Am I the only one who thinks the standard 12 round magazine for the compact is to small and the 17 round mag is too big? When the pinky extension is added to the 12 round magazine it's almost perfect, but why create extra printing with no gain in fire power. I emailed several mag manufacturers to ask about a 14 or 15 round magazine and none of them make any and aren't interested in making any. So I made my own. I purchased a ProMag 17 round magazine and cut it down to 14 rounds and I love it. It doesn't print any more than the 12 round mag with the pinky extension and I have two extra rounds. Anyone else interested? I still have to make a filler for the space between the gun grip and the bottom of my 14 round magazine but that should happen tomorrow.

If it all comes down to 2 rounds I brought the wrong gun anyway

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Retired Career Security Guard

Lots of people have their spare mag a full sized one. I carry a 6906, which holds 12 rounds, but my spare mag is a MecGar 17 round 5906 full sized mag. 30 rounds total.

Right, and I bought a Shield after I realized it. But the compact is still a very good gun made better with a 14 round mag. Without the pinky extension it's just difficult to shoot well but is very good with the pinky extension. So why not have a 14 round mag that's the same size as the standard 12 rounder with pinky extension but now has 14 rounds. Makes sense to me.

[QUOTE=Lots of people have their spare mag a full sized one. I carry a 6906, which holds 12 rounds, but my spare mag is a MecGar 17 round 5906 full sized mag. 30 rounds total.[/QUOTE]

I don't feel a need to carry an extra magazine since the gun is only for self defense. I can't imagine I am ever going to get into a gun battle with a group of bad guys and I'm sure not going to war with it.

Why not just buy a Glock 19 and call it good

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Retired Career Security Guard

Sounds interesting, do you have a pic of your conversion?

Predators travel in packs. Under 20% of rounds fired by police in a gunfight hit their target. That averages out to be less than three hits out of 14 shots fired for trained people. Just sayin'...............

The G19 is bigger and heavier. But the main reason is I already have the compact.

If the pack of predators don't run when I pull out the gun I will be far out numbered and loose the fight anyway. Now if those predators didn't shoot back then my 14 rounds would be good enough.

When the predators don't shoot back the hit percentage in police shootings goes up to about 30%. That increases the average number of hits to slightly over four out of fourteen. Sometimes predators need to be shot several times before they realize that they need another line of work.

If you are relying on the predators to run when you pull out your pistol, you may need to rethink carrying. They rely on their prey having a moral sense of right and wrong, whereas a psychopath has no conscience and feels no guilt or remorse.

Stop making me think MichiganScott. I will soon have a headache thanks to you. Well I guess that is better than being dead.

9c with Mec-Gar +2 extension.jpg

9c with shortened 17 rd magazine.jpg

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DSC01335.jpg
Well after all that work and expense I decided to go with the Mec-Gar +2 mag extension. The extension cost me $10 and the ProMag 17 round mag cost me $15. Shortening the 17 round mag was a lot more work than modifying the Mec-Gar +2 extension, #MAG-380-075. I had to grind down the extension a tiny bit where it connects to my M&P magazine but it was much easier than shortening the ProMag magazine. The spring from the M&P mag works just fine too. It isn't a perfect fit but it's good enough. Attachments show the modified ProMag magazine and the modified Mec-Gar extension. Finally have a picture of my completed ProMag modification. I softened some PVC pipe in the oven and bent it around the magazine to fill the gap between the gun grip and the mag base. Then added some GT-5000 grip tape to the filler. I like it but it was like five times more work than just using a Mec-Gar +2 extension and it cost three times as much.

What if your ProMag malfunctions (They're kinda known for that) and you have to change mags in the middle of the fight?

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Retired Career Security Guard

The ProMag is the cheapest 17 round mag I could find and I wasn't sure I could successfully make the small bend at the bottom of it for the base pad attachment so I wanted to go cheap. Since I now know I can do it I would plan to use S&W magazines, if I was planning to continue down that path.

Since the M&P 9c will use the full size magazine with an X-Grip adaptor, carry the pistol with the 12-round magazine in it and the 17-round magazine for backup. I do.

I don't feel a need to carry an extra magazine since the gun is only for self defense and not a war.

14 rounds would make it too big for me to conceal , but would be nice as a second option


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The 14 round magazine is the same size as the 12 round mag with the pinky finger extension on the Compact. With me the part that shows the most is the point on the pinky finger extension and the back end of the mag doesn't show at all. So if you carry with the pinky finger extension it won't show any more than normal.

I carry MP9 full size and the MP9c as a back up with a full size spare mag. I seem to shoot either gun with the full size mags about the same.

Well, you can't predict how many bad guys may be coming after you. I would rather have too much than not enough.

Me too but I can't carry a machine gun and ammo box.

Here is my finished 14 round magazine with the Mec-Gar +2 (MAG-380-075) extension modified to fit my Compact 9.

