Beretta 84 mag issue (UpLula problem?)

[alex_w]

I picked up an 84FS just before they dropped off the roster at the end of 2016. Took a while before I got a chance to shoot it - when I did I only shot 9 rounds per mag since it was impossible to get the 10th round in (thanks, California!). At that time it performed flawlessly.

After that I picked up two more factory mags. And, at a friend's suggestion, I also picked up an UpLula, with which I was able to get the 10th rounds in.

When I brought it to the range again I popped in a magazine, racked the slide, and it only went halfway forward. After briefly fiddling with it and pushing the slide forward I got it to chamber. However, since I was unsure what the problem was I decided to eject that magazine & the cartridge. Next magazine... same issue... as did the remaining two mags. As it was too dark at the indoor range to properly diagnose I took everything home to investigate.

Turns out that the front edge of the cartridge casing (where it meets the bullet) was catching on the front magazine lip and the edges at the tops of the "U". I could repeat it by manually unloading the magazine by pushing the rear of the cartridge (the issue was generally solved by applying enough upward pressure to the cartridge in front of the magazine so that the cartridge didn't come into contact with the magazine at that point.) This wasn't an ammo issue, however - I was using the same box of ammo as I'd previously used, and I could repeat the issue with other brands. I could even repeat it with plastic Tipton Snap-Caps, although with enough pressure you could get them to go over the front lip.

With some judicious use of emery cloth I've managed to get one magazine working again (though I've yet to shoot with it). After working on another I'm convinced that the main point of contact is the corners at the top of the "U" at the front of the magazine. With some experimentation with the UpLula it appears that its metal piece makes the most contact with those corners.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with the Beretta 84 magazines, or with the UpLula? This is a legit (non-counterfeit) UpLula, and the Beretta 84 is one of the magazines it is advertised as working with.

I just can't see any other possible common factor between these four factory magazines (two previously used my me, two brand new) that is causing them to fail in the same manner.

[DJD100]

I picked up an 84FS just before they dropped off the roster at the end of 2016. Took a while before I got a chance to shoot it - when I did I only shot 9 rounds per mag since it was impossible to get the 10th round in (thanks, California!). At that time it performed flawlessly.

After that I picked up two more factory mags. And, at a friend's suggestion, I also picked up an UpLula, with which I was able to get the 10th rounds in.

When I brought it to the range again I popped in a magazine, racked the slide, and it only went halfway forward. After briefly fiddling with it and pushing the slide forward I got it to chamber. However, since I was unsure what the problem was I decided to eject that magazine & the cartridge. Next magazine... same issue... as did the remaining two mags. As it was too dark at the indoor range to properly diagnose I took everything home to investigate.

Turns out that the front edge of the cartridge casing (where it meets the bullet) was catching on the front magazine lip and the edges at the tops of the "U". I could repeat it by manually unloading the magazine by pushing the rear of the cartridge (the issue was generally solved by applying enough upward pressure to the cartridge in front of the magazine so that the cartridge didn't come into contact with the magazine at that point.) This wasn't an ammo issue, however - I was using the same box of ammo as I'd previously used, and I could repeat the issue with other brands. I could even repeat it with plastic Tipton Snap-Caps, although with enough pressure you could get them to go over the front lip.

With some judicious use of emery cloth I've managed to get one magazine working again (though I've yet to shoot with it). After working on another I'm convinced that the main point of contact is the corners at the top of the "U" at the front of the magazine. With some experimentation with the UpLula it appears that its metal piece makes the most contact with those corners.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with the Beretta 84 magazines, or with the UpLula? This is a legit (non-counterfeit) UpLula, and the Beretta 84 is one of the magazines it is advertised as working with.

I just can't see any other possible common factor between these four factory magazines (two previously used my me, two brand new) that is causing them to fail in the same manner.

I'd look whether the mag's feed lips allowed the top cartridge to sit high enough to clear?

If the top cartridge is too high or too low due to the mag's feed lips you'll have problems feeding.

Aside from that recoil and mag springs up to spec etc?

Good luck!

[redcliff]

Rounds need a little vertical wiggle room in the magazine to chamber easily. Generally, the cartridge's bullet needs to pitch up to follow the feed ramp which causes the cartridge to pivot on the front of the feed lips and push the rear of the cartridge down into the magazine a bit until the rear of the cartridge completely clears the feed lips, then the cartridge has to slide up the breach face and complete the chambering process. If your neutered 10 round magazine doesn't allow room for this you can often get feeding jams.

In support of this argument, you state that you needed an UpLula to force the 10th round in but that the pistol ran flawlessly with 9 rounds only in the magazines, and that 9 rounds could be loaded by hand. You may be reaching coil bind on the mag spring with 10 rounds so perhaps (no guarantee) clipping a "coil" of it off would help, or perhaps you can modify the follower to allow more room for the 10th round. Or just run it as a 9+1 pistol.