Smith & Wesson 18+1 High Capacity Magazine Modification

Everyone wants more rounds in the gun. I've always been a believer of more bullets and after shooting many years of competitive pistol shooting where one extra round can mean the difference of 1st or 2nd place... it stuck with me. In competitive shooting like IPSC and USPSA, there are many companies that make basepads for added capacity for center-fire handguns like the 9mm, 38 Super, 40S&W and 45ACP. But no one really seems to care about the 22. For years I have been a big fan of the 22LR. I've even been accused of having a fetish of sort and to be honest, I couldn't tell you how many 22's I've owned over the years. So for those of us looking for more rounds in our 22's, you can find a potential answer to your quest at our website Taylor-Tactical-Supply

But here in particular I wanted to give you a close up look at the 18+1 MAGAZINE UPGRADE KIT for the Smith & Wesson M&P22 pistol. This kit replaces the internal parts of the factory magazine regardless if it's a 10 or 12 round mag. The kit is comprised of a new Hi-Viz follower, extra power magazine spring, aluminum basepad and hex wrench. You can find them HERE



The kit installs in minutes and is reversible if you want to ever convert your magazines back to original configuration. Simply dismantle your factory magazine and bag up everything for storage but the magazine tube. Insert the NicTaylor follower into the magazine tube and then the extra power magazine spring taking note of the orientation of the spring. Compress the spring inside the magazine tube and slide on the anodized aluminum basepad. If for some reason the basepad does not slide on, it may be necessary to remove some of the metal on the little wings of the magazine tube. The magazine tube is stamped and formed sheet metal and the tolerances can vary from mag to mag. Make sure that the spring fits into the inside pocket of the basepad and use the included hex wrench to finger tighten the set screw on the bottom of the basepad.





Draw backs on a kit like this is that it may not be legal in your area. Lots of states and municipalities do not allow magazines over a certain capacity. So make sure you know your areas laws before you install a magazine upgrade. Also we recommend using high velocity ammo for this kit. With so many rounds in the magazine, there is more pressure exerted on the bottom of the slide. This pressure is difficult to overcome as the slide attempts to cycle with the use of some low power ammo. Even with high velocity ammo, the slide may not lock back every time on the last shot fired.

If you live in an area where 15 rounds is the limit for a magazine then you are still in luck. You can get the original 15+1 magazine upgrade HERE And for those that do not have the full sized version of the M&P22, but rather have the COMPACT, you can get a 14+1 magazine upgrade HERE

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Thumbsafety Removal

Some S&W M&P22 pistol owners do not like the thumbsafety feature on this gun. The thumb paddles are easy enough to remove but it leaves an unsightly silver square pin in the side of your pistol. If you have removed the thumb safety from your own M&P-22 then you know what this looks like. Well here is the answer for this ugly void in the sides of your gun. This pin is an AR15 anti-walk pin with a set screw in each end to hold it in place. The antiwalk pin is slightly longer than the square pin you will be replacing but once the pistol is re-assembled any movement of the pin is not noticable. This pin gives your Smith & Wesson 22LR a cleaner look.

You can get yours HERE Use code GUNSTREAMER for free shipping in the USA


*Altering your gun including safety features may void the warranty and can be dangerous. Proceed at your own risk.

Dillon Reloading Press Powder Thrower Finger Adjustment Knob

On a typical progressive Dillon Precision Press comes a powder thrower with a hex head adjustment screw. If you are constantly making changes to your powder thrower this becomes a pain using your wrench every time you want to make an adjustment. To make this easier you can replace the hex head screw with one that allows you to quickly adjust the powder thrower without tools. This replacement screw has a nice sized plastic knob with laser etched graduation markings and can be found from Taylor-Tactical-Supply.



Each finger adjustment screw comes with a slightly thicker washer than what came with your Dillon Powder Thrower. When installing the screw you can use the existing washer and wave washer (tension washer), or use the new one to get the knob tension to your liking.  In some cases you may need to use both.



The screw will work on both the large and small powder bar found in your Dillon powder throwers for the 1050, 650, 550, SDB and 900 reloading press. You can get yours at Taylor-Tactical-Supply EBAY or Amazon

Diamondback Truck Bed Cover Review

Securing your firearms while traveling can be a nerve racking thing.  All serious gun owners avoid calculating the total investment spent on their guns and accessories and will never tell their spouse what the actual value is.  On my last three pickup trucks I've used tonneau covers to secure my "items".  So on my latest truck, when it was time to select a bed cover I went with the Diamond Back cover over the traditional fiberglass covers I previously used.

