you use to lube them up they seem lile they would be hard tp take apart, i think they need to be lubed because i will fire off a few then hear the clicl from the firing pin and i look in the chamber and there is not a round so i take out the mag and the spring thing has not pushed up a round far enough to be slid into the chamber by the bold, any help wpuld be appriciated
 

jforwel

Bearcat
Joined
May 19, 2006
Messages
74
Location
Montana
I do two things. One is that I started using the Tactical Innovation magazines as recommended by others on this forum and two is to take a small wooden dowel, about 1/8" and wrap it with very fine finishing paper. I lightly sand the feed ramp on the plastic mags like Butler Creek or Ram Line until they are veeeeery smooth.
 

rugerjunkie

Buckeye
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
1,962
Location
Kansas
I must be the lucky one...I have never had to alter a Butler Creek plastic mag. The other brands (Jamline) are total crap IMO but the Butler Creeks are the best economy one available. I never do anything to mine and never have a jam due to the mag. Ammo yes , but not the mags.

I would tend to think a lube would be short term at best and would lead to issues later on with function. I would be looking at other areas like the action or ammo to see if something else was the culprit.
 

Manhattan

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
10
Location
London Kentucky
I have had the same problem with Butler Creek Hot lips and the Steel Lips type, and even the older Ram-Lines. I used powered GRAPHITE inside them and it helped. After putting a enough graphite to coat the entire insides of the clip I would shake the clip to distribute the graphite then turn the clip upside down and tap out and wipe off the excess. Then take a long skinny screwdriver to push the bullet feeder to the bottom of the clip several times. After that I would try using the clip with 7 or 8 bullets gradually adding more bullets in order to Break the in clip in. I would not recommend using any kind of liquid lube in the clip as it will surely gum up. The graphite will not gum up and is actually good for the rifle. Hope this helps. Some of these clips seem to be FUBAR from the factory. I would like to hear from others on this subject.
 

Snake45

Hawkeye
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
9,121
Location
+4020
Manhattan":12p4c929 said:
I have had the same problem with Butler Creek Hot lips and the Steel Lips type, and even the older Ram-Lines. I used powered GRAPHITE inside them and it helped. After putting a enough graphite to coat the entire insides of the clip I would shake the clip to distribute the graphite then turn the clip upside down and tap out and wipe off the excess. Then take a long skinny screwdriver to push the bullet feeder to the bottom of the clip several times. After that I would try using the clip with 7 or 8 bullets gradually adding more bullets in order to Break the in clip in. I would not recommend using any kind of liquid lube in the clip as it will surely gum up. The graphite will not gum up and is actually good for the rifle. Hope this helps. Some of these clips seem to be FUBAR from the factory. I would like to hear from others on this subject.
IMHO this is the best post yet in answer to the problem in the OP.
 

mclaren3435

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
8
thanks for the advice all, i dont know where to get the tatical innovations mags here locally (seattle area) so i think that is out but i am sure i can find the graphite powder, s it an automotive item? Where xould i find it?
 

meanc

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
124
Location
FL
Another alternative is buying Butler Creek Steel lips.

I've got 5 of them and have only had a 8 or 9 FTF out of a couple thousand rounds, but it's only happened with Remington Goldens (varying rim thickness) I've had about the same number of FTF with the Goldens using the factory mags.

So, in my experience, the BC Steel lips function as well as the factory mags.
 

bada61265

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 8, 2009
Messages
105
Location
Moline Illinois
what kind of ammo are you shooting ? ive had several butler creek hotlips mags and never had one problem, even had one that was cracked 75% of the way down one seam and it was flawless. ive had more issues with the rotary ruger mags going out of adjustment and not feeding than any kind of other mag issues. seems 99% of the time you can trace these problems to the ammo.
 

Snake45

Hawkeye
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
9,121
Location
+4020
OP's apparent dirt/spring problem can happen with both Hot Lips and Steel Lips. Has nothing to do with the lip type.

That said, the Steel Lips are better mags in feeding and ejecting. I have one Hot Lips that works pretty well most of the time. I have eight Steel Lips that work perfectly almost all the time.
 

bada61265

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 8, 2009
Messages
105
Location
Moline Illinois
well working most of the time is pretty much what you get with any 22 magazine or ammo. 22s are not 100% reliable no matter what you do.
 
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