What was the worst modification that you ever made to a gun?
Since this is the ONLY mod I've made to my guns it will have to qualify as the BEST and the Worst [but not bad].
The Knoxx Sidewinder Conversion Kit w/ 10 round drum and 6 round box magazines for M500A.
Sometime in early 2003 I saw this ad in a gun mag or online. I was shooting 3-gun with a unmodified M500A 20" bbl.
I ordered it and waited until it shipped 11/29/2004... almost 2 years. Knoxx kept delaying it due to "quality control issues." The said they wanted to get it right before sending it to the customers. I did want them to get it right of course, but it made me impatient.
I started to assemble the unit, but I had to call the factory on Dec 13 to advise them that the "Magazine tube on Sidewinder kit was delivered damaged. Threads on magazine feed tube dented and out of round." Knoxx gave me an RMA# to ship the damaged part back to them and they replaced it w/ a good one.
This time I took the whole kit to my gunsmith [PD armorer] because I wanted to make sure that my clumsy handling would not be the cause of any damage during assembly. The kit went together really well in competent hands.
Performance:
First I'll note that I am not a great 3-gun shooter and I shoot w/ guns that are not "optimized" for competition. I used a 1947 M1 Garand from DCM and a 1946 stock Colt 1911 w/ stock 7-rounders. But I sure had as much fun as anybody else. Everybody wanted to shoot that M1 after the match!
Anyhoo, I only got to use the Knoxx/Mossy in 3 actual matches because I moved to a place that didn't have 3-gun matches.
I found the best way to manage the ammo was load the 10-round drum for the first shots and reload if needed with the 6-round boxes. Only one mag change was need because the stages didn't require more than 17 rounds out of a SG. I carried the box mags in an old WWII gas mask case.
The kit actually did deliver ammo smoothly.
Disadvantage is that I cannot easily swap barrels. It's not convertible.
Back in 2003 the kit cost $190 for early purchasers. Included forearm and grip, mag receiver, mounting hardware, and one 10-round drum mag. We early purchasers got a free 6-round box mag. Cost of extra mags was $90 for drums and $50 for boxes. I bought one of each.
I wish I had been able to use it for more matches. Most fun was being able to show off my "weird" guns at the matches.
I still have it installed. I don't regret the purchase. I wanted to sell it at one time. Got an offer at my price and changed my mind. He understood.
Knoxx does not sell these anymore, but I think I saw somebody else making a kit that will use the Knoxx mags.
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