Been reading about loose magwells in the PTR series.  I decided to check mine SN# above 3000.  Sure enough, mine has a lot of play side to side and front to rear. Has anyone had any reliability issues related to this.  Just to compare I placed a USGI 30rd mag in my RRA tac entry model. There was about equal front to back play, and less side to side play. The AR magwell is deeper however.

Just to note. The alloy mags fit tighter in the magwell. So much so that they do not drop free when the mag release button is pushed. The steel ones are a tad looser and do drop free. Seems like the extra play might be a good thing? From what I can tell by inserting the mags is that if the magwell was any tighter I might have a hard time inserting them as there is some side to side drag as I insert them. But there is some wobble after they lock in.

Check the play with a LOADED mag. Big difference in my PTR.

Yes, Much tighter with a loaded mag, Esp front to back.

Aluminum: Loaded and Unloaded in my PTR are very loose.
Steel: about 15% or so not as loose in both configurations.

My PTR serial number is in the 4000+ range.

How much of a real problem is this?  I have read a couple posts discussing this, but nothing about it affecting function.

Is it just a minor nuisance, or something bigger?

Quoted: How much of a real problem is this?  I have read a couple posts discussing this, but nothing about it affecting function. Is it just a minor nuisance, or something bigger?

Well, when you walk across the gun shop floor with it and the magazine rattles in the gun
I think its too loose.  All I know is that my older PTR is much tighter.  
To me it seems the mag well is out of spec. on some of the newer PTRs.

Victor at JLD actually told me, and I quote:
"H&K Designed them [the magwell] that way,
it's H&Ks specs 100%" accent not included in quote....
I asked him then if my H&K 91A2 is out of spec, or HK93,
or 94?? [no magwell play] He said YES!
O...K.....

So JLDs are correct, and H&Ks made in Germany
are out of spec....  WTF?????  

That's all I can tell you.

It's a great rifle, and very well made,
but the BS from the factory is a bit
over the top.

In JLDs defense, he kindly offered
to replace it, but cautioned me that
the replacement would be no better.

IMHO They know the problem exists,
and it may be corrected in the distant
future.



myit

Just a little update:

I contacted Victor at JLD about this yesterday and was refered to a person named
Iver.  He said he would research this and call me back.

Iver called back in less than an hour and stated that if there is a problem with the new mag well
in a new PTR I buy to send the gun back and they will correct it.

I'm just a little concerned that there are some PTRs with tight mag wells and some that are
sloppy.  Also I am concerned by what JLD considers normal,

AND-I'm sure not buying the BS that my own HK-91, with its tighter mag well, is out
of spec.  I realize there has to be some movement in the mag well but it shouldn't sound like
a rattle trap.  Even my CETME (you know-the ones assembled in the dark by drunk monkeys
at Century) is better then the new PTR I was looking at.

Does it shoot?  If the rattle dosen't affect reliability, why worry.  The mags don't rattle in my HK91, but they do in my AK.  Both work 100%.

FWIW my PTR (ser.#>4000), has some play when mag is inserted, but not enough to bother me.  Some mags have more play than others but mine are all alloy.  In any case, all mags function perfectly and so far I have about 4 SA battle packs through it.

In another thread a poster sent his rifle back to JLD and they sent it back without the wiggle. However IIRC, the poster's mags would not drop free after the fix.

My rifle functions 100%, the mags drop free and I do not care about the minor play.

Seydou

Thanks for bringing this topic up guys.  I've been thinking about a PTR-91 for well over a year, BUUUUUT...  All bets are off now, if I go for a MBR it's going to be a DSA FAL.

I hate mag wobble.

My FMP and HK91 have zero play with unloaded and loaded mags, aluminum and steel.

The mags rattle in mine, if I have the bolt locked back.  While there is still a little bit of wiggle, the rattling goes away when the bolt is forward, both with empty and full mags.  No reliability problems as of yet with 700 rnds through the rifle.  I have even shot the rifle while pulling on the mags in different directions and still have had no problems.

As far as I am concerned, the somewhat loose magwell is a non-issue.  

My Ptr

I have 16 Mags, 10 steel, 6 alloy. I noticed in testing the fit that there are significant diffrences between various mags. I have a steel mag that fits quite loose and rattles around if the rifle is shook. Other mags lock up much tighter. So much so that you have to pull them out when the mag release button is pushed.  I think that this may be more of an issue with demensional diffrences between various mags than with an out of spec magwell. At least that seems to be the issue with my rifle,

I had to travel out of town for a funeral.  While here I got to get away from the misery for  
a few hours to unwind. Close by was a small gun shop that had a couple of PTRs.  
I thought I'd check the magwells on those as well.  The same story- both were loose with steel or alloy mags.

I wonder why my older PTR is so much tighter compared to the new stuff. With using
HK plans and CNC machining I find it hard to believe they are that loose.

I know it doesn't bother some people but to me its a lack of quality control. I might have
to consider something different.

The mags in my PTR are fairly loose as well.

It hasn't been a problem for mine at all.

I have to shake the rifle up and down pretty hard to get any
mags to rattle in the rifle from side to side .

Out of 500 rounds through this one ,twice the bolt didn't chamber
the first round from the mag.
After further investigation ,I believe this happened because
of a combination of me not perfectly seating the last round
I put in the mag ,and a tiny seperation between the 2
layers of Aluminum at the lip of the mag.
The seperation made a small dimple in the lip.

HK mags are the only mags I've ever seen that have 2 seperate layers
folded together in the lip area.

I have also noticed a large variance in the thickness of mags that were made
of different metals,and in different years .

I have some really old steel ones that barely move sideways in my PTR at all.

I have some newer steel mags that are looser than my alloy ones.

I think different years of manufacture may have a lot to do with how
evident this problem may be to each user .

I've had a similar thing happen with AK mags,factory Russian AKs ,BTW,
with factory Russian mags.
Also seen this on STG-44s,RPKs,Uzisand one FAL.
If it rattles untill it bothers you ,I would rap a little hundred mile an hour
tape on the mags where they contact the mag well.
No  more noise.
I do this for most of my serious weapons anyway,to prevent reflection
and reduce the chance of damage from dropping.(Magpuls on em all to)

Still I'm somewhat concerned,and I'm keeping an eye on mine to see
if it's a problem.
After my new crate of ammo arrives and my new vertical grip,I'll
test mine out more thoroughly.

Quoted: In another thread a poster sent his rifle back to JLD and they sent it back without the wiggle. However IIRC, the poster's mags would not drop free after the fix. Seydou

I am the poster you are referring to and that is correct.  My serial # is 4000 range.  Overall, I am very impressed with this rifle.  Other than that initial issue- it is very well assembled.  I am searching for the ever-elusive black, wide fore-grips.

Also gonna look into one of those recommended trigger jobs.

I'm curious how some seem tight, others loose.  Mine was big-time loose, with 10+ different mags, with all the play in one direction.  Anyone who had checked it out would agree.  I am not overly-anal about my rifles- I do not own any safe queens.  It just seemed like the 'wiggle' was out of place on an otherwise tight rifle.

But JLD squared me away.  The rifle was 100% reliable when I fired it for the first time the other day- 75 rounds down-range- SA battlepack.

My mags are now really tight- they do not drop free.  But this rifle- for me- does not fill a CQB, room-clearing role so that is no bother.   I'm just a weekend warrior who wanted a .308 'just in case' something more than a 5.56 was called for.  he
Overall- for about $850- its an incredible value anyway you slice it.  

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