The Idiots Guide to Reversing the Mag Catch on the FNP

[Evopsych]

Ok...So after trying to find the factory instructions for reversing the FNP magazine catch for a couple of days. I finally broke down and decided to deal with it myself.

It's pretty simple and was not to hard to figure out.

I wish I had a better digicam, that was up to taking macro pictures of the procedure, But I'm afraid I'll just have to describe it to you.

1.) Make sure the weapon is UNLOADED!

2.) Remove the Slide assembly as per the standard method for stripping the pistol for cleaning.

3.) Look down the mag well while working the Magazine Catch. the Magazine Catch internal bar will be obvious.

4.) A channel is molded into the inside front strap of the grip and runs just under the across the frame bar of the magazine catch inside the mag well. This is the Magazine Catch Spring removal channel.

5.) The magazine release is held in place by the spring that actuates the mag catch (The Magazine Catch spring looks like the letter N with a hook on both ends.) the N spring is silver and you will be able to see the top of it, sticking up just behind the magazine catch. the top hook of the N spring will be hooked over the top of the magazine catch bar. (What you probably will not be able to see, is that the bottom hook of the N spring is hooked over the bottom surface of the Magazine Catch bar in exactly the same fashion.)

6.) You will need a long, thin flat head screw driver and some sort of hook. A thick paper clip can be bent into a hook but a dental pick is what I used.

7.) Take the screwdriver and insert it up the mag well from the bottom of the frame (Were the mag goes in.), taking care not to scrape or touch the insides of the mag well, as this might mar the polymer. While visualizing the screwdrivers progress from the top of the mag well. The Magazine catch spring channel extends below the magazine catch bar about 5mm to 6mm and forms a square just below the magazine catch bar. This is where you want to gently press the flat head of the screw driver. The flat head of the screw driver will push the hook of the N spring off the bottom of the Magazine catch bar.

8.) While maintaining a gentle pressure on the screw driver to hold the bottom N spring hook off the magazine catch bar. Slide your hook or dental pick strait down the Magazine Spring Channel from the top of the Mag well and hook the top of the N Spring. if the bottom hook of the N Spring is properly depressed. A gentle upward pull will slide the N spring up the Magazine Catch Spring Channel and out the top of the Mag well. (Do not pull on the N spring hard enough to bend it! If it doesn't move with a gentle pull, then you do not have the bottom catch off and need to reposition the head of your screw driver.) (Also take care not to lose the N spring upon removal.)

9.) The Magazine catch bar may now be removed from the frame.

10.) Reverse the magazine catch. Making sure the line on the release button side points strait down the angle of the bottom of the trigger guard.

11.) Press the N spring into the top of the Magazine catch spring channel. Slide the N spring down the channel until it goes though the notch in the Magazine catch bar. Press the N spring downward until the bottom hook of the spring re-engages the bottom of the magazine catch bar. (you may need to use gentle pressure with the head of the screw driver to do this. Again gentle pressure and patients are the watch word here. (DO NOT BENT THE SPRING.) It will be obvious to you when the spring engages.


Thats all there is to it. You can now dump mags from the strong side like a H&K USP or Walther 99.

With the thick grip of the FNP pistols, I've found the strong side option to be the better method of magazine release. As it does not alter the shooting grip nearly so much as conventional thumb release.

Evo

[ShipWreck]

Great info - I stickied this.

[Cooter]

I can get some pictures of this procedure as well as a step by step on removing and installing the mag safety on the Browning Pro series. Just have to give me a little time. Been working 60 hours a week plus trying to prep my shop for concrete. I've been busy and my body is feeling it.

[Evopsych]

Browning Pro9 Schematic.

http://www.freespaces.com/laliqueinf...ro940parts.pdf

The N Spring is listed as Part 31.

The Magazine Catch is listed as Part 30.

[KLEBRUN]

Thanks for the info Evopsych. Your instructions were right on target. Switched mine over today before cleaning my FNP9. I took some pics of the procedure. If anybody wants a copy of them, just let me know and I will email them to you.

[DocLRRP]

This is REALLY interesting stuff. Where did you get your combat background to come up with this?? Tres cool.

[KLEBRUN]

Please forgive the low quality pics and dirty gun. I did this before cleaning it.

#1 Mag catch B.C. (before changing )



#2 Placement of screwdriver blade



#3 Placement of dental pick



#4 Just pulled out of gun, before reversal



#5 Going back in reversed



#6 Placement of spring before sliding back down



#7 After spring is reseated



#8 Relationship of catch to trigger guard


You are now an official "Mag Catch Reversal Engineer"!!

[ShipWreck]

Sweet!

[Jon A]

Thanks for the writeup, I found it very helpful. The trigger finger is much easier for me to use without adjusting my grip vs. the thumb.

One thing, have you noticed the mag doesn't always go in quite as smoothly? If you're putting pressure in on the bottom of the mag away from you while inserting, it'll hang up hard enough to stop. If pulling it toward you while inserting it goes in nice and smoothly. In the right hand config, the mag goes in smoothly no matter what you do.

If you look closely at the top of the magazines, they aren't symmetrical, the left side (which is now what goes past the release) sticks out quite a bit farther which is to clear the little tab on the follower that engages the slide catch when empty. The magazine has the notch for the catch on both sides so they obviously intended for this to be possible, I'm just wondering why they didn't take a little material off the stop in that location so it would work better in this config instead of just making it the same as the other side.

I guess I'll just use it for a while and see if it's enough to bother me. Just thought I'd mention it.

[FlatCheese]

Just reversed the mag release on my 40. The whole process took 15 minutes from start to finish. You definitely need a long thin straight blade screwdriver or equivalent and it would help if you could put a slight bend in the either the blade or the neck of the screwdriver to assist in getting the bottom of the spring disengaged. You'll know immediately when you've accomplished this as it will be very easy to pull the "N" spring up using either a dental hook or paperclip with a "u" bend on one end.
Once you've done that, follow the instructions for reversing the catch so the cross hatched end of the catch is on the right, or strong side of the pistol. Use your index finger to push the N spring back into the channel and under the catch. Keeping your finger on the spring eliminates the chance of it flying out which happened to me; once.... and man does it fly! If a guy like me with sausage fingers can do it, anybody can! Just follow the instructions supplied by Evo. And BTW, thanks Evo!!