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How-To Guide: Disassembly/Reassembly of Benjamin Marauder Magazine

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markasaurus:
Here is a how-to on taking apart your Marauder magazine.  More important it shows how to put it back together!  (If you are looking for instructions on how to load your magazine, there's a video at the end of the post.)

If your mags are clean and functioning they shouldn't require disassembly very often.  Even so despite our best efforts, some dirt and lead dust  is bound to accumulate inside the mag anyway.  When disasembled it is not a bad idea to wash out the plastic parts.  Compressed air, if you have it, works well for this.  For cleaning the plastic magazine parts, plain diswashing soap and water, or windex also works.  It is probably best to use no petroleum based cleaner unless you wash it out with soap and water afterwards.  Not only might the petro oil attack the plastic (not likely but it can happen) it also might obliterate the numbers on the cylinder.

Benjamin says to avoid lubricating the magazine.  This is good advice for two sound reasons - any wet lube wil just attract dirt.  Also most lubricants are petroleum based, and some kinds of petroleum oil attack plastic.   Even if they dont melt your magazine the oil can obliterate the numbers.   Insofar as possible, keep your magazines and ammo clean and dry and they should work for a long time with little or no attention.  And it's very good practice to unload your magazines when they are not in use.  If kept under tension  for a long time, the spring may weaken enough so the mag will not work or will not work reliably. Perhaps recognizing this might happen, the designers added an extra spring tensioner hole in the magazine body, the only purpose of which seems to be for you yo use use if to add tension to a weak magazine spring.  How to use the hole is described in this post. 

If you wish to lubricate your magazines anyway, please use only non-petroleum based lubricant.  A drop of  silicone shock oil (the kind used in model R/C cars), or a light dusting of graphite powder on the inside of the magazine body ought to be sufficient. 

DISASSEMBLY:

P-rod mag shown. 


The magazine is held together by an allen head screw.  (1.5 mm hex wrench)  Unthread and remove the screw. 

Notice that the screw is tightly held in place, but, only by the  threads in the magazine body.  So you will feel resistance from the screw all the way out.  This tight fit is normal, and it is very important that this screw has this resistance, as besides holding the magazine together, the tightness of the screw is the only way to adjust the tension on the cylinder.   Do not lubricate this screw or do anything else to loosen the fit of the screw in the hole - or your magazine won't work right.  My advice is DO NOT use loctite on this screw either (unless it is worn and loosening on its own already).  Because if loctite is used in the hole, you may not be able to get the screw out again without stripping out the hole for the hex wrench. 

The clear plastic cover, spring, and cylinder, can now be removed from the magazine body.  (To avoid confusion I will refer to the part that holds the pellets, as the "cylinder" since I couldn't find the proper name for it, and the function is similar to a cylinder on a revolver). 

To clean the plastic parts, use soap and water, or  windex.  Many other cleaner or solvent may harm the plastic or maybe even obliterate the lettering. 

REASSEMBLY:

One end of the spring is bent 90°.  This end goes into one of the holes in the bottom of the magazine body.  So which hole should you use?  Well notice there are three holes.  The reason there are 3 holes here and not just one is to allow you to adjust spring tension as the spring wears.  If your magazine is working fine, put the 90° bent part of the spring into the hole shown by the arrow (rear view of magazine shown).  If your magazine spring seems weak, place the spring end into the next hole over.  This will increase spring tension.

Below image is showing magazine body with spring in its hole

When properly assembled, the magazine spring is self-tensioning.  THERE IS NO NEED TO WIND THE SPRING.  Simply assemble the magazine as described and this will result in proper spring tension.

Next turn the cylinder upside down.  Notice the slot molded intothe cylinder

The other end of the spring fits in this slot. Since you can't see the spring enter the slot you will be going by touch. Slide the cylinder down over the spring end and maneuver it into this slot.  You can't see it go in but you will feel the slight amount of tension on the cylinder.  Now push the cylinder down into the magazine housing and feel the spring catch in the cylinder.  Rotate the cylinder slightly clockwise so it will fit into the magazine body as shown in the picture.  The portion of the cylinder shown by the arrow, should be above the "bump" in the magazine body per the photo:

Now carefully hold the cylinder and spring in place with your thumb, while you install the clear plastic cover.  (Peak at the bottom of the cylinder, the end of the mag spring should be visible through the hole or else it has popped out of place.  If this happened, simply repeat the steps.) 

Now you might want to do a last double check.  Make sure the spring, the cylinder, and the mag housingare properly lined up before you screw it back together for good! 
Notice the tiny brass pin in the magazine cover.  This pin should now fit in the end of the slot, (the one molded in the cylinder, and at the spot located right around the number "4".) The brass pin acts as a stop for the cylinder - and also it is what holds the spring tension for the cylinder)
 
It's not easy to see this slot in the photo - but the slot you are concerned with, runs CCW and is the groove the brass pin fits into.  it is located right between number "4" and "5" on the cylinder. 
Press down on the plastic cover and hold tension on it with your thumb.  Now you can install the tensioner screw.  Tighten the screw only until it snug enough that the clear plastic cover is not loose. 

For the last step, now you will set the tension on the cylinder.  This is done just by adjusting the tightness of the screw.  Loosen or tighten it slightly, the tension is correct when the clear cover rotates and locks in place with the same spring tension it had before you started.  If you have spare magazines (always a good idea) compare it with your spare magazine.

It is easy to test your magazine.  Load the mag with pellets, and just push the pellets out the hole using the hex wrench 9to simulate the bolt).  If  it works then you are done.   

If the magazine doesn't work now, it might have to come apart again to make it right.  The most common issues - the cylinder got misaligned during assembly and the "bump" is not where it is supposed to be; the brass pin is not in his slot on the cylinder; the end of the spring is in the wrong hole in the mag houisng; spring got installed upside down (?); one or the other of the spring ends popped out during assembly.  If the 90 ° part of the spring popped out because it is not straight, just bend it back with pliers.

HOW TO LOAD THE BENJAMIN MARAUDER MAGAZINE

(If you need to know how to LOAD the magazines - and I did find them tricky to load at first - here's a video showing how
    )

Rescue35:
Nice write up. Thanks.

DKT88:
Thanks. 8)

Jay:
Nice write up an the pics are a great help. Should help alot of people who are shy about taking the M-rods mag apart for the first time(springs pop out very often on some). To help ya out alittle Bro. the allen is a 1/16. An you can increase tension with the extra holes if needed.

Macky:
Thanks for the post, it really helped me out !

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