Congratulations: You just got a brand new MP5 magazine (or better yet, a bunch) and are ready to hit the range and get shooting.
With a bunch of new mags, you won’t have to reload as frequently, which means you can spend more of your time shooting and less time loading.
But did you know that MP5 magazines (like all firearm magazines) require a break-in period?
Not that they need it. A mag will work fine from the factory.
But have you ever brought a new gun home and felt like the action was a little bit stiff, even gritty?
Suddenly, after you put a few hundred rounds through it, it was silky smooth, though, right?
That’s because firearms are manufactured to extremely tight tolerances at the factory, which means they’re a little stiff when brand new.
Magazines have extremely stiff springs and are the same way. You can break them in just by using them at the range, or you can manually accelerate the process.
Here’s how to break them in.
Break in the Spring
From the factory, an MP5 magazine is going to have an extremely stiff spring. This is not a bad thing. The strength of the spring is what allows the magazine to hold and feed rounds into the action.
But when fresh, the springs are prohibitively stiff. You need to break them in.
There’s a caveat here. You can’t just load the mag and leave it loaded. This will not break in the springs.
It is the action of loading and unloading that limbers up the spring.
So, what you need to do is load the magazine to capacity, and then unload it.
You can do this manually, but it’s going to be hard on your thumbs. If you can get a 9mm speedloader that works with one of our MP5 magazines, it will halve the time it takes for you to knock this process out.
Load and unload the mags to capacity, do it a few times, every day, and within a few days, your mag will be easier to load and will probably feed more fluidly, too.
By the way, storing your mags loaded won’t damage them, since the spring must load and unload in order to become fatigued. So if you put away a mag loaded, don’t worry about it.
Break in the MP5 Magazine Itself
The other aspect of breaking in an MP5 magazine has to do with breaking in the mag tube or body itself.
Fresh from the factory, it’s going to be a little stiff inserting and dropping your mag into the mag chute. You might need to force it in there to get it to catch.
This will limber up with time, but you might as well fast-track it by following this process.
All you really need to do here is insert and drop the MP5 mag several times in succession. It’s really not more involved than that.
When brand new, the mag tube might be really tight against the mag chute. Inserting and dropping it several times will help to wear it down a little so it inserts and drops more smoothly going forward.
The other thing you want to do is “break in” the mag catch, sort of. The truth is, this will happen in part as you use the gun, but with a fresh mag, things might still just be a little “sticky.”
Oftentimes, a gun can be a little finicky with a new mag and it can stick or stop at the mag catch, but engaging and disengaging the mag into the chute, engaging the catch, and dropping it via the mag release will help speed up the process of break-in.
Quality MP5 Magazines: Buy in Bulk and Save
After breaking in the MP5 magazine spring and mag tub/mag catch, you’re pretty much set. Your mags should charge, load, and shoot more smoothly and offer reliable feeding from that point on.
If you’re looking for a place where you can get high-quality MP5 magazines, that’s right here. We sell quality MP5 magazines will all-steel construction and with an electroplated finish that are extremely durable and corrosion resistant.
They also have reinforced feed lips that are more durable and long-lasting, and which enable smoother feeding, as well as a steel follower and a high-tensile strength magazine spring.
As if that weren’t good enough, they also have round count indicator holes at the back of the magazine body, so you no longer have to guess how many rounds are left before you’re out.
They’re also compatible not only with many MP5 clones but with the HK MP5.
You can also get them bundled here, in 6 packs, which drives down the unit cost. Plus, do you really only need one spare? Get a bunch and stash them in your range bag so you can spend more time shooting and less time loading.
If you have any questions about our MP5 magazines or compatibility, please get in touch with our customer service at [email protected] or contact us at 434-202-7790.