I have a couple of magazines that are currently plugged to only hold 10 rounds. One of them is a S&W factory 15 round magazine with witness holes. The other is an unmarked, blued magazine with a metal base plate which has no witness holes (I have a match to this one that will take 17 rounds). Both of these appear to be plugged with some sort of plastic which is pinned in from the sides.

Any thoughts on how to return them to regular capacity, or am I better off to sell them to someone that lives in a restricted state and might have better use for them? Both function well, but I see no need for me to have less than regular capacity magazines.

Speaking solely as a subject of the People's Republic of Massachusetts, I don't think anyone here would buy a hi-cap magazine of any vintage (pre- or post-ban) that was plugged by a previous owner.

If the magazines are pre-ban hi-caps, then the plugging makes no sense.

If the magazines are post-ban hi-caps, then the legality (of owner plugging) issue needs to be considered. Some will tell you that plugging may be legal. Others will tell you it isn't legal. So why would anyone take a chance?

The truth is that no one knows if a "plugged" post-ban hi-cap would pass muster in MA... but very few people I know would want to be the first test case.

That's an interesting take on it. I didn't really give thought to it other than "hey, if someone is only allowed by law to have a magazine that can hold ten rounds than maybe they can use these". It's simply crazy that places have laws on the books that complicate things that far. These magazines were with the 915 that I recently purchased. The gun came from NY. 2 mags blocked to 10 rounds and one that'll fit 17...go figure. I guess the one would definitely not be "safe act" compliant.

Each loony moonbat state's gun laws are a little (or sometimes a lot) different. As I understand it, NY now has a straight 10-round magazine capacity limit with no exceptions. Whether or not owner "plugging" of higher capacity magazines is legally allowed I can't say. And apparently, it makes no difference at all when the magazine in question was manufactured.

On the other hand, Massachusetts pols chose to extend the Federal AWB. In doing so, pre-ban hi-cap magazines (pre-1994) were grandfathered in... and post-ban hi-caps were left banned. It may sound like a subtle difference, but NY law focuses solely on capacity while MA law focuses mainly on date of legal possession (or more commonly, date of manufacture). You can do any damn thing you want with a pre-ban magazine... but post-ban magazines must be 10 rounds or less and there is nothing in the law or in case law that allows or exempts post-ban hi-caps if they are owner plugged.

Some in MA will argue that a permanently plugged post-ban hi-cap is just as legal as a 10-round post-ban factory magazine. The key, they say, is that the alteration must be permanent and irreversible (which, as a practical matter, is kind of hard to do). Others will point out that there is nothing in law or in case law to support that speculation even if it sounds like it should make sense. Problem is... MA guns laws have nothing to do with making sense.

Regardless, there is very little motivation, need or desire within MA to buy a hi-cap magazine and then plug it down to 10-rounds (or buy one already so altered). The legality is dubious at best and 10-round post-ban factory &/or aftermarket magazines are available and common now even for most older guns.

Can you post pictures of the mags?



I feel the same way, I have 2 factory 10rd mags that came with my 910 and I've never even put a round in them or put them in the gun.

Here is a pic. Note the pins present in the resessed area of the side of the magazines.

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The pins are not present in the 3rd magazine and they seem to be what is holding in the plastic piece.

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I think you could drill them out, you may have to put new springs in.