Apr 19, 2013: M11/NINE Mag Tooling Still Moving Forward

Okay, maybe I was a bit “optimistic” about when we’d be testing the final iteration of the new Shockwave Technologies 30-round mags for the M11/NINE. (If only I’d commit to a damn design. How hard can it be, right?) But I wanted to give everyone who has been so patient with me an update—and post a few pictures of what-is-now-previous-gen tooling and unfinished prototypes.

I know. I know. It’s taking longer than expected. And I hate to keep changing things. But please understand that I want these to be THE mags for the M11/NINE. Not an easy task when you consider just how sloppy a lot of the work was that went into the host guns—and how different manufacturers took certain “liberties” with the dimensions. (I should have stuck with one of my earlier designs–it worked so well. But no, I had to go and “get all fancy.” IMHO, “K.I.S.S.” really is where it’s at.)

Anyway, without further delay, some pics of tooling and rough prototypes that I just today put the brakes on. We’ll get there. Just give me a couple of weeks to retool and get what I now think will be final final form prototyped.

In the pictures above, you can see the rib tooling I was thinking of using, so I could make the mags rectangular in cross-section and fill in the “void” in the trapezoidal cross-section of the mag well. That idea’s out the door today. You can also see tooling for forming the feedlips as well as drawing and forming the mag bodies as well as the floorplates and inserts.

I appreciate everyone who has written me or commented on the gun boards (favorably). 😉 We’ll get there. I just need a few more weeks. And for my final beta testers, please hang in there as well.

Many thanks to everyone,

Marty