How do you break down and clean a Wilson Combat magazine for a compact .45?

Answer 1

I'm not sure why you'd need to disassemble it. If it's got dirt in it, wash it out with hot water, shake it out, soak it in oil, shake it out again, dry it with a rag, and it should be good.

I actually use a combination of Ballistol and water, so all I do is rinse, dry, and reload.

If you're really feeling compelled to open up your magazine, there should be a button in the middle of the base pad. Jam a nail up there, and slide the base pad to the rear. The spring is going to come flying out the bottom, so be prepared to catch it. Make sure you know which side is the front for both the spring and the follower, so you don't have problems after you reassemble it.

*** Edit ***

My bad...the base pad does, indeed, get pushed forward for removal. But I still think it's a moot point, and that disassembly is unnecessary.

Answer 2

Magazine base will have a pin in the bottom. Press the pin in and slide the magazine floor plate forward carefully since the magazine spring will come out pretty fast. If you have long surgical tweezers, it is really easy to clean the inside of the magazine body using regular gun solvent on a patch. Clean the follower and spring also. Dont leave the magazine drenched in solvent or oil since that will pick up dirt and lint. Magazine can be almost virtually dry. Re-assemble the reverse from dis-assembly.

For magazines without remove-able floor plate: With unloaded magazine, take small wood dowel, press magazine follower down most of the way and put a wire or small nail through hole in side of magazine just to hold the spring down, not the follower. Shake the magazine follower out, hold you finger over magazine top and pull nail or wire out of magazine. That will release the spring and allow you to clean. Reverse the process by pressing the sprin only into the magazine, secure it with nail and then work magazine follower onto the top of spring and release.

Takes longer to describe than to do it.

Answer 3

Press the button on the bottom, and slide the basepad FORWARD, not backward. Do make sure you put it together the same way you took it apart (pay attention to the spring position!).