This pistol from 1983 literally has had 2 mags ran through it. I got it out a few days ago to wipe it down. When I pulled the bolt back, the mag catch won't push/ force the latch to lock open for the last round. I tried multiple times with the same result. Not even a bit of resistance. I have a plastic Ram-Line that was new in the package (I bought it from a RF member). It locked it open when I pull the bolt back, like it should with an empty mag. I bought two new Mec Gar mags and both lock it open. But the original mag doesn't engage the bolt hold-open latch. It's like it doesn't extend out from the mag far enough anymore. It has an inner and outer ring. One goes inside the mag; and the part you see that shpild engage the latch is on the outside. That's how they all are. I see no adjustment, or any reason it isn't working. I'm pretty sure this is the original mag to this pistol. I don't think that I swapped mags with another on my Rugers for any reason. Any thoughts? Thanks.
After a couple more attempts, and comparing to the new MecGar mags that I bought, I was still baffled. The Mecs work great. So, I disassembled the Ruger mag again, and also the MecGar. The Ruger is so easy to pop apart. The MecGar- well, the metal thing that contacts the magazine base went flying from the spring (makes a nice dent in sheetrock). It was under a LOT of pressure (insert light bulb emoji here). I compared springs, and the 42 year old Ruger mag spring was over 1.5 inches shorter than the new mag springs. I gently stretched the spring so get it "close" to the MecGar spring length, put the factory follower back in, reassembled the mag and inserted it. Pull the slide, released it and ding ding- it locks open. All it was appears to be that the spring has been under pressure and unused for 40 years, and had weakened. So I now have a couple extra new mags, and a couple new Vol followers. Not a bad thing.
