Aftermarket mags to avoid?
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joegerardi
New member
Avoid USA Mags. they're shwag, dross, gunge. Mec-Gar OEMs mags for SIGs, so they are the way to go.
Good topic!!!
This was something I was going to ask about today but you beat me to it.
I really have no desire to spend 30.00 for a factory mag, if I can get a MEC-GAR for half the price. I have heard only good things about the MEC-GAR mags and have bought twon in the last 2 weeks.
Just as an aside I have heard that MEC-GAR make mags for some gun manufacturers. If this is true, Then buying a MEC-GAR is like buying factory
ENJOY THE SIG!!! MY 226 IS A DREAM!!!
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"By His stripes we are healed..."
PeterGunn
This was something I was going to ask about today but you beat me to it.
I really have no desire to spend 30.00 for a factory mag, if I can get a MEC-GAR for half the price. I have heard only good things about the MEC-GAR mags and have bought twon in the last 2 weeks.
Just as an aside I have heard that MEC-GAR make mags for some gun manufacturers. If this is true, Then buying a MEC-GAR is like buying factory
ENJOY THE SIG!!! MY 226 IS A DREAM!!!
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"By His stripes we are healed..."
PeterGunn
Sorry. Missed this was for Sigs. Do you mind addressing other "aftermarket" mags?
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I bought six Pro-Mag hi-cap mags for Glock 17/34. Not one worked properly. Not one.
- Full rounds pop right out of the pistol 1 or 2 at a time (when the mag is full).
- "Sometimes" the slide will lock back on an empt mag. Sometimes...
- Frequent double feeds.
I use them for malfunction drills in my CHL and other classes. These mags are "reliably unreliable" in every Glock 17 or 34 (at least 6) that we've tried them in.
One mag "healed itself" when I filed off the lumps, bumps, etc. inside the mag. (I only use it at the range, though.)
A second mag is undergoing "reconstruction"
I won't buy any Pro-Mag product again.
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I have some Wilson Combat mags for my .45s - never a hiccup, not one.
Anybody have experience with Shooting Star?
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited August 30, 1999).]
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I bought six Pro-Mag hi-cap mags for Glock 17/34. Not one worked properly. Not one.
- Full rounds pop right out of the pistol 1 or 2 at a time (when the mag is full).
- "Sometimes" the slide will lock back on an empt mag. Sometimes...
- Frequent double feeds.
I use them for malfunction drills in my CHL and other classes. These mags are "reliably unreliable" in every Glock 17 or 34 (at least 6) that we've tried them in.
One mag "healed itself" when I filed off the lumps, bumps, etc. inside the mag. (I only use it at the range, though.)
A second mag is undergoing "reconstruction"
I won't buy any Pro-Mag product again.
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I have some Wilson Combat mags for my .45s - never a hiccup, not one.
Anybody have experience with Shooting Star?
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited August 30, 1999).]
I bought a bunch of hi-cap Ramline mags for my 226. I was skeptical at first, since they run for about $15 at CDNN. I have yet to have a single problem, though.
The spring mechanism is different in Ramline. Instead of having a standard spring below the follower that compresses as rounds are loaded, there is a tighly coiled flat spring that uncoils from above as the follower is pushed down with rounds. Thus, the magazines have a higher capacity and the spring gets weaker as more ammo is loaded into the magazine. After pushing 18(!) 9mms into the flush bottom magazine, I thought the spring would be too weak when firing rapidly, but it seems to work fine.
The spring mechanism is different in Ramline. Instead of having a standard spring below the follower that compresses as rounds are loaded, there is a tighly coiled flat spring that uncoils from above as the follower is pushed down with rounds. Thus, the magazines have a higher capacity and the spring gets weaker as more ammo is loaded into the magazine. After pushing 18(!) 9mms into the flush bottom magazine, I thought the spring would be too weak when firing rapidly, but it seems to work fine.
Mike in VA
New member
I agree with the post that USA mags are crap, avoid them at all costs, they aren't worth the postage. I have had good luck with Mec-gar hi-caps in my 228 & 226, and FWIW, hi-cap Pro-mags from CTD. I felt the OEM springs in the Pro-mags were a bit wimpy (though they never malfunctioned), so I replaced them with Wolffe's +5%, no problems. Good luck, M2
David Wright
New member
I bought 6(!) .50 AE mags from Pro Mag.
Not a single one worked. I sent them all back to the factory. They sent new ones that they claim were tested. In fact, they were unfired. You could clearly see delicate plastic flashing on the followers that is removed from chambering or firing even one round. They have been highly modified by me, and still only work part of the time.
