CZ-52 Magazines, Good & Bad

[Hammerspur]

I've been tinkering with the 52's my buddy and I got recently.
Don't know if anyone can benefit from this or not but thought I'd pass it on. 

In My Brief Acquaintance With These Pistols, Observations re: Magazines

NOTE: A full function magazine should
> lock slide open when empty
> eject itself when mag catch is levered
> push up enough on slide lock before ejection to fully lock it: slide stays open even after magazine is ejected.
Does the slide remain open when magazine is empty?

If not the magazine follower isn't pushing up on the slide hold-open catch against the downward pressure of its own spring. This downward force is what 'ejects' the mag when the catch is pulled rearward.

a) Slide release spring may be broken or the end merely disengaged from the hold-open catch.
b) Magazine spring could be #sacked# or perhaps feed lips at the top of the mags are slightly * askew * (rough handling/dropping, poor manufacturing QC) preventing followers from reaching full elevation.

#: Stretched a sacked one a bit and got it to work ... it'll probably sack out again so I'll get a new one.
New magazine springs can be had here: http://www.gunsprings.com/SemiAuto/CZ.html#CZ52

*: Eyeballing one mag of mine that would let the slide slam home when removed I noticed that the feed lips on the mag body seemed turned a bit more in and down than the others... I reshaped them upward ever so slightly with a small, tightly fitted adjustable wrench. Voila! Just enough to allow the follower to fully lift the slide stop... remove the mag, no slam. Feed function tested repeatedly with 8 rounds loaded, no problem.
Still must fire test that one to be certain, but looks good.
Does the magazine hold the slide open but not eject?

If not springs are likely not the cause. Magazine manufacturing tolerances seem to vary widely.
I have one which locks the slide but needs manual extraction. It fits more snugly in my pistol's mag well than others.
Plan to polish the magazine body to fit and maybe daub some cold blue on it after.

Another thing to check... "Not All Magazines Are Created Equal":

Look at this pic of a full length, fully functioning (ejecting, etc.) magazine (L=Long)
compared to one I have that needed to be pried out by its floorplate's front lip (S=Short)
and did not hold the slide open when empty:




Just My 2 Cents. 

[Hank08]

Thanks, hammerspur, I'm going to have to do some checking on mine.  I have 3 and about a dozen mags and I know I haven't even shot some of them.  Might not have shot one of the pistols, better take them all out and give them a workout and check some of the things you mentioned.
H08

[Hammerspur]

Also, here's a good source for magazines, mag parts, OEM mag springs and many other parts:

http://www.buymilsurp.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=30c42272be8d772f35dc3844f3cf83eb&keyword=cz-52