Attached Images

DSC01314.jpg (63.4 KB, 127 views)

I like the idea. Glock does the same thing with their +2 mag extension. It makes the mag the same length as a finger extension only. I'd buy one

I got the Mec-Gar extension from Cheaper Than Dirt for $9.97 pluse $6.68 shipping. It was easy to modify to fit my Compact gun.
Mec-Gar, "Plus-2" Adapter Magazine Extension, Polymer, Black - F42099 - 765595510173

Raisin, thank you very much. I have two extensions on the way.

The probability you will never be in a "bad guys maybe coming after you", this mentality is not sensible and self defense is exactly what it means.

Laughter is the key to happiness

You will need to fill the front of the Mec-Gar extension with something (epoxy, JB Weld, etc) if you file down the front of it to match your grip like I did. See the attached photo below.

Attached Images

Mec-Gar extension.jpg (110.3 KB, 80 views)

Easy enough. Thanks again.

Another one is all done. Note that I had to file down the top of the extension before the magazine would seat with the extension on it. The S&W magazine base plate retainer is not used with the Mec-Gar extension. Replace the M&P base plate retainer with the one provided with the Mec-Gar extension,.

Attached Images

	DSC01325.jpg (25.3 KB, 84 views)
	DSC01326.jpg (34.8 KB, 88 views)
	DSC01335.jpg (65.9 KB, 53 views)

Neat to see you bring your idea to fruition. Not something I would do, but I admire people who have an idea and follow it to its end.

If they only shoot once or twice a year to qualify I don't consider them trained people. I shoot 4-8 times a month, usually more than 300 rounds a session.

I didn't really add the extension because I thought I needed more rounds. I added it because the pinky extension on a 12 round magazine is the same size as the 14 round magazine with the Mec-Gar extension and I doesn't print any worse. So why not carry the two extra rounds in the same size gun?

if you want 14 rounds look at the Beretta PX- 4 Sub Compact its 13+1 .. or when I carry my S&W Compact in 40 which is 10+1 .. I carry an extra magazine for what ever I am carrying and a 3rd mag in my center console of my Jeep and one in my wife's Jeep's console .. so am covered when driving her Jeep ..

Both cases I carry an extra magazine in the summer and in the winter carry the larger extended magazines with out printing .. and could probably carry the extended mags in the summer with out printing too .. just dress appropriately ..

When you carry no tight fitting clothing if you don't want to print ..

I wouldn't trust something that was cut down anywhere other then the range .. Its just not worth the chance of a malfunction ..

I don't feel the need to spend another $600 or so for another gun. With the +2 mag extension I now have 14 +1 and I am good with that.

At only 5' 3" it's hard to hide anything.

I don't believe there is any risk with just adding the Mec-Gar extension. Using the Pro-Mag that I modified will only be used at the range.

Better to have and not need than need and not have. I ALWAYS carry a full spare mag.

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Your Ad Here.

Not sure how I missed this thread, but you are dead on that the M&P 9C should have been an actual compact and not a subcompact. The G19 is not the best selling gun in the entire Austrian company's line because no one wants a full grip on their gun. The same reason the Shield is S&W's number one selling auto. I have tried a few different solutions as I wait for Hyve to make a +2, one of my better attempts was taking a file and a dremel to a +2 extension for an XD9. It holds 14 rounds and works okay, about as "okay" as the MecGar extension work. They are reliable but neither fit as tightly as I would have hoped. I am working on modifying the base plate from another gun's +2 to try that. Will report back if it works.

If you have 13 in the 9c and 12 with a spare mag, you have 25 rounds on board. If you need more than that you need a different weapon or you need to rethink the places you are hanging out at.

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Hipcocked45

No one has an idea what they need or when they will need it. It's all just a matter of personal preference and your chosen level of preparedness. Sometimes I carry a 5 shot snubby and call it good. Sometimes I am wearing a 17+1 round M&P with two 19 round spare mags, an LCP in my pocket, and an SBR'd AR15 behind the seat. It all depends on where I am going, what I am doing, and if I feel like carrying more or less. I would like to have a backpack mounted vulcan gun with a red flyer wagon full of ammo to pull behind me, but that's not always an option.

Let's quit this ridiculous bickering about how many rounds one needs to carry. I have made my decision and, quite frankly, I don't give a **** what anyone else's opinion is.
Now back to the reason for this thread. A technical thread. I have just now used Raisin's technique and can say I am very happy w/ the result. Thanks Raisin!

What model extension is it pictured that you modified?

Pearce +2 for the XD-9.

I also tried a Walther +2 for the PPQ (made by MecGar but not the same as the MecGar Optimum +2). It was just a little too short front to back, but gave a much better pink hook than the standard +2. It could be modified but I decided not to do it and instead sent a long email to Hyve Technologies pleading with them to make a M&P9C +2 similar to what they make for the G26.

I've run a couple of the Mec-gar extensions on my M&P 9c's for a few years now. One will not easily drop free, (I'm sure filing a little of the top would allow it, but it's a range mag so I don't care too much) the other one does.

They have both been 100% with at least 1000 rounds through the non drop free and probably double that in the one that does. The drop free one is now my carry spare mag. No issues with the spring as the compact and full size mags use the same spring, so there's plenty of spring pressure.