Lesson learned......Never again.
Not a single one worked. I sent them all back to the factory. They sent new ones that they claim were tested. In fact, they were unfired. You could clearly see delicate plastic flashing on the followers that is removed from chambering or firing even one round. They have been highly modified by me, and still only work part of the time.
Lesson learned......Never again.
I have two USA Mags for my Mini-14. One is a 10 rounder and the other is a 30 rounder, they are both stainless. The 10 rounder works fine but the 30 round mag will function ok until you get to the last round which gets pitched into the dirt everytime. I don't use the 30 round mag much anyway so that doesn't bother me too much.
The followers look like someone took a rectanglar piece of plastic and ground them on a grinder until they resembled a follower.
Very cheaply made. I also have a USA 13 round Hi-Power mag which won't even fit into my Hi-Power.
The followers look like someone took a rectanglar piece of plastic and ground them on a grinder until they resembled a follower.
Very cheaply made. I also have a USA 13 round Hi-Power mag which won't even fit into my Hi-Power.
Great thread.
I was wondering the same thing at a gun show yesterday. I knew USA had a bad reputation, but didn't know about ProMag. I...almost bought some, came real close. Really glad I didn't. Any one have a source for Mec-Gar mags at a reasonable price. I am looking for 10 round 229 mags.
I was wondering the same thing at a gun show yesterday. I knew USA had a bad reputation, but didn't know about ProMag. I...almost bought some, came real close. Really glad I didn't. Any one have a source for Mec-Gar mags at a reasonable price. I am looking for 10 round 229 mags.
I have had good luck with Shooting Star mags. I prefer them to the Wilsons I have, however to be fair the Wilsons were bought when they were called Wilson/Rogers. I got tired of fiddling with them, went back to my original Randall mags until the Shooting Stars came out.
By the way, if someone has a good supply of Randall mags, do you want to sell a couple?
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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
By the way, if someone has a good supply of Randall mags, do you want to sell a couple?
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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
I have had no problems with the shooting star magazine's, Ive only used them in 1911's and ive one of those wilson/rogers mag that the bottom seems to be coming apart, but that came in a used pistol I purchased. for the other stuff I use the factory mags....back then you could acutally afford them.....Im curious on the fal mags, and m1a mags----anyone have any ideas?...fubsy.
I have to agree with the usa mags about not going into the mag well of my Hi-power,bought two and both would not fit.I do have two promags that work great in my hi-power and i use them all the time as my range mags, saving use on my factory mags,maybe i just got lucky with them.Does anybody know of a good place to buy pre-ban MEC-GAR mags from?
KEVIN
KEVIN
Recently got a Pro-Mag 8 rounder for my P220. It is not reliable.
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“The whole of the Bill (of Rights) is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals. ... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.” -Alexander Addison, 1789
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“The whole of the Bill (of Rights) is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals. ... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.” -Alexander Addison, 1789
Cheapo,
Good suggestion. I was thinking about trying the follower from a Ruger five rounder. I'll have to experiment. I could contact USA and get them to send me another one, maybe it will work better. They have a No-Jam Guarantee, I'll bet they get a bunch of returned mechandise.
Good suggestion. I was thinking about trying the follower from a Ruger five rounder. I'll have to experiment. I could contact USA and get them to send me another one, maybe it will work better. They have a No-Jam Guarantee, I'll bet they get a bunch of returned mechandise.
I purchased my mec-gar's from a direct catalog compnay called "Cheaper than Dirt".
If memory serves they were no more than $17.00 a piece, but thay are only 10 rounders. I haven't run across any hi-cap pre-bans yet, but I understand they will go for $60.00+. Not cheap.
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"By His stripes we are healed..."
PeterGunn
If memory serves they were no more than $17.00 a piece, but thay are only 10 rounders. I haven't run across any hi-cap pre-bans yet, but I understand they will go for $60.00+. Not cheap.
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"By His stripes we are healed..."
PeterGunn
Glock Raider
New member
Willy, I have the answer for you buy factory mags for your P229 August 23,1999 shotgun news Company: R GUNS phone#(847)428-3569 price $17.00 new sig factory mags 10rds for the following models 226,228,229 also offer a factory cleaning kit new in sigarms pouch for $10.00 calibers 45acp,40s&w,380,357,9mm. Happy Shooting
Wish me luck guys. I was unable to find full capacity Mec-gars or Ramlines for my 226 so I wound up ordering Pro-Mags. At $12 each I figure I can afford to tinker with them a bit if they don't work. Wolff springs are only about $8 each and I suppose I can get followers from Sig. Thanks for all the info.
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