What immediately attracted me to the Diamondback cover was the rugged look and the ability to support a claimed 400 pounds.  This is a great feature for me, since we usually stand on the side beds of our trucks or tonneau covers to fill deer feeders on our Texas deer leases.  Standing on a color matched tonneau cover is not the best thing to do since the paint can be easily scratched and the weight of a full grown adult plus 50 pound bags of corn can damage the cover.

Constructed of diamond plate aluminum, the Diamondback can be purchased in either a glossy bare metal finish or a black spray on finish.  I selected the black finish since it goes better with my grey 2017 Toyota Tundra.  I was assured by the sales person on the phone that the spray on coating would hold up over time.  The coating is claimed to be the highest quality spray on coating you can get when it comes to spray in bed liner material.  I've seen so many truck beds with chalky bed liners degrading in the elements that I can only hope Diamondback is correct with this claim.  Only time will tell, and having mine for year now at the time I write this review, it shows no sign of degradation.

I selected the DiamondBackSE model due to the door panel configuration.  Other models like the 270 and 180 are geared more for tool boxes and I would mainly be hauling guns and ammo.  I passed on the HD (Heavy Duty) version of the cover since I would not need the extra strength and the additional $400 up-charge for the HD.

Being a dude, I still have a collection of tools that are used on a semi-regular basis but not for my occupation where half my truck is tools.  So I ordered the SIDE BOXES tool boxes for my bed cover.  The side boxes are small and mount up above the bed so they do not take up any floor space.  For me they provide the perfect amount of space for my tools and tie down straps.

The cover went on very easy for one person.  The SE model is in 3 panels, two doors and one mid section that clamps to the bed rail of your truck.  The mid section is the only section that requires tools to install and remove.  The door panels come off easy and weigh around 40 pounds each.  Having the ability to remove the door panels is a huge plus for me.  When you need to haul something tall, they can be removed by just one person.  My last fiber glass cover required another adult to help and then the problem of storing the huge cover without scratching the paint was a problem.

Since the mid section is relatively permanent, I figured it would be a great place to mount some lighting.  These bed covers are really dark on those early morning hunts when you are trying to gear up before the sun rises.  I found some water proof LED light strips on the web that run on 12VDC and figured they would be perfect for the 12V electrical system on the truck.  Since my Tundra had bed lights already (I wanted more), it was easy to tap into the bed lighting wiring so the new LED strip lights come on at the same time.  Click HERE to see a link to the LED lighting I used. 

THE CONS...
I installed the cover in the summer sun and had to use gloves to handle the metal panels.  The silver under side was impossible to touch with bare hands while adjusting the fit.  Once closed up, the summer heat and sun heated the contents of the bed as if it was in the cab of the truck.  As mentioned my last bed covers were fiber glass with carpet on the underside.  Over heating was not an issue with that design.

WATER TIGHT?
My other issue was the middle panel on the SE model that clamps to the side of your bed.  I must have over tightened the bolts since the two folding doors sit up at an angle and prove difficult to close and get a good water tight seal (see pics).  This must be a common theme since I see pretty much every other Diamond Back cover on the road looking the same.

LOCKING RODS
The locking rods have a plastic sleeve on the ends where they engage the under side of the truck bed.  In order to get the door panels to seal nicely, you have to get the end of these rods snug against the bed rail.  In my case the rubber sleeve slides off the rod just enough to not allow the door panel to open.  In some cases the rubber sleeve slide all the way off and would not stay on (see pics).  Getting these rods just right can be difficult.  Once they are adjusted you are good to go.  BUT once you put some weight on the bed cover, the door panels tend to flex some and cause the adjustment of those rods to change.  Not a super big deal since you can open the door panel and grab the corners and flex the panel back with your hands.

CONCLUSION
I tend to focus on the negative aspects as I see it since you assume the product marketing fanfare is all true.  With that said, I can stand on this cover with confidence knowing that I will not jack anything up.  Locking up my gear (mostly guns) in such a secure cover gives me piece of mind, knowing my weapons and gear are secure when I stop at that road side cafe after a day at the range.

Out of 5 stars I give it 4 just because of the negatives I mentioned above.  And as long as you can live with the negative points I mentioned, I think you will not be disappointed.  I would recommended this cover to others with my main complaint being the heating of the contents.  So far no ammo has cooked off in the Texas heat.